Thea
Member
Posts: 1,012
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Post by Thea on Nov 23, 2020 11:39:01 GMT -8
Wow - what a story! I hope your babies are doing well and as Betty says, pictures when they start opening eyes etc. would be really appreciated!! I hope it's going well for you too, must be a bit stressful but sounds like you're doing great.
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Post by betty on Nov 23, 2020 13:05:33 GMT -8
And neutering the male means that you can't keep any of the pups with them - so if you are keeping some pups yourself you may as well do a mum/daughter and father/son set of combos instead.
Great idea to rehome them through the shelter - not only does it raise funds for them - but also means the new owners are well vetted.
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Post by gracieboo on Nov 23, 2020 14:02:51 GMT -8
Doing my best 😊 Definitely stressful, mum and dad stand sentinel every time we go into the room, I’m taking that as a good sign. I’ve tried to post pics of the tank but not sure how to do it, I’ll have another go tomorrow.
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Post by betty on Nov 23, 2020 14:12:25 GMT -8
I can only get images to show on her by using the BBC code and then the 'link' icon - using the image icon doesn't seem to work for me?
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Post by Markpd on Nov 23, 2020 14:33:51 GMT -8
Should work using an imgur account, and apparently it does for bucket too, but I've never used that. Never had a problem with imgur though. How come neutered males can't be put with their pups? Imgur If you want to use imgur, create an account there, Upload photo to it, then click on it and copy the 'direct link' from the box on the right. Back here, click the 'reply' button on the right by the post message box for advanced options, hit the insert image icon (hovering pointer will tell ya what each is), paste the link in there (ignore the alt text), hit insert image, then hit create post (after writing whatever you want).
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Post by betty on Nov 23, 2020 15:39:53 GMT -8
Sorry, I didn't mean that you can't put a neutered male with their pups - I was just following on from the comment about not neutering the male for health reasons. I meant that if you were keeping any of the pups with mum - it wouldn't be advised to put a neutured male back in with the female too - which would be the only reason you would want to be neutering a male gerbil right?
If you are neutering the male to go back with the female AND keep any pups - you would have to form a 2-female trio - and even with a neutered male this would be unbalanced. Two hormonal females and a confused male doesn't sound like a good combo to anyone.
And if you weren't putting the male back with the female - then no need to neuter.
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Post by gracieboo on Nov 24, 2020 11:09:17 GMT -8
Thank you for your your replies, it has made me a lot more confident. I basically have just backed off and let her do her thing. Pups are still in the same place, were just buried! Feeding mum more seeds and she’s back on her daily raisin, which I’d taken off her because I thought she was getting fat 🙄. I’ll give the photo thing a go tonight, my technical/ internet knowledge is scant at best.
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Post by betty on Nov 24, 2020 15:12:21 GMT -8
Good luck tonight with the images - can't wait to meet the family - but you don't have to of course.
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Post by Markpd on Nov 24, 2020 16:02:07 GMT -8
Oh yes she does! (kidding, but it would be nice )
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Post by gracieboo on Nov 25, 2020 11:54:07 GMT -8
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Post by gracieboo on Nov 25, 2020 11:59:50 GMT -8
Not sure if it worked how it should... but I’m proud I got that far! Mamma Tom is the tan one. The babies are squirrelled (gerbiled) away under the sand jar. I should hopefully get some pics when they in about a week when I start handling them. I’m a bit worried the set up is too complicated for blind babies, what do you reckon, shall I take stuff out?
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Post by Markpd on Nov 25, 2020 16:18:01 GMT -8
Yea congrats the link works , nice photo . If you want the photo to show here, click on it in imgur and then copy the 'direct link' shown on the box on the right, and then in here hit 'insert image' (icon) instead of 'link' icon and paste it there (ignore the 'alternate text' line, I don't know what that does, lol).
Not sure on your blind pups question, I would imagine they wouldn't need to get to the food and water until they weened, by which time maybe their eyes will be open? I'm sure betty et al will be be able to give you a solid answer.
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Post by betty on Nov 25, 2020 16:53:48 GMT -8
Whatever your set up - all you need to make sure of it that a baby gerbil couldn't get stuck behind anything, drop down anything, or fall off anything. These are the times they can get injured, too cold or trapped.
If they are on the ground anywhere in the open - no matter how far away - mum will find them if they start calling her and she can move them around to where she wants them. I presume the only way to the wheel side - over the top bridge?
Also, now you have babies don't move ANYTHING in the tank anywhere with them still in it - and don't put anything at all on top of apparently stable ledges, bridges or houses - as you wouldn't believe what babies can get behind or under in just a few seconds. The weight of a bowl or new toy can be enough to trap a baby. So unless your thing under the sand bath is 100% solid and touching the base of the tank evenly - I wouldn't take the sand bath off and put back on again - that is way too heavy.
And after about 10 days of birth, I would start to scatter feed on the floor (rather than only in the bowl) as the pups start coming out around then and like to try new things. And they can't jump up on the shelf with that level of substrate probably for another week or two after that.
Great wheel by the way - is that a Trixie one?
Also, I assume you have a lid for that tank and it was just off at the time of the photo?
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Post by gracieboo on Nov 26, 2020 1:44:15 GMT -8
Oh yes, wire mesh lid. The digging box, which we turned into a sleeping box is flat on the bottom of the tank, however they have gnawed a hole in the corner of it and can now get to the wheel side because they shifted the substrate around and pushed the divider away from the side of the tank. Should I carefully remove some substrate and sway out damaged box after 10 days? the hole only appeared when babies were born. Thanks for your continued support 😊
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Post by gracieboo on Nov 26, 2020 1:46:59 GMT -8
We got the wheel second hand and gave it a good scrub. It wasn’t chewed so must have been used as a Hampstead wheel.
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