bobbin
Warbling Degu
Posts: 27
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Post by bobbin on Mar 18, 2009 13:52:32 GMT
we bought Viggo and Sean from P@H about 2 months ago. Sean is now looking considerably fatter and is constantly making a nest in the cage. Knowing very little about goos as these are our first, we took it for granted that P@H would be right and we have two boys, now we think sean is actually shauna - what do we do if we do find a litter??? very new to this and worried and we also have a dog in the house. Help!!   |
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Post by deguconvert on Mar 18, 2009 14:44:13 GMT
I have copied into this message, below, a basics on degus and babies. You may have read it already, since it is the first posting on this board, but I put it in because it has great basic information. With this you will be mostly prepared. I know that this is not a planned breeding, or in any way anticipated as you have believed you had two males, so remarks about planned breeding should just ignored. Read away, and ask whatever questions rise up for you.
Degu Family
Before you think about a family....
A degu family is very unusual from normal rodents.The more degus you have the more interesting and warming the family is.
Females usually mature quicker than males, sometimes as young as 6 weeks old, but usually about a year old. Males mature after 2-3 months old, up to a year old.
Take into consideration that a female is usually pregnant for around 90 days,about 3 months, and can have around 4 litters a year.They can have between 5- 10 puppies in a litter.AND the female is most highly fertile up to 24 hours after birth, so if she does become pregnant straight after birth, she will be under strain feeding the puppies and the puppies inside her.
A degu can live between 5-10 years, but a females life span is cut shorter the more pregnancies she has.
*ALSO, do you know what your going to do with the babies after 6 weeks? Find homes before you start to breed, as you wont be able to keep them all together after 6 weeks.Most pet shops are willing to take them off your hands, but don't think of it as an easy option.
Before the birth....
You will tell that the female is pregnant about 1 month before she gives birth. The male will start to gather nesting materials so make sure you offer plenty of soft tissue or like wise to make sure the bed is safe and free from sharp or ruff bedding and anything else they've managed to drag in there!
If you have more degus than just the mother and father, put another nest box in the cage for the others to sleep in.
Don't worry about the other degus in the cage as they will all help the mother before and after the birth.
During the birth....
The male usually makes a sharp "cheep" noise while the mother is giving birth to her babies, and can take around 45 mins to deliver the babies.Don't worry about the father and the babies as the males are excellent fathers.BUT! don't forget the female is at her most fertile now, and can soon get pregnant again, so it is advisable to take the farther out of the cage for a day.Don't leave the father out to long as the female will need him to help her.
Leave the mother for a few hours before trying to see the babies, she will want time to clean them and rest without the temptation of getting up to see you.you don't want to stress her out.
You will notice that the babies are quite well developed.They are born with fur and teeth and their eyes are open within a few hours.Soon after, or the next day, they will start eating normal degu food.
The fun begins....!
This is when the fun starts! Take a look at the spaces between the bars, and if you think a baby might fit through them, you need to find something strong to cover the bars. I found that CDs and cases worked best on my cage secured with ties, but depending on your cage this might not be the best option.
Within days, the babies will be exploring a little.if the nest is high up, make sure there is something soft to land on,if they fall out.
Baby degus cannot thermo-regulate (keep there own heat to stay warm)so the babies need to stay in the nest quite alot.The mother and father will take it in turns to keep the babies warm, and yes, the father will do his share of the work!
If you do notice a baby is away from the nest, don't panic, a parent will come and pick them up and put them back where they should be. But if you feel that the baby hasn't been seen, intervene a little and pop them back. If the baby doesn't stay warm at least for the first few days, they could develop pneumonia, which is virtually incurable in degus.
All the other degus will help with the brood, and play and groom them as the get a little older.
Be sure there is enough food and hay for the new brood, as they grow, they can sure put some food away!
The babies need to be sexed and split from the parents after around 6 weeks, when she would of stopped nursing them, and ready for the big wide world.
Aimee
OK! So that is the basics. Also know that degu pups are very mobile and can squeeze through the tiniest of spaces. You may find that you have to place cardboard, or some other material, over the bars to prevent them from escaping out of the cage. You may also need to remove a tier or two, as they will climb and leap without fear. Re-arranging the cage to reduce potential injury is definitely something many owners have had to do, upon the arrival of pups.
Like I said before, feel free to ask all your questions. There are many forum members that are experienced with pups.
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bobbin
Warbling Degu
Posts: 27
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Post by bobbin on Mar 18, 2009 14:54:57 GMT
is the dog going to be a problem? At the moment, as the goos are still adjusting to him, we have moved them upstaires away from the dog. if pups do suddenly appear (as yet we are still trying to determine if he is a she or not, and if he is a she, then is she pregnant) we would obviosly block up the gaps, but do you know if goos will act more protective round the dog?
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Post by deguconvert on Mar 18, 2009 19:33:27 GMT
That I don't know. I would assume that there might be more of that, as degus are excellent parents. Having them away from the dog is probably a good thing, until you determine for sure what is going on at lest. If babies do present, then the less stress the better for the first few days. For the most part, I wouldn't be worried about the dog. As the pups grow (if they are coming that is) they will adjust quite well. I guess the only thing I would be really watchful of is, IF pups are born, and IF pups escaped the cage, the dog would be a real threat to the pup that is outside the cage.
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Post by ra on Mar 20, 2009 17:51:57 GMT
My Mocha was supposedly a male too. Her original name was Virgil! Well about two months after purchasing "Virgil" "he" gave birth to nine Degu puppies!!! Talk about being shocked! I thought I had given him gas colic by feeding him too much wheat grass. Ha! Anyway I got on line and found this site thank goodness. I did a crash course on birthing and caring for babies believe me. Mocha did a fine job of caring for the babies without much help from me. I did gather the wandering little ones up and put them back in the nest box for her.
Make sure you have plenty of fresh water and food near the nesting box so the mother doesn't have to venture out too far. Of course you have a father there to help with the babies so it won't be as critical for your mother Degu.
I literally stayed up all night the first night fearing the babies would get out of the cage. They could and did. So the next day I sent my husband out to find something to wrap the cage in to keep the babies from getting out and getting hurt.
I wrapped our entire Degu Condo with hardware cloth - a fine wire mesh to assure the babies did not escape. Secured it to the cage with zip ties. Worked very well. Had to use a metal file to round the sharp edges but no one save for me got cut. Left it on for a long while after the babies were rehomed. Helped to keep bedding in but allowed for complete air flow through the cage.
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Post by spankingtigger on Mar 22, 2009 22:51:41 GMT
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Post by phe on Mar 23, 2009 14:31:43 GMT
yeah thats a good one, theres a video on youtube that is also very helpful
althou spankingtigger's (thers a word i never thought id write lol) one cracked me up cosa the little cartoon at the bottom.
pets at home are useless, never trust them with ne advice (unless u kno its true)
xxx
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bobbin
Warbling Degu
Posts: 27
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Post by bobbin on Mar 28, 2009 21:00:01 GMT
Latest update: Still waiting.
He now looks like a giant puffball and all nest building seems to have stopped. The strange thing is now his face seems to be quite swollen as well. Is this normal in pregnant Goos or should I be looking at another cause? He is sleeping a lot but is as active as always when he is awake.
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Post by silverfox7 on Mar 29, 2009 0:50:27 GMT
my female goo looked like a giant puff ball and her face also puff out, when she was near time to give birth
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bobbin
Warbling Degu
Posts: 27
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Post by bobbin on Mar 30, 2009 9:52:40 GMT
we really have no idea whats going on now, sometimes they both nest build, then they destroy it and make it again. Almost like they ar enot sure which corner of the cage to use. they do have a wooden house/shelter in with them, but they turn it upside down, and move it in to the middle, then build a nest in a corner, away from it. There are still no other signs that he/she is about to give birth. How long does this normally take?
We really dont know whats going on, and its beginning to worry us a little. As these are our first Goo's its even worse!
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Post by silverfox7 on Mar 30, 2009 20:01:33 GMT
my goos were forever moving nest round the place. they didnt build it in there house, just in the corner of there cage
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bobbin
Warbling Degu
Posts: 27
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Post by bobbin on Apr 14, 2009 11:43:58 GMT
well he/she is still fat - we thought he deflated a bit last week, so were desperatly looking round the cage to see if we could see any little ones, but couldnt. He then swelled up again the following day, and now seems to be bigger then ever. Im trying to find the camera to get some pics for you guys. We have made a vets appointment for this saturday - if we have babbies by then, we wont bother, but not knowning when he/she concieved, we are going to getting him checked to make sure there are no complications. Has anyone had all of this before? ? |
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Post by taipan on Apr 14, 2009 11:51:02 GMT
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Post by jackdaniels on Apr 19, 2009 20:11:46 GMT
What are you feeding your degus?
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bobbin
Warbling Degu
Posts: 27
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Post by bobbin on Apr 20, 2009 16:42:18 GMT
update: we finaly gave in and took sean to the vets. Where it has been confirmed he IS a she (now to be called Seana) and is pregnant. The vets think that there is about another month to go, give or take a week. Thank you all and as soon as they arrive, we shall post pictures.
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bobbin
Warbling Degu
Posts: 27
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Post by bobbin on Apr 20, 2009 16:43:03 GMT
Sorry, just seen the post about food. Its JR Farm Premium Degu food. Sugar free. Though we did consider the possibility of diabetes, which was why we went to the vets.
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