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Post by thegerbilfamily on Aug 27, 2015 4:38:47 GMT -8
They have been raised and are growing up together with no signs of any violence. They are only 5 weeks old. Would I be able to house them together or would it be to risky as thy get older?
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Post by blanknote on Aug 27, 2015 4:47:13 GMT -8
I think 3 gerbils is always risky in some way, as there's always the possibility that they will declan. However, I have heard people having success when it comes to housing 3 gerbils together. I would say housing them together is better option than housing one of them alone. There is a chance for declanning, but at least they should be living happily for a while. (I haven't done research on how likely declans are when it comes to females, so can't give much advice.)
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Post by theia on Aug 27, 2015 5:42:17 GMT -8
Might as well house them together until a declan occurs IF it occurs, unless you're thinking of getting another young female and splitting them off into two pairs when they're old enough? We had 3 (assumed) sibling females together until they hit about 7 months old and suddenly declanned, but up until that point they had been happy together.
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Post by crittercrazy on Aug 27, 2015 7:12:45 GMT -8
I have three females (not even siblings- I introduced them) living together now, and had another female trio in the past. Haven't had problems yet. . . so I can at least say that it's possible. I guess I could have just been lucky, but either way.  |
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Post by betty on Aug 27, 2015 7:47:40 GMT -8
Just go with it if they are together now, until they show signs of declanning, which they might not.
If you want to take one out at all, then do it in the next few weeks, as taking one out when they are older might also cause problems with the 2 you left behind (well it has happened to me that way).
The only time I have ever had a female trio live together for more than a year (and I have had a lot of gerbils), is a mother and her 2 daughters right now. Bearing in mind she ate all the rest of her pups before they were weaned, I'm not sure why they haven't overthrown her yet? Unless she really is THAT scary a mum that they don't dare get on the wrong side of her... Fingers crossed they last for ever.
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Post by rs on Sept 10, 2015 15:54:22 GMT -8
We had four together in a 29 gallon tank, with two water bottles and two wheels to reduce competition, one main nest box but also a smaller one, and gave them all lots of attention and once-a-week playpen time (there are two of us, but we occasionally resorted to a travel tank when one of us was sick, etc.--it's a change of environment, even if not so large). They took great care of each other, grooming and snuggling and so on, and didn't fight.
They were all relatives who were never separated, so we didn't have to try to do an introduction.
Good luck! You have a big decision to make, but you obviously already are aware of that, and care a great deal about the outcome.
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Post by asher on Sept 10, 2015 18:53:41 GMT -8
I have had experience with three females as well. So far so good, never seen any issues for the 6ish months they have been together.
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Post by t1gg3er on Sept 11, 2015 1:52:21 GMT -8
We've had 4 sisters together in the past & they lived happily into old age until one by one they passed away. At the moment we have 2 sets of mother & 2 daughters together and all are happy for now. With one trio one of the daughters has decided she wants to be in charge & thankfully mum (who's a very quiet girl) has easily taken the step back to allow her daughter to be boss. There was no posturing or fisty-cuffs, mum seemed a little confused for a couple of days but then seemed to adjust & after that it just seemed a natural transition.
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