Post by modteam on Aug 10, 2013 10:11:13 GMT
Introductions Quick Guide
Initial Considerations
Cage size and type – Is it big enough for final group, can you divide it adequately for the intro or have a spare cage?
Sexing – are all degus the gender you think?
Plan B and timescales – are you prepared for it take weeks or months, can you provide alternative arrangements if it doesn’t work out?
Fresh Introduction Between Strangers
Choosing Cagemates to Introduce
Pups (6-8 weeks) can be easier to introduce initially, but you may have more difficulties when they reach puberty, always choose two (or more) pups so they aren’t left alone if it doesn’t work out. A lone degu to a lone degu can work when both are desperate for company, plus you are helping double the degus out of loneliness. If you take on a lone degu it can be worth trying introducing them to an existing group you already have. It can be worth considering neutering for single adult males if you have a good vet and then introducing one or more females, this is a natural grouping and has a better success rate.
Procedure
Let new degus settle in.
Gradually move cages closer together. Look for either friendly signs or ignoring each other as a sign to reduce gap or proceed to intros.
Swap bedding/ subtrate between cages.
Short meet in neutral (but familiar) area, sandbath all degus in same sand first. Try to end meet before serious aggravation develops. Humping, bum sniffing, and boxing are all normal and to be expected.
Repeat regularly for as long as it takes.
See detailed guide or ask on forum for detailed help.
Re-Introducing Fighting Cagemates
Only split cagemates as a last resort.
First check if they are fighting over one specific thing, ensure enough food bowls, wheels, favourite items, experiment with distraction techniques.
Be aware that puberty increases the chance of fighting and also fighting is more common in winter. (if re-introduction does not go well, sometimes it is worth waiting until after puberty or winter to try again)
Initial strategies
Try timeouts for aggressor of a couple of hours to a week in solitary to try to teach that bad behaviour leads to isolation and give them time to calm down, you can vary the degree of separation and isolation to get your point across. Use sandbath before re-introducing, also use neutral area if more than a day or so apart. If they continue to fight seriously and the isolation does not help then leave separate for longer and try to arrange degus in comfortable social groups to wait for them to get over their differences.
Have towel and water spray on hand to control fighting and try to assert your authority, tell them off for fighting.
Full Re-introduction
Use separate cages that you can move far apart if degus are obsessing over each other. Ensure safety of split cage divide by making very secure and using double layer of mesh to prevent toe and tail biting, use wood or metal for divide if they are obsessing.
Once they get past strong aggression and obsession, then divided cage, or very close cages can be an advantage if you have vertical mesh divide on same level so degus can meet face to face. You can judge their reaction to each other with minimal risk and without the stress of open introductions. If they start to ignore each other through mesh, then you could start introductions in neutral area, if they start to interact positively or even lie next to each other you are likely to get a good reaction on meeting. As usual swap substrate regularly and use sandbath before any meet.
If you have a split cage with no place for them to meet then you have to be more creative about reading signs or just have cautious regular meets and judge how they go.
Always try to end meets before aggression gets out of hand and preferably try to end on a positive note even if it means quite short meets. Having said that, there may come a point when you have to let them fight it out (within reason), sometimes there is no other way for them to establish their heirarchy.
See detailed guide for more information on meetings or ask for help on forum.
Further Notes
If intros keep going badly stop for a while. It can be helpful to take a step backwards sometimes.
Watch your degus and try to get inside their heads, it can really help if you can work out what the problem is.
Think outside the box, don’t be afraid to try something different. Occasionally a meet in the territory of one group can work, sometimes you can tip the scales if you can see one degu or group has almost gained superiority.
Some degus are completely lacking in degu social skills and just don’t know how to show submission or domination. In these cases it can sometimes be helpful to reduce stress by taking things really slowly or by having meets in familiar places. Sometimes you can swap degus between cages, but this can increase stress from a sense of invasion and some degus even get stressed at substrate swapping so it becomes couterproductive.
Distraction can work to keep them occupied during a meet so they don’t obsess with each other.
See DC’s guide for more details on face to face meets.
Initial Considerations
Cage size and type – Is it big enough for final group, can you divide it adequately for the intro or have a spare cage?
Sexing – are all degus the gender you think?
Plan B and timescales – are you prepared for it take weeks or months, can you provide alternative arrangements if it doesn’t work out?
Fresh Introduction Between Strangers
Choosing Cagemates to Introduce
Pups (6-8 weeks) can be easier to introduce initially, but you may have more difficulties when they reach puberty, always choose two (or more) pups so they aren’t left alone if it doesn’t work out. A lone degu to a lone degu can work when both are desperate for company, plus you are helping double the degus out of loneliness. If you take on a lone degu it can be worth trying introducing them to an existing group you already have. It can be worth considering neutering for single adult males if you have a good vet and then introducing one or more females, this is a natural grouping and has a better success rate.
Procedure
Let new degus settle in.
Gradually move cages closer together. Look for either friendly signs or ignoring each other as a sign to reduce gap or proceed to intros.
Swap bedding/ subtrate between cages.
Short meet in neutral (but familiar) area, sandbath all degus in same sand first. Try to end meet before serious aggravation develops. Humping, bum sniffing, and boxing are all normal and to be expected.
Repeat regularly for as long as it takes.
See detailed guide or ask on forum for detailed help.
Re-Introducing Fighting Cagemates
Only split cagemates as a last resort.
First check if they are fighting over one specific thing, ensure enough food bowls, wheels, favourite items, experiment with distraction techniques.
Be aware that puberty increases the chance of fighting and also fighting is more common in winter. (if re-introduction does not go well, sometimes it is worth waiting until after puberty or winter to try again)
Initial strategies
Try timeouts for aggressor of a couple of hours to a week in solitary to try to teach that bad behaviour leads to isolation and give them time to calm down, you can vary the degree of separation and isolation to get your point across. Use sandbath before re-introducing, also use neutral area if more than a day or so apart. If they continue to fight seriously and the isolation does not help then leave separate for longer and try to arrange degus in comfortable social groups to wait for them to get over their differences.
Have towel and water spray on hand to control fighting and try to assert your authority, tell them off for fighting.
Full Re-introduction
Use separate cages that you can move far apart if degus are obsessing over each other. Ensure safety of split cage divide by making very secure and using double layer of mesh to prevent toe and tail biting, use wood or metal for divide if they are obsessing.
Once they get past strong aggression and obsession, then divided cage, or very close cages can be an advantage if you have vertical mesh divide on same level so degus can meet face to face. You can judge their reaction to each other with minimal risk and without the stress of open introductions. If they start to ignore each other through mesh, then you could start introductions in neutral area, if they start to interact positively or even lie next to each other you are likely to get a good reaction on meeting. As usual swap substrate regularly and use sandbath before any meet.
If you have a split cage with no place for them to meet then you have to be more creative about reading signs or just have cautious regular meets and judge how they go.
Always try to end meets before aggression gets out of hand and preferably try to end on a positive note even if it means quite short meets. Having said that, there may come a point when you have to let them fight it out (within reason), sometimes there is no other way for them to establish their heirarchy.
See detailed guide for more information on meetings or ask for help on forum.
Further Notes
If intros keep going badly stop for a while. It can be helpful to take a step backwards sometimes.
Watch your degus and try to get inside their heads, it can really help if you can work out what the problem is.
Think outside the box, don’t be afraid to try something different. Occasionally a meet in the territory of one group can work, sometimes you can tip the scales if you can see one degu or group has almost gained superiority.
Some degus are completely lacking in degu social skills and just don’t know how to show submission or domination. In these cases it can sometimes be helpful to reduce stress by taking things really slowly or by having meets in familiar places. Sometimes you can swap degus between cages, but this can increase stress from a sense of invasion and some degus even get stressed at substrate swapping so it becomes couterproductive.
Distraction can work to keep them occupied during a meet so they don’t obsess with each other.
See DC’s guide for more details on face to face meets.