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Post by squeaky on Sept 1, 2004 1:07:06 GMT -8
As you probably know I separated my gerbils yesterday after discovering not only were two female, but they also have a small litter. Dad is now living alone but there is one male baby that I hope to move in with him as soon as he's big enough to leave mum, which should be in about 10 or so days. He will have been helping raise the pups up until I separated them, but should I let him spend time with the male baby every day so the bond is maintained or is that not necessary?
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Post by darrenb on Sept 1, 2004 1:14:09 GMT -8
why dont you try and consolidate all yoru issues with this litter into one post - im getting lost trying to catch up with 'anyones' issues at the moment !!! i have already replied to you on a separate post about the same litter
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Post by sweetie on Sept 1, 2004 5:23:02 GMT -8
Squeaky,
I have never heard this done before. Is the pup still nursing? If it is still nursing, I would say no since Mom will be able to pick up Dad's scent.
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Post by queenofthenile on Sept 1, 2004 6:39:53 GMT -8
Adult males accept young pups quite easily. I wouldn't worry. Even if you *did* have to do a split cage later, it wouldn't take long.
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Post by moghedien on Sept 1, 2004 19:18:27 GMT -8
After having to separate a breeding pair and leaving the litter with the mom because they weren't weaned yet, I had no trouble introducing one of the male babies to the dad several weeks later (this was after extensive attempts at split-caging the dad with another gerbil, which he never accepted and was extremely aggressive toward, thus prompting me to give up). Despite his aggressiveness toward the other adult gerbil, he accepted the 7-8 week old son with no problems!
I rather doubt he remembered that it was his offspring, so I'm figuring it was the young age.
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Post by j on Sept 4, 2004 23:30:45 GMT -8
You don't have to let him spend time with him. That would stress him out, alone one minute, not the next.. just leave the loner alone for now or you could make more problems.
And you can just plop the pup in with the male, they'll be fine. Pups that young haven't hit puberty yet, so there is no scent thing to fight over. The older male will probably sniff him and walk away and sleep with him a few hours later.
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