introducing a breeding pair

[sebby]

hi was just after some of your own experiences of introducing breeding pairs.
how old were they both?
methods used?
good/bad signs?
how long it took till you put in cage together ?
how long after putting together did mating happen?
After all you stories, tips, advice

thanks

[Thelodar]

I've only introduced two breeding pairs so far, but I had good success each time.

My first pair was a 1 year old female and two year old male. Second pair were both 1 year olds. Both pairs had fertility issues, I will avoid using females 1+ for first litters in the future.

I introduced them via split cage method in a 20 gallon long tank.

Same as a regular split except you can just introduce during the female's heat and not have to wait for lots of super positive signs. As long as you're not getting bad signs like aggression through the divider you should be good to introduce during heat.

The first pair was a 16 day split because I was nervous. It did take 3 attempts at introducing before working. First time she was in heat and presenting but he was not at all interested and both were getting frustrated with one another. I tried again when she was not in heat and there was unfriendly behavior, though no fighting. Then I waited a bit and introduced them while she was in heat and they bred and got along from there on out.

Second pair I introduced on her second heat I believe. So they were only split about a week. They bred and got along great.


They started breeding immediately after introducing because I introduced while she was in heat. The girls have interest in little else when in heat, so they get to business quickly.

Definitely introduce while she's in heat, give it a good week if it's your first time. Male to female in heat intros are a very natural way for adult gerbils to bond, so it usually goes well.