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Post by luluzellbell on Apr 21, 2012 20:38:05 GMT
Hi all! I am going to collect my first degus this coming Tuesday, ;D and I thought: Hey wouldn't it be great to have a record of their time with me, and progress made? So I've started this thread, and I hope to build up a kind of degu saga! A bit of a background: I started to become really interested in degus over a year ago. It was then that I started reading into them, their habitats, their diets, everything I could get my hands on. So now, after constantly telling my parents lots of things they didn't think they needed to know (that took long enough, they think I have more than enough pets, and they still aren't fully convinced I am going to adopt two 6 1/2 week old goos on Tuesday. I am so exited I can hardly wait another second!!! ;D They are currently housed in a thickets cage, but I am soon to be housing them in an xtrail mentioned this in this thread: deguworld.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=Cage&action=display&thread=15504 I have been making lots of things to furnish their cage (like- they may not be able to move, which isn't good) so I'll try and get some pictures up soon. I will also be slowly introducing them into a 50% natural diet, but as I said slowly, as they are being fed on pellets, so would not want to upset their tummies. Again, pictures soon. Sorry if I've bored people! ;D
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Post by bijett on Apr 21, 2012 21:08:20 GMT
Fab! Degus are such interesting and fun little animals. Can't wait for the pics!
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Post by luluzellbell on Apr 21, 2012 21:13:26 GMT
I am going to try to put up a picture of the climbing frame i made this afternoon- hope it works!
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Post by luluzellbell on Apr 21, 2012 21:14:08 GMT
Yeses! It took long enough!
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Post by luluzellbell on Apr 21, 2012 21:29:53 GMT
Here is a picture of my first natural mix ;D : it contains Dandelions, daisies, plantain, basil, parsley, rosemary, clover (tiny bit) various grasses, apple leaves, raspberry leaves, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and stinging nettles. theres only a small amount of mixture, but i'll make more (depending on whether they like it) and i have already made a second one, with slightly different ingredients. i am pleased to say i picked all of the ingredients in my own garden! (we have a rather large garden though Before I feed it to them I just want to ask if it looks/sounds ok as i really don't want to feed the goos the wrong things!
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Post by smithomatic on Apr 21, 2012 23:27:32 GMT
The mix looks very tastey im pleased for your goos! Please be very mindful of the climbling frame you have built the string net could tangle and constrict a degu, it may be an idea to remove this part? I look forward to seeing more
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Post by luluzellbell on Apr 22, 2012 8:07:46 GMT
I was thinking about that maybe being a problem :/ - I will remove it, I may make a fabric wall with large peep holes in- probably better. Thinking again, I hope the frame will actually fit in the cage it is about 30 by 34 cm! More soon!
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Post by moletteuk on Apr 22, 2012 18:40:51 GMT
Wow the climbing frame is a crafting work of art! You tied all those knots! Maybe if it's big and you're not sure how they will get on with the string, you could save it for playtime out of the cage. If you are into making things and good at knots and so on, as you obviously are, you can make really great things out of sisal rope (or hemp rope), you can buy it in different sizes, 6mm or 8mm are good sizes. You can buy it in B&Q or Screwfix or ebay. Did you do proper sheet bends, or whatever they are, for your cargo net? Natural mix sounds and looks great. I can recommend starting out using it like treats, you get the fun of seeing their excited little faces at trying new things
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Post by luluzellbell on Apr 22, 2012 19:10:59 GMT
That sounds like a good idea - treats - and much healthier than using just porridge oats! (still gonna use them sometimes though, as they should like them!) I learnt knots in sailing- I do some small amounts of racing ect, and you just pick up stuff. I started off using proper knots, but erm.... It got kind of tedious after about three and my knots got messier and messier! I was just tying any old thing by the end! I think I will keep the net for playtime only- at least then I can untangle the goos if they get stuck! I picked some apple twigs today, but I couldn't use some of them as something else had already been stripping the bark of them! I wonder what it was? Anyway, I now have some twigs drying out. I also planted some sunflowers today, after seeing an inspiring photo (I can't remember where, but I think it was one of nightwish's ones) of some goos eating the whole flower!! there weren't any seeds on if I remember, (because everything in moderation and all?? ) The sisal seems like a good idea too. Byeeeee!
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Post by luluzellbell on Apr 24, 2012 6:23:40 GMT
Agr!! So exited- tonight I'm picking up my first goos! ;D I can't wait! ;D
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Post by moletteuk on Apr 24, 2012 14:44:08 GMT
Woohoooo! ;D
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Post by luluzellbell on Apr 24, 2012 20:15:47 GMT
Well, I went to pick them up this afternoon and I am completely and utterly head over heels in love with them! They are so beautiful and perfect, and so small! I think I am going to call the sigourney and yamaraz, which means naughty in Azerbaijan! I think the names fit as one little girl - who is also slightly chubbier than the other does seem quite cheeky - she is quite happy to walk over me and take treats, whereas siggy is more cautious- although she has come onto my hand once or twice too. She zips around the cage, and takes lots of pellets, leaving me thinking that she hasn't eaten anything, or is taking ages to eat one petter when she has eaten several!! She is quite slender compared to mazzy. They are very sweet, though, and also they seem to think my fingernails are quite tasty! should I let them do this though? I'm not sure if it would encourage biting? I have taken lots of pics, but not really time to put them on now, I'll have to do it tommorrow- I want to play some more first! Even watching them at their goo antics fascinates me! I love them to bits- but I bet they just wish I'd give them some peace- who's that funny person staring at us through the bars? Argh! I can't believe I have goos!!! ;D
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Post by moletteuk on Apr 24, 2012 21:55:04 GMT
Enjoy ;D ;D
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Post by deguconvert on Apr 25, 2012 2:09:03 GMT
Congratulations on your two little misses, I love the names!!! When do we get to see the cage, or has it come yet?
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Post by sparkiesnaps on Apr 25, 2012 12:12:09 GMT
Congratulations, I'm so glad they've gone to someone who'll love them so much. And I'm thrilled you've kept Sigourney's name, that was the one name I liked the best (used to have a fish called that too lol).
My daughter was so shocked when she came home from her granny's yesterday to find them all gone, but she soon got over it when she realised she had so much more room to play!
Bet you can't wait to get them all sorted in their new cage, it's going to be lovely. Good luck with everything x
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Post by luluzellbell on Apr 25, 2012 19:17:40 GMT
Their new cage... I have it to order at the touch of a button, but I am going to have to wait at least another week before ordering for various reasons, also I have my eye on One on eBay, which is like new- yes an xtrail on eBay! If I can get this better priced, then I'll have happier parents, and more money to spend on toys ect. Well, I have seen both of the girls have a good try of a dandelion, and a few other bits of my mix and that made me very happy. Last night I shut my eyes to go to sleep and a little pixie squeeking noise roused me and I thought: well this will be a long night! Luckily after 5mins they stopped tearing things to bits and went to sleep! I didn't hear them until half six am, and thet was only because the torrential rain outside was keeping me up! Shame, they are VERY good! I must admit I did have a problem when they came onto my lap for a treat and Harry - my cat who also LOVES the goos to the point that the door to my room is closed, and Harry sleeps outside it with one eye open for somebody to let him in- anyway he let out a loud cry and both of them zipped under my legs and under their cage. There was difficulty catching them again, after waiting a few minutes, and hoping they would come out of hiding of their own accord, I decided that they werent gonna cooperate. I had to use a roll of newspaper to get them out, which I think dented their trust to me quite majorly. They wouldn't even come to a big pile of oats. Hopefully that won't happen again for a while! They are quite cautious with me still, but I am slowly but surely working on that. I put the ends of a toilet roll in there but they weren't really interested. Oh well. I was wondering what the amount of oats they can have in a day was? I have only been giving them tiny amounts but I would like to give more if I could- they do love them! they seem to love their degu pellets just as much though! I gave them their sand bath earlier- it was very cute watching them clean themselves! I've had it in an hour or so now, so I should take it out- if I don't they don't have enough running space. I was wondering what I can give them to entertain themselves when I go to school? I have provided tubes, branches, swings, but I was wondering what they would enjoy doing for a good few hours? As they don't seem too interested in what I give them. Long post- but I enjoyed writing everything down and remembering! ;D
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Post by deguconvert on Apr 26, 2012 0:44:37 GMT
Don't worry, they are adjusting to their new digs and settling in. I think you will notice a different level of interaction with the things in their cage after they've had a few days in it.
Sounds like you are very much enjoying them!! Yes . . . take out the sand bath to leave them good running room. I hope you are able to get the cage on Ebay at a great price! Glad you were able to retrieve the little loves after the kitty scare. Next time try using a tube to entice them into if they get away on you again.
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Post by moletteuk on Apr 26, 2012 11:05:12 GMT
there are a few more ideas of things you can give them here I find the most reliable hits involve either eating or destruction or preferably both, although mine will sometimes spend ages nest building and ripping up cardboard. I guess about a pinch of oats each a day, but experiment with other things, you might find they have some favourite leaves or veg or flowers out of your mix that you can give much more freely. I'm sure you'll find a cardboard tube useful for getting them back in the cage. You can place it infront of them, and then back off a little until they go in. Good luck with the Xtrail on ebay
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Post by luluzellbell on Apr 30, 2012 19:45:27 GMT
Well, it's been a while since I've done much here, but I've been so busy with the girls! They are so much tamer now, they even run to the doors to greet me! I think it's because I introduced them to 'shower time' where I sit in the shower and let them run all over me! They love perching on my shoulders and then sliding down to the ground, I think they reckon I'm just a living climbing frame! They scoff their natural mixes, so that is working well! I have an apple tree in the garden which is just blossoming now, and they love the branches so I assume the flowers would be equally as tasty? They really enjoy their sand baths, it is so funny to watch them- exempt I really have to be careful when putting it in, as they LOVE taking any opportunities possible to get under their cage- and they demand a high ransom for getting out! GIVE ME MORE OATS OR I'LL STAY HERE FOR EVER! Yammy seems particularly partial to this method, and is regularly escaping only to be bribed back from whichever corner she most recently got stuck in! I think she feels only cupboard love from me- which is probably part of the reason she is quite a bit chubbier than siggy who just seems to want the attention and the extra running space when I let them out! I know that the exercise ball is a debated matter but they squeek when they see it, jump in - of their own accord and can't seem to run fast enough! I give them lots of opportunities to get out but they just want to keep running! Well, they are so lovely, and I hope to get them even happier around me and more part of the family! (although Harry the cat doesn't seem to like them that much- you can see the drool dripping when they come into his sight! Harry is still my baby though too sleeping on my shoulder now- love you!)
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Post by luluzellbell on Apr 30, 2012 20:18:40 GMT
Yammy just emptied half of the cage on the floor. Thanks guys- nice to know you love me! Don't worry- I don't mind really!
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