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AGE
Jul 17, 2004 3:54:22 GMT -8
Post by terri on Jul 17, 2004 3:54:22 GMT -8
What age do pups become sexual active? or could fall pregnant? please help as we are really having a rough time sexings ours and i want to split them just before the 2nd litter comes but i have 1 gerbil who seems smaller and has not a long tail and thick as the other pups and seems to sleep more and i think that it could benifit being with mum bit longer and the rest could go with the dad until a week or so to see if any changes happen to make us say well thats a girl or thats a boy .
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AGE
Jul 17, 2004 7:29:26 GMT -8
Post by queenofthenile on Jul 17, 2004 7:29:26 GMT -8
You need to split them about 6 weeks of age *just* to make sure. I've heard of gerbils getting pregnant at 7 weeks, I don't think it is common, but it is possible. These guys are only 4 weeks right now, correct? In a week it should be really easy. Males will have very prominent scrotal sacks and a much larger distance between the urethra and anus. Females have the genital opening and anus very close to the urethra and don't have any little bulges . Here's a really good link with photos. www.geocities.com/celticcliquegerbils/SexingGerbils.html
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AGE
Jul 18, 2004 6:19:02 GMT -8
Post by Ritzie/Admin on Jul 18, 2004 6:19:02 GMT -8
And.... Mongolian gerbils are sexually mature at earliest at an age of 6-7 weeks. But is better to let the female mate at an age of at least 5-6 months. She will need before that age all her energy for herself to grow. Female can have pups until an age of about 14-20 months, males usually a while longer. A female Mongolian gerbil is most fertile when she is about 1 year of age.
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AGE
Jul 18, 2004 13:27:28 GMT -8
Post by darrenb on Jul 18, 2004 13:27:28 GMT -8
we have noticed when we pair our females with a male at about 12 weeks they tend to not breed until they are 5/6 months old anyway, they seem to regulate themselves quite well. of course you can get as with any species not so bright females that don't regulate very well. ;D
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AGE
Jul 18, 2004 13:43:34 GMT -8
Post by lizzy on Jul 18, 2004 13:43:34 GMT -8
i've heard they reach full sexual maturity at ten weeks.
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AGE
Jul 18, 2004 23:44:18 GMT -8
Post by andrea on Jul 18, 2004 23:44:18 GMT -8
I think they are "capable" from about 10 weeks, but most females will not conceive until they are older, not to say it cannot happen!. to be safe you may wish to part them as soon as they are old enough to come away from mum, about 6 weeks old. If you are wishing to breed most breeders say you need to pair a female before they are 12 weeks as females are notoriously hard to introduce the older they get.
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AGE
Jul 19, 2004 3:38:15 GMT -8
Post by Ritzie/Admin on Jul 19, 2004 3:38:15 GMT -8
Most Gerbils become sexually mature by the age of three months old. However if you pair a young female up with an older male you may find that she has her first litter earlier than if you had paired her up with a Gerbil the same age. Some pairs will breed earlier than others. Some pairs may take a year or more to produce a litter. It depends indeed on the gerbil!
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AGE
Jul 19, 2004 4:52:42 GMT -8
Post by terri on Jul 19, 2004 4:52:42 GMT -8
Thanks you for all your replies. I have how ever tooken out the mum and one pup because it dont seem to be as active as the other pups and could prob benifit a little with being with mum for little bit longer. im still not sure if its a boy or a girl but im thinking its a girl when i keep looking.. allso its there to maybe if its up to it, is to help her mum have second litter.. so the rest of the pups is with dad and they do still have some contact when we let them out for a play..im hoping that i will see a diffrence by this weekend in being able to say what sex lol..heres hoping! but as you are all saying that around 6 weeks or more is the time they could mate depending!.. is then i have still got 2 weeks to work the sex out.. So thanks again for all the good info you have given me..
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