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Post by sandygerbil on Nov 27, 2010 10:15:57 GMT -8
oh yes yes i love gerbils to but also have snakes that need to eat how do you get gerbils to mate mine wont is there a way to force em? meds hold the female down ect.. i dont want my snakes to die!! they dont realy like pinkys or rats.. they love gerbils must be a different tase in the meat!
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kryspkreme
Member
She was the first and the last.... R.I.P. Evie.
Posts: 617
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Post by kryspkreme on Nov 27, 2010 10:54:14 GMT -8
@ Sandy--
Make a new thread. You've asked this twice and I think it'd be more beneficial for you to make a new thread in the appropriate category. In response, I've never bred but no, you can't FORCE them (or give them viagra like you suggested earlier). Your pair may just not like each other so you'll have to find another for them. As well, if you are so concerned about your snakes, go to the pet store and buy it food.
There's my 2 cents on that matter.
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doug
Member
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Post by doug on Nov 27, 2010 13:52:22 GMT -8
This should indeed have been a new thread. Having worked in pet store and know a few people that run stores if a snake is truly hungry it will eat any rodent.
Doug
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kryspkreme
Member
She was the first and the last.... R.I.P. Evie.
Posts: 617
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Post by kryspkreme on Nov 28, 2010 10:45:27 GMT -8
@ Doug: Precisely what I was thinking. I doubt it'll refuse another rodent if it's on the brink of death as Sandy seems to be suggesting in the "urgency".
as well, I just wanted to comment on someone's post (maybe two pages back) about the appeal of breeding for gerbil novices.
i know personally I would love to breed but I have neither the time, money, or energy to do so. However, I think the appeals are the coat color possibilities (being able to potentially have a variety of colors) and more importantly, the fact that gerbils are just so darn cute when they are small. I've been watching Matt's pregnancy thread and each time a picture is posted, I coo and stare at it for a while because of how cute they are!
As well, some may like the idea of having a way to give their snake food, as some have suggested here. Buy two gerbils and let them procreate enough and you've got yourself a steady influx of food for the serpent.
A third appeal may be the possibility of making money-- some just don't understand that gerbils aren't like purebred dogs that can go for a couple hundred dollars and that it takes more money to raise em than you collect from a sale. Hopefully people aren't getting into the breeding business simply for that or they're in for a rude awakening I'm sure.
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doug
Member
Posts: 2,064
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Post by doug on Nov 28, 2010 12:55:53 GMT -8
This is in response to the above post but should be good info for those looking at breeding listen close ****There is no money to be made in breeding most animals**** this includes just about anything, having bred Scottish Folds one ill animal can eat up your profits, The best you will normally do is break even after you pay for supplies.
The enjoyment I get is working with the genetics, colors, and being able to show kids how great gerbils are.
Doug
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Post by brighttreegerbils on Nov 28, 2010 14:44:59 GMT -8
Ditto what Doug has said.
Also, part of the reason I've been posting lots of updates and pictures is so that people can kinda see a litter grow up vicariously through this site. That way, those who can't or don't want to breed can follow through the process with my litter.
On the other hand, it occurs to me now that some who shouldn't breed might be inspired to do so after reading my progress reports. Hmmm.
Well, the truth is that breeding is neat to do but you need a lot of things and people just don't think about it beforehand.
You need lots of patience. You need money to afford lots of bedding, food, toys, tanks, lids and water bottles. Every litter might require you to have two or more extra tanks for various situations. You need lots of experience with gerbils. You need lots of time to commit to record-keeping, tank cleaning, feeding, taming, and probably the biggest time consumer of all, finding suitable people to adopt to.
And there is the hard part with breeding. You could break even on costs, but there is always a risk that you won't. There is little chance you'll make much money. And the risk is even greater when you consider that you may not find people to adopt your pups and then you have an even greater population to support, whish means more costs.
So yeah, breeding isn't something that should be done for the cute factor.
-Matt
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kryspkreme
Member
She was the first and the last.... R.I.P. Evie.
Posts: 617
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Post by kryspkreme on Nov 28, 2010 15:38:06 GMT -8
Definitely agree with both of you. I think breeding needs to be done by responsible people (as as mentioned earlier) who genuinely enjoy having gerbils as companions
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Post by sodapop on Dec 2, 2010 0:41:31 GMT -8
I was thinking that once I've had gerbils for a couple years, it would be fun to breed a pair once to have a chance to raise the wee little ones and be able to really bond with them from birth (I would keep all the babies), but I'm not sure I like the idea of having to then separate the pair for life... I would always feel like they miss each other. Is this the case?
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Post by ohmylokix on Dec 2, 2010 1:41:46 GMT -8
They completely forget each other after 48-72 hours. You can split them guilt-free!
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Post by sodapop on Dec 2, 2010 13:46:16 GMT -8
That does make me feel better. Although it's a little sad they forget each other... Did I mention that I was the kid who, when we moved, made sure that all the stuffed animals were always packed with a friend?
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Post by belldandy on Dec 2, 2010 17:15:11 GMT -8
I wouldent say that they forget each other.They just dont go as far as to have life mates or super bonds, but they do bond. How long the bond last's is based on how good the bond was made time.ect. I had a pair once that when i took the male out to sire an other litter with a new female even after 2 weeks split cage and her going into heat, he still attacked to charged at her. but when placed back with nibbles after 2 days split cage they reafirmed there bond..
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doug
Member
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Post by doug on Dec 2, 2010 23:38:50 GMT -8
They recognize each other based on smell, once they have been split for just a few days they do forget, people have had bad endings by replacing an escaped gerbil back in the cage without doing a split. The shortest I have seen is 24 hours after I set aside the wrong gerbils out of a litter for a person, the next day she would not go back with her littermates.
Doug
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Post by konnaking on Jun 18, 2011 19:11:05 GMT -8
if a gerbil has pups can you keep them in ths same cage and let them grow up and live in it (as long as its a good size cage)?
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Post by weicchen89 on Dec 5, 2011 6:46:54 GMT -8
I got an unplanned pregnancy and I don't know who the father is. should I remove the males from the cage? or should I leave a male in with the female?
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Post by MoonstoneGerbils on Dec 5, 2011 7:16:26 GMT -8
You should start a new thread.
The female should be in the tank with only one male, the pair should be by themselves. (however leaving her with the male will cause her to have a second litter, as they can get pregnant right after giving birth). She can be left by herself if you want to prevent a second litter. However, must breeders recommend leaving the father (or bonded male in your case) in with the female to raise the first litter, and leaving a daughter from the first litter behind to help raise the second litter).
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