Christine
Foraging Degu
Degus Polly, Maisie & Rosie
Posts: 95
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Post by Christine on Sept 24, 2018 13:09:01 GMT
Thanks for the tip. I have a suitable piece of wood I can use to block off the opening. My son said that when he came home she was in the house with the babies but she also comes out more than I would expect. I am also going to cut up some small pieces of fleece for her to take into the nest. She has used toilet paper but not very much. Babies all look healthy.
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Post by deguconvert on Sept 24, 2018 15:50:11 GMT
I wouldn't put the fleece in . . . just in case the pups try to pull it apart and get tangled in any threads. Give lots of toilet paper, she will eventually use it . . . hopefully. I might be being WAY to cautious in this thought, so do as you see best.
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Christine
Foraging Degu
Degus Polly, Maisie & Rosie
Posts: 95
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Post by Christine on Sept 24, 2018 17:31:45 GMT
Just went to check on Maisie and she was lying on a fleece near the front of the cage with all the babies snuggled next to her. She got up when she saw me and I just managed to count 6!!! babies before they all ran into the house.
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Post by deguconvert on Sept 24, 2018 18:13:55 GMT
Awwwww!! How lovely is that! Maisie loves fleece does she? Can't say I blame her as I have a couple favorite fleece blankets of my own!
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Christine
Foraging Degu
Degus Polly, Maisie & Rosie
Posts: 95
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Post by Christine on Sept 24, 2018 18:37:56 GMT
Just been watching her feed the babies. The house she gave birth in is quite low and I have seen now that she is going in and then when the babies start to cling she comes out and then stands still for them to feed just outside the house. How many nipples do degus have? There must be at least 6 because all the degus are squealing and then suddenly they are all quiet and busy feeding. Looks like 3 dark babies and three patchy babies. imgur.com/cOmUQQb
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Christine
Foraging Degu
Degus Polly, Maisie & Rosie
Posts: 95
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Post by Christine on Sept 24, 2018 18:53:58 GMT
Just found the answer to my question about how many nipples by going way back through the old threads. Thanks Deguconvert for your answer in 2012
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Post by winic1 on Sept 24, 2018 20:28:01 GMT
Does she need a bigger house? You could make one from just a cardboard box. Pick one without tape on the seams, and minimal glue. Cut a couple doors, maybe a window or two. I found my goos (who are male, so no babies, but still) always wanted two doors minimum, probably because a house with only one hole would seem like a trap, need a second, emergency exit to be comfortable.
I wouldn't use cut up pieces of fleece. Small threads can get wrapped around toes and ankles, and then cut off circulation. The more edges to the cloth, the more chance. Maybe get her premium soft toilet paper, but make sure it has no scent or lotion or whatever. Maybe she likes long pieces of it, or maybe small bits?
And pictures!! We need more pictures!!!
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Post by winic1 on Sept 24, 2018 20:29:40 GMT
And how the heck did she have six of those huge babies inside her? how did she not explode???
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Christine
Foraging Degu
Degus Polly, Maisie & Rosie
Posts: 95
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Post by Christine on Sept 25, 2018 16:40:54 GMT
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Post by deguconvert on Sept 25, 2018 16:46:27 GMT
What an amazing difference in their fur and appearances already!! AMAZING!! They are so lovely, Christine!
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Post by sarahc on Sept 25, 2018 16:59:18 GMT
Oh wow they look amazing have they started to climb yet? It's a heart in mouth moment the first time you see them climbing
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Post by misscatafer on Sept 25, 2018 17:20:28 GMT
Yay I can see these pictures! They are so tiny
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Christine
Foraging Degu
Degus Polly, Maisie & Rosie
Posts: 95
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Post by Christine on Sept 25, 2018 17:26:47 GMT
Sarah, if you look closely in the 3rd picture you will see that all 6 are there and one has climbed up on top of an old wooden toy at the back. It is amazing at only 4 days old. My favourite is the darkest one at the front. It is the smallest and was born after the others. I'm hoping it's a girl!
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Post by sarahc on Sept 25, 2018 17:41:49 GMT
Have you checked their sex yet ? You can tell from day they are born
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Christine
Foraging Degu
Degus Polly, Maisie & Rosie
Posts: 95
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Post by Christine on Sept 25, 2018 19:26:51 GMT
No not yet. The house is at the back of the cage right at the bottom so cannot get close enough. I am thinking about moving them tomorrow. Polly and Rosie are in the top half of the cage and Maisie is very distracted by them. She goes to the babies to feed them but as soon as she hears any movement from upstairs she goes and sits under the hatch leaving the babies alone for quite long periods. I have put wood there and a bridge so no-one is sitting directly above it, but of course she knows it is the way up. I also found today that when Rosie and Polly came out to exercise Maisie was at the bars watching them all the time and agitated. We put the girls back in but they are without a wheel because it does not fit with the shelf arrangement upstairs so they need their time outside. I think if Maisie is upstairs she will not notice all their movements so much and will stay with her babies more. It would also mean that R and P could have the wheel back. Upstairs is also where I expected her to have the babies and is better arranged for them. I know it is not ideal to move the babies but I think if I move the whole house with all the bedding and place it in the same place immediately above where it is now the babies won't notice and Maisie is used to to the whole cage. I am still undecided but it is not good now that Maisie spends so much time at the hatch at the opposite end of the cage to her babies.
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Post by deguconvert on Sept 25, 2018 22:24:26 GMT
Do you think the agitation that you see in Maisie is aggressive? You mentioned that they were fighting over food, Christine, when Maisie was bitten and you then separated them. How do you arrange their food? Do you have two feeding stations, or even three . . . or just the one for all to eat at?
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Christine
Foraging Degu
Degus Polly, Maisie & Rosie
Posts: 95
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Post by Christine on Sept 26, 2018 3:49:34 GMT
I actually have 4 food bowls, 2 in each half of the cage on different levels and they do tend to eat separately. I also scatter some food around. With my zoo keeper background with monkeys I know how important it is for less dominant animals to have access to food.They usually squabble when they are outside. Maisie tries to claim the sand bath as her own. I think it is the dominance issue which has never been settled properly due to Maisie being pregnant. I think it is made worse at the moment by Rosie and Polly being above her in the cage now. Just checked on her this morning and she is sitting on the ledge at the top of the cage. I have the heating up high so the room is warm and babies are snuggled together in the house.
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Christine
Foraging Degu
Degus Polly, Maisie & Rosie
Posts: 95
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Post by Christine on Sept 26, 2018 14:15:11 GMT
Well Maisie is now upstairs and the other two downstairs. I had to let Rosie and Polly out for a while while I swopped the houses around and Maisie was just running along the cage sides trying to get to them, but aggressively. I then let Maisie out while I moved the babies. I had to grab a handful of babies and bedding quickly while she was in the sand bath. Then she did not want to go back in. She was jumping up at P and R in the bottom half while we were trying to tempt her up the ladder to the top half and her babies. Now after an hour she has settled and is feeding the babies. Hopefully upstairs she is less distracted by the others and at least she is feeding them. i did not take time to check the sex of the babies because Maisie was so agitated but they seem to be healthy and active. I do want to check as soon as possible as I will need to find homes for all the boys. I am also hoping that Maisie's aggression decreases as she get more comfortable with being a Mum. I was hoping I could keep the females but It becomes more complicated if I can't keep my current girls together. I think our situation is a good illustration as to why females should not be allowed to breed when they are so young. Maisie is just a baby herself and finding it very stressful being a Mum. I think Polly would love to be with the babies but Maisie won't let her.
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Post by deguconvert on Sept 26, 2018 16:35:08 GMT
The aggression could also be super strong maternal instincts kicking in. They do seem to run the gamut depending on the degu. Some are thrilled to let other degus care for their pups, and some will let other mums take on the nursing too if there is another nursing mum present. While other don't share and just hate having other degus near. It could be both strong protective tendencies AND dominance issues.
I think it is great you have the girls swapped in locations, and I hope that you will see a dramatic relaxing in Masise!
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Christine
Foraging Degu
Degus Polly, Maisie & Rosie
Posts: 95
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Post by Christine on Sept 27, 2018 16:13:14 GMT
Well a quick check suggests 3 of each. But not sure! I looked at the first one and thought- that's a boy. Then I looked at the second and thought- now that is a boy and the other was a girl. So I thought ok I nneed photos! Impossible! Too fast and wriggly. They were all six out and running around. What are they likely to try to eat first. There is plenty of food there for Maisie but is there something it would be good to put for the babies. Maisie is still a very inattentive mum and i would be very pleased to see them start eatiing. imgur.com/ZJPJbDJimgur.com/q15WrEfimgur.com/CMwe3a5
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