thanks maxyboo
no they are not dwarfs - they are regular sized.
all the babies that have died have been of the same weight as the others in the litter as we weigh each one each week for prospective new owner's records, along with weekly pictures. so i can definitely say they grow and develop at the same rate as the others.
only one litter has been large (
where she would only feed 5 kits and i would go in and feed the other three. the ones she left were different each time. she would move 5 away and feed them and leave the others. i would go in and feed the remaining 3 and put them with the original 5. once they were weaned she didn't differentiate at all.
i'm beginning to think it might indeed be genetics with one or two gaining the dominant 'death gene'.
the baby that she found yesterday was arched backwards but NOT fitting or having spasms of any kind...just seemed to be alive but a million miles away (lights were on but no one home). wasn't happy to be picked up but lay limp in her hand.
no physical signs of disability, ill health or fighting. they were up on mum's back when she left for work in the morning and all food had been eaten when she returned.
the mystery continues.....