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Post by sprigmom on Dec 19, 2004 20:33:21 GMT -8
;D My Buffy had her second litter this a.m. (Sunday)! The first time she had 2; this time it's 5! All dark eyed, two seem darker skinned than the rest... The dark one she had last litter turned out to be Agouti, so we'll see Buffy is DEH, Coal (Dad) is black. I'm dying to see the colors develop and be able to sex them! Dang, I wish I had my new digital camera now! Well, Christmas is only a few days away... Just have to make due w/regular one for now.
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Post by lydia on Dec 21, 2004 15:51:05 GMT -8
;D Congratulations Sprigmom and Buffy ;D
That's really nice,glad they 've arrived.
Lyd
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Post by sprigmom on Dec 21, 2004 20:38:26 GMT -8
Thanks, Lyd! I checked on them today and took a regular photo of them. Typical pink jellybeans with a milky center! Not quite cruising around yet, but beginning! I apparently looked at them too much Sunday. Buffy's been relocating them all over the tank! I'm surprised she's not standing there in the middle, looking around for them like a human in a parking lot trying to remember where they parked! Anyhow, I left them alone yesterday and only popped em out quickly today, then back in. Since she didn't immediately snatch and run today, I assume she's calming down again! Coal's doing the good daddy thing; he even brings her seeds while she's nursing. Awwww... That still fascinates me. So many human hubbies would just hide away or pretend like nothing's changed! Coal's more like my Dewayne!
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Post by lydia on Dec 22, 2004 15:41:10 GMT -8
The males are very good fathers aren't they.I personally think they know they have to take care of the mum,for the pups to thrive,a joint effort between the two.Although most gerbils,do display affection towards their cage mates. When our pallid girlie,had her first litter,she didn't leave the babies at all,for the first 2-3 days.With her second litter,she has left them for brief periods, from the moment she'd finished birthing them. Our other pair of Pallids,'she' really has it made.When I put fresh food in for them,the male runs up and collects food for her.........I've not seen her go to the food bowl,to feed herself once.I was concerned at first,in case there was a physical or mental reason why she doesn't bother fetching her own food. There is no problem,that I can see. It might not have been you that upset Buffy,she may have moved her babes because she just didn't like the nest,they needed more/less warmth,or maybe when she went out of the nest.They were just hanging on to her nipples so hard ( ouch! ),they got carried about the cage........... Glad they are more settled today,hopefully you will be able to post some pics soon..........Really looking forward to them A lovely, early xmas pressie for you. Lyd
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Post by sandy on Dec 22, 2004 17:34:58 GMT -8
One of my breeding males, Thurston, is such a good dad that the pups appear to suckle from him! I picked him up to check if he had nipples one day, just in case. Nope, it just looked like they were nursing.
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Post by doomgerbiluk on Dec 23, 2004 0:52:32 GMT -8
Have you ever watched a hungry breast fed baby? They will serach for milk whoever is holding them. Presumably gerbil pups are the same.
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Post by sprigmom on Dec 23, 2004 5:44:48 GMT -8
Have you ever watched a hungry breast fed baby? They will serach for milk whoever is holding them. Presumably gerbil pups are the same. Yeah, that's one of my favorite things about newborns. I adore the "rooting" instinct. I used to nuzzle my kids' cheeks with my nose and they would turn towards it with mouths wide open! I remember my son trying to nurse off my dad one time! ;D
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Post by sprigmom on Dec 23, 2004 6:03:35 GMT -8
It might not have been you that upset Buffy,she may have moved her babes because she just didn't like the nest,they needed more/less warmth,or maybe when she went out of the nest.They were just hanging on to her nipples so hard ( ouch! ),they got carried about the cage........... A lovely, early xmas pressie for you. Yes, it's a wonderful present! (May be the only one until after Saturday: we just got a ton of snow! There's a good 8 inches at least, and we have a warning continuing for 3 more hours! Hopefully we can make the trip to our folks on Saturday as planned!) I think Buffy really was annoyed with me. The first time she moved them was immediately after I put the first one back; I reached into my hand for the next one and she had the first behind their house already! She then snatched each one thereafter and stashed em back there. A little while later, I was sitting on the bed and heard a cacophony of squeaking so I looked over there in time to see her making a beeline with one in her mouth. She took them from behind the house over to the opposite corner of the tank where Coal's nest is. She didn't have that problem with her last litter, but who knows what's up this time! Merry Christmas, everyone! ;D ;D ;D
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Post by 1cakelady on Dec 25, 2004 8:24:59 GMT -8
I'm new here...and I don't have any gerbils yet....but my daughter Kate is on here and she has five at the moment...in three different tanks. I'm getting two babies just as soon as I can find them! My birthday is coming up on Jan. 11th and my husband, Bob and daughter Kate are each giving me one. I planned to pick them out myself and will make sure they are litter mates. Hope to see a picture of your newest babies real soon. Merry Christmas...Hugs, Cathie (1cakelady)
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Post by sprigmom on Dec 26, 2004 5:06:14 GMT -8
:)That's great, Cathie! You'll love your gerbies, I'm sure. They're such fun little bundles of love! I did get my camera yesterday! ;D ;D But some little someone (my 3 yr old da or my 1 yr old niece) moved it from where I had it, so I ended up leaving it at my in-laws' last night. They live over an hour away, so I have to decide whether I want to have them send it w/the kids to my parents and get it at the end of the week, or make a special trip up to get it tomorrow! I was sooo looking forward to posting pics today! On the bright side, it's really cool! It has a close-up setting, so I should be able to get great close-ups of the pups!
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Post by 1cakelady on Dec 26, 2004 5:25:42 GMT -8
Hi....sure hope you are able to post pictures of the newbies today...can't wait to see them. How are things going? Hugs, Cathie (1cakelady)
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Post by sweetie on Dec 29, 2004 16:35:47 GMT -8
Hey Sprig,
Congrats on the new babies. I can relate to the Mom relocating the babies. Mine did too. I still tried to pick them up at least onece a day to help with the taming. I can't wait for the pictureseither!!! ;D
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Post by kate2 on Dec 29, 2004 19:25:26 GMT -8
I wish I had a male:( ,but I would want to keep all the pups,and I don't think I could find homes for all of them Kate
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Post by sprigmom on Dec 29, 2004 20:13:08 GMT -8
I wish I had a male:( ,but I would want to keep all the pups,and I don't think I could find homes for all of them Kate We started out w/2 girls, then added a male when I found a beautiful black one several days later at the same store. They all lived together for a few weeks, both girls becoming pregnant. After the pups were weaned, I took Coal out and put him in with his boys. We gave two of the 7 pups to my son's teacher for class pets, and kept the rest. There's now 4 tanks with one pair each in them, and two small tanks with a single girl in each one. (We bought a sapphire male and a dove female last month--both pups, tho the male is one litter older.) I'm gonna have to give/sell most of these new ones or some of the older ones. I have two lined up for the daughter of the teacher (she's a teacher too and wants them for class pets as well.)
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Post by gracie on Dec 30, 2004 4:24:45 GMT -8
congrats on the pups! be sure to post pics!
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