|
|
Post by gerbil232 on Sept 11, 2014 8:47:58 GMT -8
Hi everybody, so I'm just wondering, if I'm planning to breed in the future, and I only want one litter, do I keep the dad in? Or take him out as soon as I know the mother is pregnant? Whenever I search this up, it says to put in a older female pup from their last litter. What if I never had a litter, so that I don't have a female pup?? Thanks for any help!!  |
|
|
|
Post by betty on Sept 11, 2014 9:01:52 GMT -8
If you only want one litter, then you need to take him out when she starts to plump up or 21 days if she hasn't plumped up but you don't want to miss it (assuming they DEFINITELY mated of course...)
Most mature gerbils can raise the litter by themselves, so if possible make sure the mother to be is around 6 months (ie not still growing herself) and that she is a good size and very confident around humans - you don't want to breed a nervous female as she could get really stressed during the birth and while nursing if on her own and freaked out by humans poking around.
If this is her first litter you won't have an older female pup of course, so she will just have to be on her own. Unless of course you consider the 'normal' 2 litters and then she will always have someone with her while nursing?
|
|
|
|
Post by gerbil232 on Sept 11, 2014 9:15:06 GMT -8
Thanks, if I keep the dad in though, and the second litter comes along in 2 months, doesn't the older litter need milk until about 3 months? And just to confirm, you can move the males in the litter with the dad at 3-4 months as well? ^-^
|
|
loxy
Member
Carer of Gerbils
Posts: 65
|
Post by loxy on Sept 11, 2014 10:27:55 GMT -8
Gerbils are pregnant for 21-25 days for a first litter. The second litter can be delay longer to wean the first litter. Pups wean from 3-4 weeks old and should be independent by 5 weeks old. They can be separated from mum at 6 weeks and should be divided into genders no later than 8 weeks.
|
|
