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Post by Deleted on Jul 23, 2018 17:38:35 GMT
i have just managed to weigh my little ones for the first time. My adult Polly is 230g. Maisie is 202g and Rosie 134g. I'm still bemused by the size difference in the young ones, but I just can't see any reason for them to have misled me. How do these weights match up with an age of 10 weeks?
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Post by deguconvert on Jul 23, 2018 21:15:04 GMT
Rosie fits a degu closer to maybe twelve weeks. Masie is more like 6 months plus. VERY unusual for a degu of 10ish weeks to be over 200 grams. Really, it just doesn't fit at all.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 24, 2018 10:57:05 GMT
The only possibility I can think of is that she missed sexed them originally. ie. she actually had 2 males and one female rather than 2 females and 1 male. Then perhaps when she separated them for collection she noticed and swopped one female from a previous litter. If so she could have just explained. She knew I had a single 5 year old female and wanted 2 pups so that one was not left alone later. She also knew from earlier contact that my background is as a zoo keeper and my husband a vet, so we would notice the size difference immediately. Anyway they have settled in well and there are no problems, but it is a bit annoying. I got them from the same place as my original girls and also my budgies and have only had positive experiences with them so far.
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Post by deguconvert on Jul 24, 2018 16:26:02 GMT
I think your thought sounds plausible and I think she was trying to protect you, while also protecting her agreed upon sale. Yes . . . she could have just said something, but as you have said, all things are working well at this point. You have the companions you hoped for, even if they aren't the ages you expected. I'm sorry I kind of made a big deal of it, thinking that in my point of view it is nice to know if an animal is a bit older than has been understood. But that is MY issue, and I feel like I forced it to be yours as well. My apologies, Cdh!
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Post by Deleted on Jul 29, 2018 12:38:32 GMT
Hi Deguconvert. I have a question for you as a moderator. I first joined this site on June 17 2014 with the username "christine". When I tried to sign in recently I did not succeed and ended up with this new profile. I have now managed to access the old profile and prefer to use that name, but the e-mail address is out of date and I can not see how to update it. Can you delete this new profile and advise me how to change the e-mail on the old one. Thanks. The girls are still doing well together.
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Christine
Foraging Degu
Degus Polly, Maisie & Rosie
Posts: 95
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Post by Christine on Jul 29, 2018 12:59:40 GMT
Ok. I am now here as christineh, with my correct e-mail address. Both other profiles are deleted.
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Post by deguconvert on Jul 29, 2018 19:29:50 GMT
OH SUPER!! Glad you got it figured and accomplished! Sorry I wasn't here to help you hours ago!
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Christine
Foraging Degu
Degus Polly, Maisie & Rosie
Posts: 95
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Post by Christine on Aug 10, 2018 20:29:57 GMT
Well todays weights are really amazing. Maisie is now 236g meaning she is now 6g heavier than our 4 year old Polly. Rosie is 170g. Is it really possible for a supposedly 2 1/2 month old degu to weigh that much?
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Christine
Aug 10, 2018 21:08:10 GMT
via mobile
Post by misscatafer on Aug 10, 2018 21:08:10 GMT
Wow, Rosie has put on so much weight in 2 weeks - well, they both have I suppose, around 20g a week. I don't know much about pups but I'm sure the experienced members could shine some light on this, but would such massive weight gain like this demonstrate that they are both growing pups as opposed to adults?
Weight is a minefield with degus as they all vary so much. My Bella (2 years old) has been experiencing rapid fluctuating in weight since we moved address - sometimes she can gain or lose up to 20g in a week, it is so weird! The pattern seems to be that this is happening every 5-6 weeks, but I have no idea yet what is causing it other than maybe it is connected to her monthly cycles. My older degu Boo (5 years old) is my lightest degu and maintains within the 240-260g range, so weight doesn't really demonstrate age in this case. Boo also has dental disease though so this accounts for the lower weight.
Best thing is to keep weighing weekly at the same day and time to see what patterns are emerging with them.
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Post by deguconvert on Aug 10, 2018 21:50:48 GMT
Wow! Those are some big weight changes alright! Wouldn't have expected Rosie to climb up so quickly, especially in two and a half weeks. I would keep weighing them as MissC suggests. You first posted on July 15 and said that you had got six week old females a week earlier. So July 8 they would have been 6 weeks old, and now they should be approaching their 11th week. They are both two big for 11 weeks, but I think we have already accepted that Maisie is definitely not the young age they told you. Rosie, I think she could be a good month or more older than thought as well. However, they are healthy and getting along, and those are super GOOD things!! A matter of a few months wrong versus a few years wrong is not so bad.
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Christine
Foraging Degu
Degus Polly, Maisie & Rosie
Posts: 95
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Post by Christine on Aug 28, 2018 17:52:18 GMT
Now at "3 months" Maisie weighs 295g! That's 65g more than our adult Polly. I am now seriously wondering if she is pregnant. That seems the only explanation for such rapid weight gain. We have had them 7 weeks now. They are fed JR Degu Feast plus lots of forage and an occasional treat of a sunflower seed or oats to weigh them. The other new girl Rosie is now 190g. What do you guy think? I suppose I will know soon enough!
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Post by deguconvert on Aug 28, 2018 18:34:23 GMT
OH WOW!! I have to agree with your intuition . . . I suspect she is indeed pregnant! Have you been in contact with the people you got her from? You might also want to be in contact with your vet . . . pregnant so young can mean for difficult delivery.
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Christine
Foraging Degu
Degus Polly, Maisie & Rosie
Posts: 95
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Post by Christine on Aug 28, 2018 19:06:12 GMT
I have been trying to get a few good pictures and was thinking to go back and show them and ask their opinion innocently. If she is pregnant then she must be at least 7 weeks along. At how many weeks can you be sure she is pregnant? Can you see any signs of babies moving? I have a good vet nearby. She does not have much experience with degus because they are not very common here, but she handled Molly very well before she died. Maybe I will go back at the weekend and ask straight if it is possible for her to be pregnant bearing in mind that I don't have a male!
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Christine
Foraging Degu
Degus Polly, Maisie & Rosie
Posts: 95
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Post by Christine on Aug 28, 2018 19:15:53 GMT
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Christine
Foraging Degu
Degus Polly, Maisie & Rosie
Posts: 95
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Post by Christine on Aug 28, 2018 19:17:38 GMT
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Christine
Foraging Degu
Degus Polly, Maisie & Rosie
Posts: 95
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Post by Christine on Aug 28, 2018 19:24:35 GMT
sorry I'm trying to remember how I posted images earlier!
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Post by deguconvert on Aug 29, 2018 17:11:27 GMT
The first two, which are the same picture . . . looked back and it looks like you were trying to post two different pictures, but only the second link in the first picture post works. It is the same photo in the second picture post. Third and fourth picture post attempts do not work for me. ANYWAY, I am digressing, I wanted to say that she is definitely looking round about the middle. Often by the time they are ready to deliver they look pear shaped if you view them from directly over top. However, being as young as she is said to be . . . she mightn't get as big as that. Degu gestation is from 86 - 90 days in length. How long have you had them now? Is it the seven weeks you refer to above?
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Post by deguconvert on Aug 29, 2018 17:13:00 GMT
Do you want the failed attempts to be removed if no one else can open them?
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Christine
Foraging Degu
Degus Polly, Maisie & Rosie
Posts: 95
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Post by Christine on Aug 29, 2018 18:21:17 GMT
Yes please remove the failed links. I wish I could remember how I posted the one that worked! I got the girls on 9th July so I make that 53 days. They were supposedly born on 24th May, but I doubt that with Maisie. I first weighed her on 25th July and she was 180g. So since then she has put on 95g. I suppose I just have to wait and see. Luckily when I got the new girls I upgraded to the Savic Royal suite XL so I have plenty of space and it is easy to divide into 2 if I need.If I have pups I could maybe keep any girls and rehome the boys. Hoe many degus do you think my cage is suitable for? They also have my son's whole room at playtime. Thanks for all your input!
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Post by deguconvert on Aug 30, 2018 2:14:49 GMT
At the most, three adults, but I think you could easily get away with four. Do you have four complete levels in it? 5-6 is the average size of a litter, but can be as large as 10. If both girls are pregnant, I think you have every right to demand help from the people you got them from. It can be a HUGE demand on your finances, space, and time. Pups are mobile from minutes (or at least within an hour) after birth, especially the very precocious ones. They get through the tiniest of spaces and will walk right through the bars of the cage like they are an open door. They explore and run and need constant supervision. Once they start to eat solid foods, they really EAT. You will love them, and they are a lot of work.
I'm glad to advise and help you as much as I can, as you navigate this new potential challenge.
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