Trapped with mntrapperboy (my son) for many years and have never caught over four 1-year old beavers out of one house. Two frequently and sometimes three, a couple of times 4. Hit 4 this winter while trapping a friend's pond and told him anything else will be big, next check was two more 1-year old beavers. I had no idea more than 4 could be successfully raised by one female, 4 nipples is the most I've ever seen one. Anyone else seen numbers like that or is there some other explanation?

On the beaver I've been fleshing lately it seems like there are 3 sets of teats, none are filled out yet though, obviously. Maybe I'm just crazy.

Caught 14 beaver out of a pond in southern Ohio.
6 two year olds, 6 one year olds, and the two adults.
The female had 6 in her when caught!
The one year olds weren't much larger than a large muskrat!

Most young of the year from one colony for me is 5.

Can more than one family occupy the same lodge? Asking for a friend.

I think Paul has mentioned catching multiple nursing females in a lodge.

Have had up to 6 with one female. 4 is what I expect, 5 happens, but rarely get more than that.

I have trapped a few colonies with two adult females and 8 kits with them.

6

All I can say is I was surprised when I caught 6 beaver that were not much bigger than a large muskrat.
Then caught 6 that could of passed as two year olds.
The male was next and when I caught the female , checked her out and she had 6 tinny beaver in her.
I was stunned , because around here two a year is thought as standard.

I believe kits will jump the boundary line of a colony to play with other kits.
They are usually the one building a new dam, in high water,,,,,far from the hut in my area of WA.

3, 4 or 5 is normal here.

6 for me but 4 or less is typical.
But like Ohio Wolverine mentioned it can get crazy at times.

6 is the most I have caught in one lodge,

They can get on over 6 too. I saved this picture a few years back. It was posted by Mr. Denton aka varmintshooter on here. 10 kits in one female beaver. Don't put a number on nature as there are always exceptions to the rule

Nature is pretty cruel despite what Walt Disney would have you believe. There is a big difference between the number of young a female can produce and what survives to make a fall kit beaver.

A few times over the years when doing nuisance work I have found dead beaver around a week old floating outside the house.
I believe the female beaver will remove the beaver that dont survive from the house.

Well what I thought wasn't likely or even possible clearly is. Thanks for the comments back to help me understand it. Can put that into the mystery solved category.

I have trapped two pregnant females from the same colony before.

I believe the female “culls” the litter depending on what’s available as far as food, habitat. I could be wrong, but seems more likely to me than two or three kits dying naturally at the same time and being removed.

Had a baby beaver for a pet once Fed it on a bottle and used Similac and started it on Twigs didnt take long to get rid of him as he ate so many twigs and sticks we couldnt keep up with it 'Cute as a pin though'Dont know if he made it but I highly doubt it.