Get started breeding?

[Jazzable]

I'd like to breed gerbils at some point. Probably not any time soon, but one day I definitely want to do it. I know that a lot of people are very strict about "don't breed if you're not totally ready" or "if you don't know why you want to breed, then don't do it". Which is totally understandable.

My question is: how do/did you get started as a breeder? What did you learn and do before you started breeding? What would someone have to do to convince you they were ready to start breeding? What do you recommend I do if I'm planning on breeding in future?

[ashtree93]

I started breeding because a roommate at uni put my males and females together. Normally, I just have my females at uni and my partner looks after the males. He was on holiday so I had both :S. Luckily, only one female became pregnant and there were no injuries. This produced my first litter. I would say to do a lot of research into breeding, the gestation, possible complications etc.... That way you are prepared for anything. Don't expect to make money from breeding. If anything, it costs more money than you can make and you are unlikely to breakeven. You need to supplement mum with some protein, need more bedding, tanks, space, heat mats, emergency antibiotics, kitten milk and biscuits.

In terms of convincing someone, I think you need to just be realistic and have a plan for anything. Why are you breeding/ what are your aims. How will you achieve them. Where will pups go. What will you do if they can't be rehomed. What about fixed wrists/ deformed pups. Can you cope with losing pups due to being rejected/ runts/ having an RI/ being attacked etc. Are you going to produce nice colours, good temperament and health. Are your stock healthy, unrelated, have a nice temperament. The list is endless, but you get the idea.

In my case now, I am breeding for light colourpoints using a Sp Cp grey and a Sp black that carries the c(h). I would say that the pups growing is a massive positive and outweighs the negative. I definitely felt like I had no idea when I found out about the first litter. However, I have had three now and feel a lot more confident. I wouldn't say I know everything, but the mum and dad gerbils know what they are doing and don't need too much supervision.

[Crystal]

Hope it's okay I reply to this topic, even if it is a couple of weeks old. (:

I was eleven years old when my 6th-grade science teacher owned pet gerbils and housed some in her classroom.
I adopted two females at first from her, then a third. Maybe a month or two of raising her gerbils and showing how well I handled them and had so much fascination in Gerbils, she allowed me to breed. She told her students how breeding shouldn't be taken lightly and basically all what ashtree said. She at first firmly said no to ever adopting a Male/Female pair to her students until she gained trust from the few of us (such as myself.)

I wanted to become a wonderful owner/breeder just like she was. You could say she was my role model, she raised the perfect gerbils and knew so much about genetics, behavior, health, and temperament.
All of what she did rubbed off on me (the most of all her students actually ).
I had a lot to learn since 2002, but it was all worth it. Before I planned to breed, I had little to no knowledge until I learned from that teacher. I never looked at my beloved pets as dollar signs or just to breed for fancy marks and colors. With each new litter, I learn something new. I love that feeling of accomplishment when I hand raised pups into adulthood. They maybe rodents to anyone else, but to me they're my own children so I put every ounce of love and effort into each of them.

Ahem, before I start rambling... Tips for new breeders or those simply curious,
Just to be super cautious and if you're ever doubtful of a pair or unsure, it's probably best not to breed those two together. I know it's almost impossible to know a single gerbil's entire family history, health history, temperament, etc, but you need to have at least some background before putting them together.
With breeding, I think it's mostly about expecting surprises or the worst outcomes. Not to get you all worked up or turn someone off, but to understand what could go wrong. Not every being is perfect, so as long as you come to terms with that and know what you are getting into (potential slip ups, possible disasters, as well as either too little or too big of litters) and are able to accommodate their needs, then I'm happy to welcome a new breeder into the wonderful world of bringing new gerbils into our world (: