Im Keeping Them !!!!!

[jimbo]

hi, after some thinking, i have decided to keep my pups, they are 1 week old today ;D

i am splitting the males and females as i have another fish tank,

just a few questions,

when can i take them from the mother?

do i just give them normal food and water when i do split them?

im thinking of putting something more exciting than wood shavings in the tank... what should i use, so they can dig burrows, and also do the pups need kept warmer when their young?

and last thing, is it safe to put the dad of the pups in with the males, and mum in with the females?

Thanks a lot
Jimbo

[lydia]

Don't blame you for keeping them .
The earliest I would separate them is 4 weeks,they should be o.k with their parents until they are 5 weeks old though.
They will manage perfectly well,on adult gerbil mix.Although I would add some smaller seeds,like millet,that will be easier for them to manage.
They will be perfectly warm enough,as long as they have enough bedding, and each other .
The dad should be fine with his sons,although they could fall out,when the pups are sexually mature.
Likewise,the females should be o.k. with the mother,but as females have a reputation for aggression and falling out,this could happen.
I personally think,that if they have a really large cage,with plenty of sleeping and feeding areas,there will be a lower risk of them falling out.
A lot of ppl use play sand,sold for children, for gerbils.I haven't used this myself,I do worry about tunnels collapsing etc,possibly burying a gerb.Not sure if ppl add something,to reduce this risk.
If you do keep them,in a substance they can dig their own tunnel system in.Try to get them to be very tame,before putting them in it.Maybe train them to come to you,each evening at tea time,so you can check them.Also,if you're using a glass aquarium,put black paper or polythene around the glass,to encourage them to dig their tunnels and burrows as close to the sides as possible. Remove it completely after a week or so,once they've built their home.This will make veiwing their activities, more interesting.
You could have a tunnel/tube,that allows them access to a digging chamber/cage.Or incorporate one,into a play area,where you allow them to go and play daily.

Lyd

[doomgerbiluk]

Earliest seperation with mongolian gerbils is recommended as 5 weeks as gerbils are weaned by 4 weeeks but still learning manners at 5 weeks
they can stay with mum and dad longer but are sexually active by 8 weeks so seperation of males and females may be necessary
4 weeks may be necesary where new pups have arrived or mum gets fed up wih the weaned pups but 5 weeks is better.
if seperation is necessary at 4 weeks an older gerbil for company ad to learn gerbil things from is a good idea (i have a couple of 'auntys' and 'uncles' who specialise in this.

[j]

After 5 weeks... as long as they're eating and drinking normal and everything. Or if the mother is sick of them, you might be able to take out some or all at 4 weeks just so it's less stressful for her. As long as they seem healthy and are eating and drinking fine.
Give them the same food and a water bottle. They should start weaning at aout 3 weeks. Actually if you have a lot of females and have to seperate early, then you could just put the father and all the pups together. They won't be able to get pregnant at 4-5 weeks anyway.
I'm guessing you have a second litter on the way and don't want a third... Then you should take out the father and some of the pups a few days before she's due anyway. Let her rest and get her strenght up for a couple days before the 2nd and to prevent a 3rd.

I wouldn't recommend using sand or anything else with the wood shavings untill they're older. Sand can cause respritory problems in pups. So you might want to wait untill they're at least a couple of months old first.

Put a lot of cardboard in the tanks, especially thin cardboard like paper towel and toilet paper tubes. (pups are more apt to chew thin cardboard than thick ones..easier for them) Once they shred a ton of it, it gets mixed in with the bedding and helps support their tunnels. ;D
And collapsed tunnels aren't anything to worry about.. They're gerbils/Desert animals. They simply dig themselves out in seconds. It won't suffocate them or anything bad.

You might want to make sure they're tame first before allowing them to make any deep burrows. Untame gerbils tend to build tunnels and burrows and hide out a lot in them. Natural instincts.

If you're worried about them being warm, you can throw in some plain, unscented toilet paper and tissue and they'll make a warm nest with it. Also a cardboard box (thick is good for a nest) or wooden house helps to keep them warmer because it keeps out drafts.

And yeah, safe to put the dad with the sons and mother with the daughters. Depending on how many of each you got though.. More than 2 or 3 females together is a pain and risky because they tend to fight somewhere down the line.

[sweetie]

WOW,

It's all covered!! I agree with everyone and everything LOL