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Post by moletteuk on Sept 8, 2018 10:12:05 GMT
If she is really young she needs loads of really good quality food, lots of forage, lots of high calcium oil seeds, some nuts etc to help her through the next couple of weeks and beyond.
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Christine
Foraging Degu
Degus Polly, Maisie & Rosie
Posts: 95
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Post by Christine on Sept 9, 2018 15:29:55 GMT
Spent the day with a saw and a sewing machine! I now have an almost complete extra level upstairs and a 2/3 level downstairs. Still one or two extras to add, but it's enough for today! imgur.com/XXmLfacimgur.com/LgZtzSp
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Post by deguconvert on Sept 9, 2018 17:50:50 GMT
That puts in quite a bit more surface space. Well done!!
Just wondering why you covered if with fabric? The urine will make it pretty stinky before very long . . . .
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Christine
Foraging Degu
Degus Polly, Maisie & Rosie
Posts: 95
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Post by Christine on Sept 9, 2018 19:19:27 GMT
They are fleece covers. I first just tucked the fleece over the edges but 3 degus decided it was a good game to pull it all out. So I made a complete cover that I can remove for washing but they can't remove. They love it already. Maisie is now 315g and still growing! No sign of any movement in the tummy yet though.
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Post by deguconvert on Sept 9, 2018 22:36:17 GMT
OK, Christine . . . just thinking of what I saw in your photos and then thinking of the pups to come. You need to think about how you are going to make it safe for the pups. Those edges and the runs that lead to them will be super easy for them to just fall right off of, which won't be safe at all. All that work, and here I am throwing a stick in the mix. It was your comment on the size of Maisie that made me remember that there are tiny pups with the hearts of enthusiastic but careless explorers soon to appear on the scene.
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Christine
Foraging Degu
Degus Polly, Maisie & Rosie
Posts: 95
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Post by Christine on Sept 10, 2018 15:19:19 GMT
Please feel free to comment on anything you notice. We noticed ourselves that there were dangerous places. I was thinking that maybe I should restrict them to the top half and concentrate on making that safe. It seems a shame not to use the whole cage but half is still plenty for a relatively short time. They usually come out into the room for an hour or so in the evening. What would I do after the babies. I assume the other 2 girls would still want their playtime but what about Maisie? Do you think she will want to remain with the babies or should I swap them a bit so that one of the others is with the babies and Maisie gets some free time? I was in the pet shop today to show a picture of Maisie. Firstly she asked if I was sure my older degu was a female. I said that I got them from you 5 years ago and she has lived all that time with another female and no pregnancies! We then checked her diary and according to that they were separated from the parents at 5 weeks and 4 days. She was a bit astonished. She offered to take the babies, of course because she is selling them at 85€ each. When I asked about refunding possible vet expenses she said no! She said she has never had any problem so it shouldn't be nessecary. She said if I was concerned I could bring them to her to care for until the babies are born. I was not impressed by that idea but I left it until I see what happens. She asked me to send her photos of all 3 to check the sexes. I will try to get the photos and post them here too.
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Post by sarahc on Sept 10, 2018 15:25:39 GMT
I'd leave the top section open both of mine liked to carry the pups up to the top for a little 1 on 1 feeding just move any ledges that the could climb on and make sure they can't get through any gaps
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Post by deguconvert on Sept 10, 2018 16:30:35 GMT
So basically this lady is saying that Polly must be a male, because there is no way that Maisie was impregnated in her pet shop since she has never had trouble before? You haven't even owned them for two whole months yet! There is no way she got pregnant in your home! AND she wants to profit from the pups?
Please do post your photos. Do you know how to go about that?
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Post by savvy on Sept 10, 2018 17:04:21 GMT
Wow! Place them in her care when it was clearly her care that led to a pregnancy, I don't think so! Also separating them at 5 weeks and 4 days is bad practice.
IMAO I wouldn't let her anywhere near the pups. Is there any evidence that's this is not how she normally gets her stock, as in sells a pregnant pet, takes the babies and them sells the babies for a massive profit? Or am I being a bit too suspicious?
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Christine
Foraging Degu
Degus Polly, Maisie & Rosie
Posts: 95
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Post by Christine on Sept 10, 2018 17:12:21 GMT
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Christine
Foraging Degu
Degus Polly, Maisie & Rosie
Posts: 95
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Post by Christine on Sept 10, 2018 17:22:07 GMT
imgur.com/MF69CWLPolly again. I'm getting nervous now that we are wrong and Polly is a male. But I think Maisie must be more than 64 days pregnant.
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Post by savvy on Sept 10, 2018 17:25:50 GMT
She looks female to me, but it is a blurred pic and I'm viewing on a tablet.
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Christine
Foraging Degu
Degus Polly, Maisie & Rosie
Posts: 95
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Post by Christine on Sept 10, 2018 18:05:10 GMT
Well I sent the pictures to the breeder and she agrees that I have three girls. According to her the girls were separated from their parents on 2nd July at 5 1/2 weeks old. That gives an earliest due date of 28th Sept. I still believe my previous idea that she mis-sexed them and had 2 boys and 1 girl in the litter and then replaced the boy with a girl from the previous litter is more believable than a 5 1/2 week old girl getting pregnant. The truth will be revealed when the pups are born! The saga continues!!
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Post by ntg on Sept 10, 2018 19:06:14 GMT
Maisie is the one everyone thought looked older when you first showed them both isn't she? I strongly suspect the pet shop/breeder is lying through their teeth about where she actually came from for whatever reason... Perhaps because older animals aren't as desireable in the pet trade? Either way I wouldn't let them anywhere near the pups since they're obviously either incompetent or deliberately misleading the people who buy from them. But that very much depends on what your capabilities are (i.e. whether you have anybody potentially interested in getting some pups from you or you can keep two groups if the litter size is manageable).
The images are too blurry to be 100% but my gut feeling says all three are probably female looking at the shape of the area.
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Post by sarahc on Sept 10, 2018 19:15:43 GMT
I've looked back at your first photos and the larger one looks fully grown and the other is most defiantly a pup around 5 to 6 weeks old.
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Christine
Foraging Degu
Degus Polly, Maisie & Rosie
Posts: 95
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Post by Christine on Sept 10, 2018 19:27:36 GMT
Yes I really think Maisie is an older sister from a previous litter. The parents have just had a new litter and it is again only 3 pups. Is this because they are patched or just coincidence? I have just got a new large cage so I think I would keep any female pups, but I don't want to have 2 separate groups so I would need to find homes for any boys. I live in a small town (16,000) in Finland. I have found out through Degu Mania Facebook page that there is another degu keeper here. She had 3 males and 2 have now died leaving her with a single old male. I was thinking of contacting her and asking if she was interested in male pups either to put with her male or to replace him when he passes. She may also know others who are interested. There is also a Finnish degu group but it doesn't seem to be very active. I am not keen on giving them to the breeder. She will sell them and then make a profit from her mistake. She did not even offer to buy them from me just that they would take them. Sarah I had forgotten how big the size difference was!
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Post by sarahc on Sept 10, 2018 19:31:09 GMT
They look like my pups next to their mum she's only a year old and pups around 7 weeks now so could be the same difference not 100% on that
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Post by deguconvert on Sept 10, 2018 22:36:26 GMT
I would still put her at about the 6 month age mark . . . but she could well be upward of a year. The fact that you tell me that the parents have just had another litter tells me that they are just breeding them back to back to back, not separating the father from the mother. That means that in three months time, there will be another litter. That poor momma goo is going to die of exhaustion. AND having the father in with the young females also means that there is a MUCH higher potential for pregnant pups as well!
I'm not greatly impressed with this breeder, I am sorry to say.
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Christine
Foraging Degu
Degus Polly, Maisie & Rosie
Posts: 95
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Post by Christine on Sept 11, 2018 18:01:59 GMT
Done a few modifications to the bottom half of the cage. The new shelf has been moved to the front of the cage so that the 2 shelves that came with the cage can go against the back wall and side to break up the drop. Now the highest drop is 25cm. Is that ok or still too high? I'll be ready by the time the babies come! imgur.com/sPYDuB8
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Post by sarahc on Sept 11, 2018 18:04:49 GMT
That looks good. It be concerned now about bar spacing might have to cover over with chicken wire to make sure you don't have any escape artists on your hands
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