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Post by felicity on Nov 15, 2007 10:15:53 GMT
Hi! I awoke this morning to find some adorable little squeaks from my Degus nest...after having a peek from outside the cage it was confrirmed...there are babies...they arrived in the middle of the night and I left them because I didn't want to disturb the nest...does anyone know how soon I can handle them? I'm woreid because in other rodent families the smell of humans on a baby can cause the parents to harm them...what do i do next?? Thanks for your help! ;D  |
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jim
Burrowing Degu
Posts: 154
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Post by jim on Nov 15, 2007 12:49:49 GMT
I wouldn't handle them for sometime, let them get acquainted with ma&pa ... I'm not so buff on babies and such, search the forum!
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Post by felicity on Nov 15, 2007 14:05:21 GMT
okey doke! i did some internet research this morning and i have two books but it doesn't say anywhere about how long until you can handle. I know its six weeks until they're weaned, at which point i hope to give them to some good homes, so maybe just leave them to it until then? i did hope to have them tame for new homes but they may not be possible...all the research doesn't seem to have got me very far!
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jim
Burrowing Degu
Posts: 154
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Post by jim on Nov 15, 2007 14:09:52 GMT
I'll check in my book when I get home for you.  |
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Post by Lala on Nov 15, 2007 14:44:02 GMT
From my research, I haven't heard of Degus eating/killing their babies if they're touched by humans. However, I agree with Jim - let mum & dad get to know their pups Congratulations on the new arrivals too ;D .x.x.x. |
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Post by felicity on Nov 16, 2007 8:56:58 GMT
thanks guys, its a really exciting time and i just want to make sure they are as happy as possible...they're such great parents! X
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Post by falloutboylover12 on Nov 16, 2007 14:04:50 GMT
ok so last night thet same thing happened to us we hurried up and got dad out of the cage and everything. but we did not know "pete" was a girl we sexed them and put them side by side and checked to they both had there parts the same. i thought mabey we have a unisex.lol. they are so cute we had 4 of them mom is ok sleeping alot eatting more and drinking more .is everything going ok?
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jim
Burrowing Degu
Posts: 154
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Post by jim on Nov 16, 2007 15:52:26 GMT
Ohh, you should keep the dad in AFAIK. They're not like other animals, male degus WILL father babies well. Usually they'll just keep a look-out above the mother's nest.
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Post by falloutboylover12 on Nov 18, 2007 0:17:43 GMT
what does AFAIK mean? we cant put dad back in the cage she wont let him through the door of the cage plus he is trying to make more babbies if you know what i mean.
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Post by exile57 on Nov 18, 2007 11:45:49 GMT
AFAIK = As Far As I Know
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Post by felicity on Nov 19, 2007 10:16:19 GMT
congratulation on your unexpected arrivals...how many did she have? When are you going to start handling the babies? ours are starting to leave the nest but I'm still nervous about interfering too much!!
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Post by falloutboylover12 on Nov 20, 2007 4:39:36 GMT
we have 4 we have started holding them a little bit but not much because we dont know if we can .
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Post by ra on Nov 26, 2007 16:36:41 GMT
My Mocha had nine puppies - eight lived soon after I bought her. I thought I'd bought a male~!!!.
Anyway, her puppies were very active at an early age. I'd read they don't self-thermoregulate until about day ten so I was worried sick when I'd find them out of the nesting box. I handled them right away picking them up and putting them back into the box whenever they wandered out. Mocha didn't mind that I handled them. I'd put my hand in the box and let it there. They would all pile up on my hand and take a nap!
I had no idea what I was doing. Read in a book, found this forum THANK YOU SO MUCH SunshineMeg. Inspite of it all they flourished. The one pup I found about a week after they were born. Didn't want to disturb the nest box so I hadn't moved it until then. I don't know if it died shortly after birth - I'd only counted eight at any given time. Poor little baby was dead under the box. Mocha may have buried it there. I'd read they do that with any babies that may have been born dead so predators don't come looking. The rest were crazy little munchkins running about getting into everything!
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