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Post by fuzzymom on Nov 29, 2008 10:19:39 GMT -5
Current Number of Breedable Females: 1 Current Number of Hold Back Females: 0 Current Number of Breedable Males: 1 Current Number of Hold Back Males: 0 Number of Litters: 1 Number of Offspring: 6
I have a single pair of gerbils breeding right now. The female had a litter last week and the babies are starting to get their fur. I plan on holding back at least 2 babies from this litter. The male is a gray and white and the female is black and white. The litter looks to be a mix of gray and whites and black and whites, although there is a single baby that looks to be all gray. I might keep that one back. I'm not sure if the female is pregnant again or not. I know they delay implantation of the embryos if she is already nursing a litter, so she may give birth after this litter is weaned.
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Post by Kerit on Dec 1, 2008 11:01:12 GMT -5
Keep updating! I just got my pair and their litter today, and they're not much older than yours -- blind but leaping. I picked them up from a coworker, and everyone's gushing over them ("Oh, what are their names?!" "Lunch and Dinner.")
Yeah, they're cute, but I've always found gerbils to be so obnoxious. I'll get over live gerbil feedings pretty fast.
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Post by fuzzymom on Dec 1, 2008 11:20:41 GMT -5
I tend to distance myself from prey animals so that I don't get attached to them. Which reminds me, I need to go check on the gerbil litter right about now. I have 4 black and whites, 1 gray and white, and 1 solid gray. I can't sex them yet, but as soon as their fur grows in some more, I'll be able to tell sex and pick which two I want to keep. I know I'm keeping the solid gray. Since I kept the male in with her (he's doing a wonderful job of helping mom with the babies!) she might be pregnant again, but I'm not sure. If she is, she should have babies within the next 3 weeks. She's not showing yet, but I'm crossing my fingers.
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Post by fuzzymom on Dec 15, 2008 12:23:43 GMT -5
Current Number of Breedable Females: 1 Current Number of Hold Back Females: 1 Current Number of Breedable Males: 1 Current Number of Hold Back Males: 0 Number of Litters: 1 Number of Offspring: 6 The babies are old enough to sex. I have now discovered that the best time to sex a gerbil is when they are just starting to get all their fur in. Females will have nipple spots and males won't. After those get covered up, it is near impossible for me to figure out sexes until they are full grown. All have their eyes open and the little solid gray is a female.
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Post by animalsgetrevenge on Dec 15, 2008 12:54:30 GMT -5
I don't like gerbils at all, but those little ones look cute! Congrats on your litter
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Post by fuzzymom on Dec 16, 2008 0:34:00 GMT -5
I'm kind of liking them. The adults are not hand tame but the babies don't mind me picking them up. Not to mention they are sooooo soft. Once I get a breeding colony going though, I'll be offering them as feeders to people with ferrets.
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Post by Kerit on Dec 16, 2008 9:06:16 GMT -5
They ARE cute, aren't they? All big heads and eyes. Luckily the ferts have no qualms about eating cuteness.
I've been waiting to feed my remaining four babies until I can sex them and keep a female or two, but so far, no dice. Mice seem much easier...
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Post by fuzzymom on Dec 16, 2008 9:58:59 GMT -5
Gerbils are incredibly hard to sex. Just before they open their eyes, you can see nipple spots on the females and its really easy then. Once all the fur grows in, I have a hard time figuring out which is which. I'm trying to decide if I want to sell the remaining babies, or feed them to my ferrets.
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Post by charmantpapillon on Dec 17, 2008 13:48:32 GMT -5
SO CUTE
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Post by fuzzymom on Dec 19, 2008 7:02:16 GMT -5
I need to start thinking of getting another gerbil, a male this time. I'm keeping the solid gray and one of the black and white females and they will form Group B (their parents are Group A), so they will need a male. I'm trying to learn gerbil genetics, so that I can pick out males that will make pretty babies (I love working with genetics). The two girls will be breeding size in about 2 months.
I'm waiting on Spaz, the black and white female of Group A to get pregnant again. She probably is pregnant already, if not, removing her offspring once they are weaned (its about that time) will get things moving.
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