Post by betty on Feb 17, 2021 3:58:23 GMT -8
You usually get doops in one of 2 ways: luckily finding one in a rescue or online - or joining a waiting list or two and, well, waiting.
If you are happy to pay for a courier you will get one much sooner - but I have had buyers without transport (and who dont like couriers) waiting over a year for one to pass their way. (BTW there are some great couriers these days.)
There are about 15-20 breeders I know across the UK, but only about 4 are serious. Doops don't reproduce very well, so if you only have one or two breeding pairs, you might only get a litter every three months or so and they can have singles which makes the wait all the more frustrating for buyers.
Space-wise - same as recommended for hamsters. The nearest you can get to 90-100cm wide the better - and ideally deeper than the standard 1ft gerbil tanks (but then that also goes for normal gerbils I suppose?). They also can't do height - so unlike normal gerbil who can go up, doops do much better straight across - like the Exoterra wide enclosure (95x45x45 I think). They can go smaller of course - as can everything - it doesn't seem to bother them too much (as long as they have their wheels) so you have to fit them where they fit sometimes?
Ah, now I would have to look up the time scale for normal gerbil colours - good point. But I think pied in degus came around much faster than pied in gerbils? Bit of research there for someone I think? But mutations can come at any time really.
I think doops were first kept in labs in the 50s I think I read, but I would have to search for it again?
And yes, already - exotic specialist pet shops already sell doops - they usually self breed instore rather than buy in. I know 4 pet shops across the Midlands who self breed and sell doops, but none of them have had any pups for sale for over 6 months now that I know off because I try to stay in touch.
And you can't go wrong with a doop - you can dive straight in. They don't need anything special - they just slot right in to a gerbil or hamster keepers life - mainly the same stuff. Just a generally soppy fuzzball who loves sleeping on you, the odd crazy moment, sitting like a pancake, running in their wheel, and sleeping, a lot.
The only difference is the price!
If you are happy to pay for a courier you will get one much sooner - but I have had buyers without transport (and who dont like couriers) waiting over a year for one to pass their way. (BTW there are some great couriers these days.)
There are about 15-20 breeders I know across the UK, but only about 4 are serious. Doops don't reproduce very well, so if you only have one or two breeding pairs, you might only get a litter every three months or so and they can have singles which makes the wait all the more frustrating for buyers.
Space-wise - same as recommended for hamsters. The nearest you can get to 90-100cm wide the better - and ideally deeper than the standard 1ft gerbil tanks (but then that also goes for normal gerbils I suppose?). They also can't do height - so unlike normal gerbil who can go up, doops do much better straight across - like the Exoterra wide enclosure (95x45x45 I think). They can go smaller of course - as can everything - it doesn't seem to bother them too much (as long as they have their wheels) so you have to fit them where they fit sometimes?
Ah, now I would have to look up the time scale for normal gerbil colours - good point. But I think pied in degus came around much faster than pied in gerbils? Bit of research there for someone I think? But mutations can come at any time really.
I think doops were first kept in labs in the 50s I think I read, but I would have to search for it again?
And yes, already - exotic specialist pet shops already sell doops - they usually self breed instore rather than buy in. I know 4 pet shops across the Midlands who self breed and sell doops, but none of them have had any pups for sale for over 6 months now that I know off because I try to stay in touch.
And you can't go wrong with a doop - you can dive straight in. They don't need anything special - they just slot right in to a gerbil or hamster keepers life - mainly the same stuff. Just a generally soppy fuzzball who loves sleeping on you, the odd crazy moment, sitting like a pancake, running in their wheel, and sleeping, a lot.
The only difference is the price!