How many placentas do you let your girl eat? If any.

Mine have always eaten them all. 10, however, causes loose bowels.

Mine also eat the lot....they are far to quick for me to rescue!!!
But they do make for some squishy poos.. good food for Mum though, as nature intended.
Aileen

Ditto the same as Merlot.

Mine often eat the lot but do frequently bring back up some of them.  Yuck I feel ill now.

> good food for Mum though, as nature intended.

Very true - all small animals eat theirs, and with most of the small animals we can't be there to prevent it. It is one of the wonders of nature that a totally vegetarian animal such as a rabbit, will eat the lot. I've seen them eating it, it's like the mouth says Nooooo.... but the brain says Yessssss... and the bunny-mum has a totally glazed expression like she's high on drugs. Stepford Rabbits!

Pity the rat-mum who may have to eat up to 20.... But this is a way of making sure the new mum has food and sustenance and doesn't have to go out grazing, foraging or hunting for a day or so, thereby risking herself... and giving her much-needed time with her newborns.

OK so I have never bred dogs BUT have bred cats and as long as I can count the placentas, I have no issue with mum eating them whatsoever. It's how it's meant to be, whether you are there or not. Cat mothers and Dog mothers have done this for thousands of years, I just can't see why it would be negative.

PS: The loose stools may not be from eating the placentas, but a natural effect after the birth anyway.

Eating placentas dates back to animals in the wild ...ours are not in the wild they ate the placentas to give them strengh to feed the pups till they could forage for more  food its inbuilt into their nature but I would not let them eat them all  just my opinion.

> Eating placentas dates back to animals in the wild ...ours are not in the wild they ate the placentas to give them strengh to feed the pups till they could forage for more; food its inbuilt into their nature but I would not let them eat them all; just my opinion.

I think you're quite right Glenys, though having owned small animals for over 30 yrs, of the kind where we can't interfere during birth and have to let them get on with it, I have seen no ill effects..... is all I am saying :) Think of cats - they aren't in the wild but the majority of cats born are not pedigree, and aren't midwifed by a human being, but they eat the lot when we're not there to oversee.

My sister in law had her's cooked and ate some of it...don't ask me why, she said it tasted just like liver....ugh :(

It does contain a lot of hormones and some people believe if you do eat it, it may help prevent post-natal depression.... Not had any babies myself so I can't comment, but after seeing rabbits eat 'meat' I'm convinced there's a biological reason for it....lol

Yep, they have the lot, never caused any issues, and never had dire rear jsut the normal sticky black/green poo in the first day.

My largest litter has been 9, and more usually 4 - 7.