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Post by Victoria on May 7, 2004 19:07:07 GMT -8
Okay well my litter is now 31 days old. They are all eating solid food and doing well. When can I spereate them? When can they go to new homes? When they get seperated from the mother and father should I keep them all in one cage together for another week just to make sure that they eat and drink well?
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Post by j on May 8, 2004 6:17:50 GMT -8
That's only about 4 weeks old, they need atleast 1 more week. Wait untill at least 5 weeks. Not sure what you mean by that  If you have any doubts that they're not eating or drinking well, you need to keep them with the parents untill you're sure. If you don't even have homes for them yet, you might as well keep them with the parents a little longer. . |
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Post by Victoria on May 8, 2004 6:38:16 GMT -8
Sorry for the confusion. I meant once they are 5 weeks old, should I put all the bbie in a 10 gallon tank together without mom and dad. Do this for another week just to be sure they get along all right without mom and dad. Then at 6 weeks give them away. I have homes lined up for all of them.
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Post by Ritzie/Admin on May 9, 2004 4:58:57 GMT -8
I agree with J! Leave the pups always with their parents until an age of at least 5 weeks, so that they will get a good gerbil raising!
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Post by j on May 10, 2004 16:48:42 GMT -8
If she's pregnant again it's probably best to remove them before the next litter arrives..less stress for the mother. But wait untill 5-6 weeks. (Doesn't have to be 5 weeks exactly..) As long as they're healthy (no respitory infections) and eating and drinking..doesn't matter if you keep them for anther week or give them away. Make sure they're drinking out of the water bottle though. A few of my pups wouldn't drink water untill after 6 weeks old...they kept trying to lick spit out of the parents' mouths.  |
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Post by Victoria on May 10, 2004 17:41:21 GMT -8
How do i know they are drinking from the water bottle?
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Post by j on May 10, 2004 19:18:10 GMT -8
Just watch them. You'll see if they use it or not. If they're not..they'll be licking the sides of the tank and licking the parent's mouths. Like this...  Then one day they quit out of nowhere and started using the bottle. ;D |
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Post by Victoria on May 11, 2004 17:19:00 GMT -8
Ummm okay well today they are 5 weeks exactly. Is it better to wait until 6 weeks or 5 and a half maybe?
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Post by Ritzie/Admin on May 12, 2004 4:20:33 GMT -8
When I have pups that may leave at an age of 5 weeks! That is OK, but it is your choice if you wait longer.  |
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Post by queenofthenile on May 12, 2004 7:09:01 GMT -8
I keep my pups in with mom and dad until 6 weeks. They actually help a lot (usually) with the newborn litter. It gives mom some time to rest because some of the pups are keeping the nest warm for her.
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Post by Ritzie/Admin on May 13, 2004 4:47:23 GMT -8
They help indeed, and they learn taking care while doing it! That way they might be better parent themselves when they will have a litter in the future!
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Post by andrea on May 17, 2004 4:13:11 GMT -8
our pups usualy stay with mum and dad until they are about 5-6 weeks we seperate them into sex groups. we tend to watch for drinking from the water bottle, we have found that once one is drinking most of the rest of the litter soon learn very quickly.
Watch for agression from the mother though we have had 1 pup killed cos the mother was trying to drive them out of the nest before the next litter arrives but as they are in a tank they cannot escape and she killed it.
Andrea
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Post by Ritzie/Admin on May 17, 2004 4:46:21 GMT -8
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Post by andrea on May 17, 2004 4:52:53 GMT -8
we only had it happen once, it was a small litter of two and she decided to drive them away before having more, but when the litters were bigger she liked to have them help with the new litter. strange gerbil thinking ... |
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