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Post by randomname on Jul 9, 2016 12:44:05 GMT
So, looks like BB is getting not one, but 3 friends! I need to know what to expect when I get these three little ones. I've only had adult degus before, & never had babies of any kind with any of my critters. Am totally in the dark! They are 3 boys, around 2 months old. My questions are these: How big will they be? When will they be fully grown? What is the bar spacing requirements? When can they have shelves, wheels, hammocks etc? (scared of them hurting themselves) How much space will they need before being fully grown? I plan to eventually have all 4 live together in a big cage. If this doesn't work out, maybe I can get 2 pairs in separate cages next to each other. I have the large cage, but it's not suitable for little ones & isn't ready yet (will probably take a few months) What would you do in the meantime? I thought maybe get a thickets type cage, 3 storey, for the babies. Put them next to BB in his big cage, see how they get on. By the time the big cage is ready, the babies should be grown (?) then I can maybe do introductions & if it goes well, they all go into the big cage together & it'll be completely neutral for all of them. Does that sound ok? Am very nervous, never had babies & never done degu introductions.
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Post by uglibug on Jul 9, 2016 17:59:59 GMT
At 8 weeks your little ones are still babies, so your introduction should be a piece of cake. It's worth trying a meeting virtually right away, hopefully your adult we get paternal with them being so small. Waiting to introduce them could be counter productive, they would be starting puberty and make fights more likely.
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Post by bouncy on Jul 9, 2016 19:36:57 GMT
At this stage, they're similar in size to a fully grown gerbil, although they will grow quite rapidly. I wouldn't have bar spacing at his stage more than half an inch. If your spacing is bigger, you can either weave cardboard through the bars (and regularly check it!), or temporarily fix somewhere mesh to the outside.
I think you'll need to use judgement re wheel and hammocks, perhaps keeping them low to start with.
Squidgygoo was pretty much full sized by 9 months, if not before.
Like kids, they'll have loads of energy, and will be very active, so I'd work to normal guidelines for cage size.
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Post by randomname on Jul 9, 2016 20:22:44 GMT
Ok, that's really helpful guys. Thank you It's great that introductions might be easier because they're babies. I had 5 goos together previously, so am experienced with general fights, just not the intro bit. That sets my mind at rest a lot. Gerbil size is workable. I have a cage that's suitable bar spacing, that is 100 x 50 x 75 cm (L x W x H). Would that be ok just for 2 days while I sort the bigger cage & see how BB reacts? I know it's cramped, but wouldn't be for long. I was thinking of doing introductions early one morning, so I can keep an eye on them all day (& have a vet open just in case!) If there are no incidents, is it safe to leave them all together overnight? BB won't hurt them will he? Should I sleep on the couch for the first week to make sure?
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Post by randomname on Jul 9, 2016 20:31:59 GMT
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Post by bouncy on Jul 9, 2016 20:42:27 GMT
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Post by randomname on Jul 9, 2016 21:49:42 GMT
I was thinking of using the clips/tool on the big cage. It's got a couple of huge gaps & I'll have to add more levels (although one would be made of wood) What size mesh is ok for adults? Looks like I'm going to have to spend the day emptying the shed tomorrow - the big cage is right at the back. Supposed to be decorating. Going to have to get the cage sorted asap by the looks of it
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Post by bouncy on Jul 9, 2016 22:24:42 GMT
The size on the link is perfect - they can poke noses through, but that's about it
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Post by Maravilla on Jul 10, 2016 5:49:39 GMT
Actually, I would avoid moving the wee ones twice in such a short time. The whole thing means a lot of stress for them. So, if you have any chance to have the bigger cage split into 2 parts, this would be better.
Please don't forget one thing: Introduction is not the moment you let them together. It is a process that might take months. So even if they get along at first (something that is not for 100% sure, not even with very young animals!!) there might be problems coming after a week or two when the little ones grow. And yeah, they grow rapidly!
How old is BB?
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Post by randomname on Jul 10, 2016 17:43:56 GMT
Hi Maravilla. Some good advice there. You're right, I am focusing a lot on the moment I let them meet, I think because I'm so scared! There is a lot more to it than that, you're right. There's no way I can have the bigger cage ready in time, & once I put the new levels in, I don't think I'll be able to split it in half. There is a lot of work to be done & I will have to wait until I can get someone to help me. I was thinking that by the time they were ready to live together, the big cage would be totally new for all of them so that would help with territory issues. Is this not so? I've no idea how old BB is. He was kind of dumped on me. I find it hard to tell once they're grown. He isn't old, but he is full grown. Anywhere between 1 and 4 I'd guess. Do you have a reliable way to tell how old a goo is? I'm planning on taking him to the vets before he meets the babies - just to check his health & make sure he's definitely a boy! Might take him to the specialist vet, rather than my own vet. They might be able to tell his age better. My vet is great, but not a degu expert.
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Post by moletteuk on Jul 11, 2016 14:37:33 GMT
They are going to look more or less like Bexi's, I'm sure she will tell you how old they were when she got them (if she knows) deguworld.proboards.com/thread/19499/pip-daisy-flo?page=1They grow fast until they are about 6 months, they are usually well grown by 8 months, and full grown by about 12 months. A lot of the growing process is about filling out and chunking up, at two months they will already have a good proportion of their final nose to tail length. Young degus need as much space or even more than adult degus because they are so active. Most accessories should be fine for them, but do watch out for any individual stupidity or over-curiosity on their part for a while. I think you should get away with 15mm mesh from 6 to 8 weeks, or even 18mm depending no how developed they are. I can see both sides with the cages thing, I think if you can manage to set up the big cage in time then do it, if you can't then don't lose any sleep over it. If they were two groups that had already been settled in your home then putting them together in the neutral area of the new cage would probably help. With it being a presumed adult to juvenile intro, then hopefully the neutral territory won't matter so much. 8 week olds can squabble a surprising amount, but it should be fairly harmless. They get a bit carried away when the parents suddenly disappear and they have to figure out their own heirarchy out of the blue. This is where you may be able to get away with the accelerated introduction of an adult - they may instantly accept BB as boss. You do need to use your judgement on this, but it is worth trying to set up a meeting quite quickly, as the window of opportunity for this can be quite small, by 12 weeks old the chances of BB taking a father role are already reduced quite a lot. It's a great idea to do the meeting at the start of the day and then watch them all day. If in doubt separate them for bedtime. Have you managed to get a look at his bum to check sex for yourself? It's very difficult to tell the age of a degu, there are no standard markers. My Alice looks the same at nearly 6 as she did at 1. I agree that getting 3 babies will give you lots of options for keeping everybody happy long term.
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Post by randomname on Jul 12, 2016 4:23:12 GMT
SQUEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!! Bexi's are beautiful. Look at those ears. BB has huge ears too, wonder if he's younger than I think? Can't believe I'll be getting such tiny cuties - getting seriously excited to meet them now. All my animals over the years have been older than 6 months when I adopted them except one 4 week old kitten. Never had any babies (except my own, but they don't count!)
I've ordered a Lazybones 4 tier cage & loads of hemp matting. I have a wheel, nesting box, tubes & food etc.
The plan is that they'll only be in the lazybones for a maximum of 2 months, but hopefully a lot less.
I haven't been able to check BB myself, he's still really skittish. He's happy to come to the bars, & to sniff my hand when I open the door, but he runs straight off. He'll snatch food out of my fingers, but won't take it off my hand. He is eating in front of me now, & I'm working on gaining his trust every hour or so through the day. Don't want to pick him up or catch him in case it sets us back. He needs a quick health check, so might as well get the vet to do it all - he can hate her, not me! I've seen him cleaning down there, looked like what my previous boys did, so hoping he is definitely male!! Will see if he'll hop in a dish & let me look later today (never know).
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Post by Bexi87 on Jul 12, 2016 6:43:49 GMT
Mine were around 8-12 weeks when I got them (they were from a rescue who received 5 females who all turned out to be pregnant!) and I still can't believe how small they were.
They used to charge around the cage like complete nutters, but needed extra perched to clamber up each level. It only took a couple of weeks and they were able to launch themselves up without even looking!
I'm so excited for you and BB!!
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Post by deguconvert on Jul 12, 2016 19:22:16 GMT
You could try putting a glass jar in the cage that has his favorite treat in the bottom end, and once he has climbed in, pick up the jar and have a look through the glass to see what gender he is. Maybe take a picture or two and post the best to have us confirm. The bigger the jar the better. Do you know how to determine gender??
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Post by deguconvert on Jul 12, 2016 20:08:44 GMT
Once you have the pups, you need to let them settle in a few days before you try any introductions. That is a subject for the introductions board, and I am sure you will want to have some pretty detailed help, so you should maybe start another thread in the fighting and introductions board for that purpose.
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Post by randomname on Jul 13, 2016 5:47:59 GMT
Thanks deguconvert, i will start a new thread when I get them - I KNOW I'll have plenty of questions (& I'll be panicking every 5 minutes) so I'll need you guys.
I know how to tell the difference between male & females in theory, but haven't had any females, so it's going on guesswork I suppose. Just hope it's clear when I look. I tried with a glass casserole dish yesterday, but he jumped out as soon as I lifted it up. I need a jar, but the only one I've got has coffee in. I'll persevere.
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Post by keithdonna on Jul 20, 2016 8:26:16 GMT
Randomname I saw our group of Goo's yesterday and they are gorgeous. The are still quite small but no smaller than I remember our old store bought ones being. They seemed happy and confident to be on shelves and in the wheel they had, if a little scared of the two strangers who had just invaded their room. I'm sure you will love them when you meet them.
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Post by randomname on Jul 20, 2016 10:04:24 GMT
I can't wait keithdonna , super excited for Friday now. I think the youngest I've had was around eighteen months, so lots to learn I suppose. Am looking forward to meeting them.
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