Bosley
Foraging Degu
Posts: 59
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Post by Bosley on Apr 18, 2005 19:03:21 GMT
 Our baby degu, Maxi, died this weekend. I'm baffled by the whole thing. I mean, it was weird enough that there was only one to begin with, and now this. We have no idea what happened or why. The terrible thing was that my 9 year old daughter was the one who made the gruesome discovery. Gruesome because the poor little thing was chewed up, missing most of it's head. Everything was fine the last time she checked on them, sometime late on Saturday. She found it on Sunday afternoon, when we got home from a birthday party. There were just the two females in the cage with it at the time - the male was still in a separate cage (we were actually getting ready to move him back in, since it had been more than 5 days). Does anybody have any idea what could have caused this to happen? Something we should have noticed? Both females had been caring for it - nothing seemed to be wrong! I just don't get it...
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northernstar40
Foraging Degu
May you always have an angel by your side
Posts: 102
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Post by northernstar40 on Apr 19, 2005 2:15:16 GMT
Oh Bosley, I am so sorry to hear about your horrid weekend. I wish i could tell you what happened. but our first set of degus had the same thing happen. i think mama new the baby was sick or dieing. but we also came home to find that ours had been eaten. i wish i could offer some info. but im still baffeled 2 years later.
peggy
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Post by ra on Apr 19, 2005 12:50:30 GMT
That is a surprise though. I'd read the Degus never kill their young. However, if the baby was sick and dying the mother may have tried to dispose of the body. Mocha "buried" the ninth baby that died under corner of their carboard nest box in the bedding.
Have to wonder if something wasn't wrong since there was only one puppy.
I have more than enough puppies if you'd like some. Just let me know and depending on where you are perhaps we can work something out.
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Post by Sunshinemeg on Apr 19, 2005 15:02:38 GMT
sorry to hear what happened Bosley.
I have never had breeding degus so I have never even heard of this happening. Your poor daughter bust be very upset. I really havent a clue what has happened, or why, but to hear that it also happened to peggy means its obviously not an unheard of degu behaviour. I only hope it is rare and was done because the poor baby was sick. Or maybe had even died, and the degus didnt know what to do with the body.
So sorry Bosley. Give your daughter a hug from us!
SUNSHINEMEG
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Bosley
Foraging Degu
Posts: 59
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Post by Bosley on Apr 19, 2005 19:54:25 GMT
I do hope it was something along those lines - being sickly or already dead. I can't imagine any reason why they would intentionally harm it. Mabel started making a lot of noise later that evening, sitting on top of a bedding box. I put the male, Timothy, back into the cage and that seemed to calm her down.
It's so hard to know sometimes - we are still fairly new to the world of degus, having found them in the neighbors garage just this winter (they moved - abandoned them). This was our first experience with a baby - such a shame that it ended the way it did.
Here's another question: they say degus mate for life...I have one male and two females. Will the one male mate with both? If he does, will that cause any friction between the females?
And Ra, thanks for the offer, but I think for now we'll just take our time and let nature take it's course...hopefully we will eventually have more babies. We already need to expand our housing for the ones we have now - the aquarium isn't really big enough for them as it is.
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kpepsi
Warbling Degu
Posts: 40
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Post by kpepsi on May 22, 2005 3:42:46 GMT
Yes that is exactly it some kill the young rather then let them keep on suffering. Cavies will do the same thing if they know the baby is not going to survive, or has somthing wrong with it.
Fizzel burried her babies down under the nest but they were not dead yet. When I found them it was obvious they were going to dye. But still I tried to save them. But in a matter of an hour they were gone.
My six year old was very upset and these babies only looked like they were sleeping. So I can imagine how your poor daughter must feel. That is a horrific thing for a child to have to see. My god look how it effects us to see something like that.
My heart goes out to all of you and that dear child.
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Post by darkiebabz on May 22, 2005 3:45:58 GMT
my degu got 6 babies "and today the babies took food by there own 'they are like 3½ weeks" from when I counted but maybe I didt see them the first days but tonight my male "have male and female" got crazy and jumped etc on one of the babies so it died  and hurt another one I don't think it will make it so I am down to 4 babies now I seperated the male.. but sad I didt du before |
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Our baby degu, Maxi, died this weekend. I'm baffled by the whole thing. I mean, it was weird enough that there was only one to begin with, and now this. We have no idea what happened or why. The terrible thing was that my 9 year old daughter was the one who made the gruesome discovery. Gruesome because the poor little thing was chewed up, missing most of it's head. Everything was fine the last time she checked on them, sometime late on Saturday. She found it on Sunday afternoon, when we got home from a birthday party. There were just the two females in the cage with it at the time - the male was still in a separate cage (we were actually getting ready to move him back in, since it had been more than 5 days). Does anybody have any idea what could have caused this to happen? Something we should have noticed? Both females had been caring for it - nothing seemed to be wrong! I just don't get it...
and hurt another one I don't think it will make it so I am down to 4 babies now I seperated the male.. but sad I didt du before