HELP!! NEED INFO

[falloutboylover12]

Well our Melony and Prissy, we think is now Elvis and Prissy. Melony (Elvis) won't leave Prissy alone, and tonight........well let's just say....the birds and bees were flyihg! OMG....if I ended up with a boy and girl (after I was told they were both girls)....what is the gestation period...how many babies do they usually have at a time....do I need a separate cage for mom and the babies.......

Any help you can send my way would be appreciated!!

Thanks.

[ra]

OH dear that is a common occurance unfortunately. Many of us have ended up with liters of unplanned pups! I bought my Mocha as a male. HA!!! After nine pups were born I knew differently. Most pet shops have no clue!

Let's see 90 days gestation. You will want to not handle the female too much. (I didn't know that and handled Mocha daily! It's a wonder she didn't bite me or lose the babies.) Have a nesting box - a good clean cardboard box will do. I had a new cigar type box with a lid I could open and peak into. As her time nears supply clean torn up napkins or paper towels or buy the small animal nesting materials and leave them in the cage so she can build her own next.

You will want a separate cage a small one to put "Elvis" in as soon as she gives birth. If you don't separate them immediately after she has the puppies - he can impregnate her once again. Actually it's a good idea to have a medium sized second cage. Once the babies are weaned you will want to CAREFULLY sex the babies putting the males in with Elvis and leaving the females in with Prissy.

Degus can have anywhere from one to ten puppies. Mocha had nine. Somewhere on the forum there is a thread regarding how many babies did your Degu have. Will have to search for it. Seems like first litters are usually fairly large. Probably not what you wanted to hear!

[ra]

Oh and do read the first thread on this forum BASICS OF BABIES lots of good info there.

[falloutboylover12]

thank u so much for the info