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Post by kirstymcl on Mar 10, 2014 13:07:06 GMT
Hi, I just got my 2 new babies a week ago after pondering between them, guineas, chinchillas and gerbils. Definitely made the right choice but I get really confused over food, caging etc. I think I'm doing well but want to do everything right for them.
The biggest question playing on my mind is food. Well treats mostly. I have seen charts on degutopia of how often treats can be given but what if you have different types. Sunflower seeds for example is one a week. I also bought pea flakes but haven't given any yet. I'm going to get some veg tonight for them which will be their first from me and I know I can feed that once or twice a week. Going to hold of with carrots and brocolli etc just now until I've had them for longer since I don't know if they've been fed any before I got them.
I want to start training them but scared of overfeeding.
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Post by saddlers on Mar 10, 2014 17:03:54 GMT
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Post by deguconvert on Mar 10, 2014 20:27:28 GMT
Lots of good reading there. Any more questions?
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Post by moletteuk on Mar 12, 2014 10:40:34 GMT
It's important to keep the treats in balance with the rest of the diet, try to make them something which add some nutrition to the diet, rather than sending it out of whack. For example sunflower seeds and oats are high in phosphorus, which can become a weakness in the diet. Other oil seeds can be good choices because they are either high in calcium which is something normally lacking in the diet (so is good to supplement), or are good for coat and skin condition like linseed. Have a look at the nutrition charts for some more info and ideas deguworld.proboards.com/thread/15602/vegetable-seed-nut-nutrition-chartsYou should be able to find something on there which is healthy and which they love, so you will be all set for training and taming. The Ratrations.com degu seed mix is a great place to start. Forage like herbs, tree leaves, hedgerow plants, flowers etc are also an important addition to the diet, you can buy mixes or collect and grow stuff yourself. Also see commercial food guide deguworld.proboards.com/thread/17365/commercial-food-chartPS Degutopia food info is a little out of date. |
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Post by kirstymcl on Mar 16, 2014 1:53:23 GMT
Oh thanks, I'm so scared of getting it wrong.
I'm a little worried again. I feed my degus once a day, usually at night. Still giving nuggets but going to look and buy from ratrations next week. Tonight I cleaned out their cage and gave then their usual nuggets, hay and dandelion salad for foraging. I'mjust about to go to bed and their nuggets are gone, they've scoffed the lot along with some bickering (they do have separate bowls). I don't intend on giving them any more but is this normal? Usually they have some left over in the morning.
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Post by moletteuk on Mar 16, 2014 13:27:33 GMT
Are they youngsters? If so, youngsters can actually eat more than adults. There is no problem in them eating 15g or more of food each a day, you can probably feed youngsters unlimited nuggets if they are nuggets that are all the same (rather than a mix), they should self regulate. Some people continue this in adulthood, others of us limit food as they get older, as some adult degus like to pile on the weight for winter. All sorts of things can affect their eating habits, so they may have eaten more or hidden some if they are a bit stressed or upset with each other, they might want to make sure they get their share. Or it could be something simple like the weather turning cold again that might make them hungrier. Or some other kooky degu reason lol! I can recommend spending time watching them and wondering what they are thinking about as they go about their business, it will help you get to know them and understand them better so it should build your confidence too  |
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Post by kirstymcl on Mar 16, 2014 19:30:55 GMT
Thanks for that. Feel a lot better
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Post by saddlers on Mar 17, 2014 12:58:31 GMT
I have found it is surprising how they self regulate their weight, the main issue with an endless supply of food is that they hide it everywhere, so you tend to get through more food that does not actually get eaten.
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Post by kirstymcl on Mar 17, 2014 18:18:58 GMT
How old are they when adults? They're 17'weeks old just now. I'm going to get a book tomorrow and I have done a lot of research but I know I need to do more
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Post by moletteuk on Mar 19, 2014 10:34:41 GMT
They aren't fully adult until they are about a year old, they start to look fairly well grown by about 8 months.
Beware of out of date information in books!
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