Post by sherri on Jun 17, 2005 7:58:11 GMT -8
Please excuse the long, boring post. I'm new and just really excited to share.
I started out getting a 10 gal aquarium and that is what Lorraine is living in now. But, I knew I wanted to get a larger tank for her to live in once I found a mate for her, so yesterday I bought a 20L.
I went to the pet shop where I have some black babies on hold. I wanted to check on them, as I've been a bit worried. They seem to be doing fine. One was nursing with a couple of the other babies and the other little blackie was cuddled up to another adult in the tank. I didn't want to disturb them and we were in a hurry, as we had to pick my daughter up from work, so I'm going back today. I want to get the adults out and try my best to sex them. I'm taking my camera and going to take some pics. The pet shop will probably think I'm loony. I do know that all the pups were born to one mother, because they were born in the pet shop. However, I don't know if one of the other adults is the father or if all three adults in the tank are females and the other females are just helping with the babies? I'm not the best with coloring. The adults are all the same color...white patches on a creamy coat. I'm hoping with photos that experienced gerbil keepers can help me.
I may even go back to the pet shop where I got my female, Lorraine, and if the mother is still there, I could get a photo of her. She was a creamy color, no white patches that I remember and all the other babies were a cream color, except Lorraine who is brown agouti...at least I think that's what she is. I need to get photos of her as well.
Anyway, I also went to another pet shop we just found out about. The good news is that they had the tail safe wheels I'd been looking for. I also picked up a hinged lid for the 20L that I couldn't find elsewhere...oh, and chinchilla sand. They had 2 white female adult gerbils, but they seemed pretty hyper, and their coats were ruffled and oily looking. I felt bad for them because they only had a tube in their tank, food and water...no other toys, no wheel. I talked to the manager and he told me that he has had those gerbils in his shop for 8+ months. The one female has had at least 4 litters. He said that in his experience, hamsters sell much quicker, even as adults...whereas gerbils either sell as babies or they don't move. I wanted to ask him about colors and how that affected sales, but he got busy and I wasn't able to talk to him anymore.
I was able to talk a bit with him about how I planned on breeding and therefore I was getting one gerbil from one pet shop and the mate from another to try to help prevent in-breeding. He kinda smirked and said that all the pet shops get their gerbils from the same "supplier"...then he changed his tune a bit and said from the same three "suppliers". But, he wouldn't give me info on them. This leads me to believe they are probably big commercial breeders.
I'm going to talk to the owner of the pet shop where I have my black gerbils on hold about where he gets his gerbils. I've been a customer there for many years and I think he might be more willing to share that type of information with me. I know that years ago (8-10) when I got hamsters as pets for my children, that he got them from a local breeder. I'm hoping that's the case now with the gerbils he has.
I started out getting a 10 gal aquarium and that is what Lorraine is living in now. But, I knew I wanted to get a larger tank for her to live in once I found a mate for her, so yesterday I bought a 20L.
I went to the pet shop where I have some black babies on hold. I wanted to check on them, as I've been a bit worried. They seem to be doing fine. One was nursing with a couple of the other babies and the other little blackie was cuddled up to another adult in the tank. I didn't want to disturb them and we were in a hurry, as we had to pick my daughter up from work, so I'm going back today. I want to get the adults out and try my best to sex them. I'm taking my camera and going to take some pics. The pet shop will probably think I'm loony. I do know that all the pups were born to one mother, because they were born in the pet shop. However, I don't know if one of the other adults is the father or if all three adults in the tank are females and the other females are just helping with the babies? I'm not the best with coloring. The adults are all the same color...white patches on a creamy coat. I'm hoping with photos that experienced gerbil keepers can help me.
I may even go back to the pet shop where I got my female, Lorraine, and if the mother is still there, I could get a photo of her. She was a creamy color, no white patches that I remember and all the other babies were a cream color, except Lorraine who is brown agouti...at least I think that's what she is. I need to get photos of her as well.
Anyway, I also went to another pet shop we just found out about. The good news is that they had the tail safe wheels I'd been looking for. I also picked up a hinged lid for the 20L that I couldn't find elsewhere...oh, and chinchilla sand. They had 2 white female adult gerbils, but they seemed pretty hyper, and their coats were ruffled and oily looking. I felt bad for them because they only had a tube in their tank, food and water...no other toys, no wheel. I talked to the manager and he told me that he has had those gerbils in his shop for 8+ months. The one female has had at least 4 litters. He said that in his experience, hamsters sell much quicker, even as adults...whereas gerbils either sell as babies or they don't move. I wanted to ask him about colors and how that affected sales, but he got busy and I wasn't able to talk to him anymore.
I was able to talk a bit with him about how I planned on breeding and therefore I was getting one gerbil from one pet shop and the mate from another to try to help prevent in-breeding. He kinda smirked and said that all the pet shops get their gerbils from the same "supplier"...then he changed his tune a bit and said from the same three "suppliers". But, he wouldn't give me info on them. This leads me to believe they are probably big commercial breeders.
I'm going to talk to the owner of the pet shop where I have my black gerbils on hold about where he gets his gerbils. I've been a customer there for many years and I think he might be more willing to share that type of information with me. I know that years ago (8-10) when I got hamsters as pets for my children, that he got them from a local breeder. I'm hoping that's the case now with the gerbils he has.