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Post by dops on Sept 26, 2016 23:07:56 GMT
you can see his bald ring in the last one, poor thing. but this week at some point he will be moving in with the males in the top of the liberta! Good thing also as the pups are ever so slightly struggling to get through the bars of his cage and I am worried about one getting stuck, so ill dismantle it and out it away.
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Post by deguconvert on Sept 26, 2016 23:13:09 GMT
My goodness, that is quite a lot of hair gone, isn't it? Must feel kind of cool on his neck without his hair. So glad it is off finally and he is allowed to feel more himself again. He sure looks happy in those photos!
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Post by dops on Sept 27, 2016 9:34:15 GMT
i know right, quite the bald stripe! but yeah he is very happy, though I fear too happy... I saw him trying to hump one of the pups today! So I think meets with Lemmi will stop until I put the males in.
Does anyone have any advice concerning blocking off the Liberta explorer? I was thinking maybe a panel of mesh weighed down with a big stone
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Post by moletteuk on Sept 27, 2016 10:36:07 GMT
Wow, the hair loss is quite shocking, he must be so enjoying getting all his face groomed.
What are your plans with the housing? Are you just blocking off the hatch between the two halves of the cage? I think a sheet of metal weighted down or screwed down or a really heavy floor tile might be OK for blocking the hatch. Would a brick cover it, or could a brick fall through?
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Post by winic1 on Sept 27, 2016 12:09:25 GMT
Whatever you use, you need to make sure it is absolutely completely covering the opening, with no gap at all around it, not even a tiny one, and absolutely completely immovable.
We have a Critter Nation, which is similar, and since our goos do not get free-run time (we have cats and dogs) we close them in one half while cleaning the other. Thought a big block of wood, a piece of 2x10, (5cm thick by 25cm wide) with a heavy rock on top, would do it. Well, the board didn't quite snug up to the corner over the hole, because of the lip of the plastic tray underneath the substrate. Little monsters managed to push the whole heavy thing aside just enough to squeeze through, and like mice, they can squeeze through a very small space, it turns out.
If there is some way to anchor the wire mesh, or a piece of board, or whatever, do so. Don't count on just the size of it holding it in place. It won't.
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Post by dops on Sept 27, 2016 21:28:02 GMT
okay thank you both, I will make it as secure as possible! yes was just planning to seal off the hatch. I cant see a way of latching anything onto the hole without some serious DIY, so my plan is one layer of cage side (i kept a whole side from an old cage in case I needed, Im pretty sure I can cut it to size), layered with a cardboard layer. Repeat that a couple of times and then weigh down with a very heavy stone I have? So even if they chew through the carboard layers which is mainly so they arent always seeing each other, they will meet a couple of layers of metal weighed down. Not ideal but am hoping for the week or two till they all go it will hold, though I am sure I will have to maintain it!
I will try a brick if the stone doesnt fit! Has been a useful scavenge from a beach. I am a bit of a hoarder which is perfect for degus so I have bits and bobs of wood, metal, rope and cardboard stashed around. My dad calls my room the petshop aha
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Post by winic1 on Sept 28, 2016 1:20:17 GMT
Since you have the cage side to cover the hole, could you help anchor it in place by tying it to the cage bars with some wire? That would keep it from being shifted, then the layering and a heavy stone would keep it down flat.
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Post by saggy on Sept 28, 2016 8:42:14 GMT
i have the liberta explorer and when I tried mine in at first with complete seperation between the two halfs, I used the top of a metal ikea cupboard/cup shelf which also has a rim. I put some carboard underneath some of the parts not over the hole to make it level and stop it wobbling if that makes sense and then put a large log house over the whole thing which they can't move. I don't think they could get through this.
Otherwise if you want them to be able to see each other, I put the top of a small hamster cage (the cage part only) over the hole which left about an inch above between the top of the hamster cage and half shelf above which I put a very heavy oak slab (place mat kind of size) that I picked up in B&Q recently over the top. Even though they tried continuously, they could not budge it even after two months lol!
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Post by saggy on Sept 28, 2016 8:47:24 GMT
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Post by dops on Sept 29, 2016 10:21:10 GMT
okay I think I have sealed it off well! the stone is super heavy and I have used some plank and mesh to seal it and it seems secure but will keep a close eye on it.
A different problem has arisen... I think I sexed them completely wrong when they were younger and its actually 7 females and 1 male! Oh god I don't know how I could have got it so wrong. I just double checked again and again, and I am 99% sure now. The older they have got it seems clearer? I will contact their future homes immediately. It is so typical as Lemmi was the only male in his litter with 8 sisters, it seems he has very weak male genes.
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Post by moletteuk on Sept 29, 2016 16:07:01 GMT
Sometimes it can be difficult to tell, feel free to post some photos if you want a second opinion, or a vet or even a local rescue would probably be able to help, a second set of eyes can help stop you feeling like you are going crazy!
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Post by saggy on Sept 29, 2016 17:42:33 GMT
Oh that's a little awkward, my aunties babies were also all female apart from one but she very fortunately had a friend with two male degus one of which had just passed away so the lone male went to cheer the remaining one up. i suppose that makes rehousing him somewhat tricky
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Post by Bexi87 on Sept 29, 2016 20:32:22 GMT
I'd try and get pictures of them all so we can (if needed) give another however many pairs of eyes
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Post by dops on Sept 29, 2016 23:02:16 GMT
okay thank you guys! will take some photos tomorrow and show you. The male one looks very male if you see what i mean, and the others all look similar with no gap... But yes would definitely want a second opinion!
the poor male has been squeaking all day for his sisters and mum, Lemmi isnt being quite as affectionate as i was hoping, i think the pup has been super needy to him all day. But when i turned off the lights now they snuggled up together so thats good!
on the plus side the barrier has withstood todays assaults without budging, fingers crossed
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Post by bouncy on Sept 30, 2016 23:28:59 GMT
I can quickly knit Lemmie a little scarf if he starts to feel the chill
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Post by dops on Oct 1, 2016 9:57:28 GMT
so I got Lemmi and the male pup a snuggle safe and they love it! pups absolutely adores it and it encourages lemmi to curl up with him, so it has helped things.
As with the sexing, getting clear photos is pretty hard! But the woman who is taking the 4 females will take all 7 of them, and will come and have a second check of sexing them! She is very degu experienced, she has a few colonies and at the moment is buidling a new spare cage anyway so will take them all. She also has a colony of males and offered to take the male pup if the original guy who wanted males from me decides not to take the lone male. So at least they all have homes!
That would be so adorable bouncy!
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Post by moletteuk on Oct 2, 2016 10:10:56 GMT
I don't want to worry you, but are you certain the woman taking the girls is 100% kosher and has the proper space to look after them all? I just have alarm bells going off that she already has loads of degus and seems to want loads more, the amount of space and work to house and feed them all and spend time with them all seems enormous to me. Could she be a breeder....or delusional lol!?? Of course it could all be fine, I just felt I needed to share my alarm bells with you.
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Post by winic1 on Oct 2, 2016 15:03:42 GMT
I've got the same alarm bells going off. Is she a breeder, a flipper, a hoarder, using them for food or entertainment for snakes or fighting dogs or something? She has several colonies already, yet she's willing to take in an entire LARGE colony of new degus? And go through the introduction process for the lone male?
Is she where you could go see her set up? Just, tell her you're nervous because they're your precious babies.... Or have you seen pictures of her cages? Not just close ups, a picture of the whole cages and the whole room, in fact, so you can see how they will really live? Are they in the basement, the garage, a shed out back, or are they in the house where people interact with them?
It just seems kinda fishy, to me. I could be wrong, she could be sweet and caring and dedicated to degus, and wants the family to stay together. Could be, or not....
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Post by saggy on Oct 2, 2016 15:17:29 GMT
Yeah, i would say so too. If she really is a person who just cares greatly for degus, she would understand your reservations and should be happy to show you them imo
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Post by dops on Oct 3, 2016 14:47:54 GMT
she sent me photos of her cages straight away and they are spacious! She is also in the process of making a DIY cage which she has sent me photos of as well. And they seem to be in a room! But I will ask about whether she is a breeder or something, its true it would be good to check
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