Photo: Cheryl Reynolds
How old are our three kits? The truth is we can’t be sure. The first was seen on June 9th and we assumed it was about 4 weeks old. Sharon Brown of Beavers: Wetlands & Wildlife thinks more like 6, since kits don’t come out of the lodge on their own until they can dive, and they can’t do that until 6 weeks. Our kits were so small this year, and mom was in such poor health, that we think they might have emerged early to feed. That places them somewhere around 9-10 weeks old. Kits stop nursing around 8 weeks, and their digestion is ready for the big job of feeding entirely on leaves and bark.
Worth A Dam made the decision to keep easy food available for our three when mom’s health began to decline. Since her death we have been dropping cottonwood and willow at the dam site to allow them easy access to branches. This lets them feed and fatten naturally, while practicing chewing and tugging and figuring out just how to swim with three feet of willowy goodness in your paws. Our decision to supplemental feed has been reported on the news and in the press. It is not a secret and it should not be controversial. Here is an example of how supplemental feeding works when humans aren’t involved.
I took this photo in October of 2007. It shows one of our 4 first kits feeding on a felled willow tree in the annex behind the lodge. This is beaver-generated supplmental feeding. Dad brought down this tree so that four youngsters would have easy eating close to home, and could practice chewing and dragging branches on their own. The kits initial feeding consisted of branches brought by the parents into the lodge, branches carefully laid in the water, or low hanging willow and blackberry the kits could snatch for themselves. We have seen all three kits taking food from the banks as well.
This year Worth A Dam made the decision to paint the trees around the lodge with sand to make them less attractive food. Our concern was that the lodge remain shaded and protected from human interference. It has worked in keeping trees but it means there are fewer “training trees” for dad to take down in the immediate area. We will continue to supply branches for another two weeks at least. When the kits get a little bigger I’m sure Dad will try out the lovely new willow we planted in the annex. Have you looked at it lately? It’s huge!
