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Post by dobbydegu on Nov 13, 2018 16:53:27 GMT
Hi all, I'm Charlotte from South Africa. We are new to the degu family and unfortunately degus are quite unknown here. We have 3 (2 Male and 1 female) and according to the Pet shop they are about 8 months old. We've had them for 2 weeks now and the taming went really well. Until a few days ago. The males are fighting, the female sits in the corner and the friendliest, nosy one started biting. What can be the cause of this?
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Post by bouncy on Nov 13, 2018 17:02:34 GMT
Can you give us some more information about your cage size and set up?
I also have to say that your female is likely pregnant. Degus are rather randy, and female gestation is around three months. The damage is now done so, unless you're looking to set up a goo ranch, you'll need to remove the boys just before she gives birth (she's most fertile immediately after), or get the boys neutered!
I'm going to move this thread to the beginners section above.
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Post by winic1 on Nov 13, 2018 20:31:12 GMT
It is very possible that the males are fighting over the female. Now that they are settling in to their new home, they will start getting back to normal behaviors instead of being restricted by fear.
It is indeed likely she is pregnant already. Were they all three together before you got them? Or were they put together as a threesome when you got them? Degus are pregnant for 90 days, then the pups are born. The female will start to look very fat and "pear-shaped" during the last few weeks. Once she gives birth, she can, and most likely will, become pregnant again IMMEDIATELY, usually within the first 24 hours, so it will be important to separate the males from her before she gives birth.
Another reason they may have started fighting is the size of their cage. Pet stores don't tell you the size they truly need, which is very very large, or they would scare off most potential owners. We have a whole section and several pinned posts about cage size needs, and suggestions on how to achieve that, and what to put inside. When they feel crowded for space and territory, especially if they are competing for a female, they are very likely to fight each other.
You mention taming them. Can you please describe what you mean by taming? Is it simply getting them to come up to you for treats, or are you picking them up and holding them, or what?
There are lots of members here with lots of good information. The more you can tell us about your degus, their cage, how you interact with them, etc, the easier it will be for people to help you learn more about them.
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Post by moletteuk on Nov 13, 2018 20:32:12 GMT
Hi Charlotte, welcome to the forum  Unfortunately, two boys and one girl is not a natural grouping and is nearly always going to end in fighting over the female. You are probably going to have some decisions ahead of you and it will probably depend on if the female is already pregnant, gestation is 3 months and they only show during the last month (or less). Housing is going to be an issue before then since the boys are likely to need separating either from each other or from the girl. Our beginner's guide should help deguworld.proboards.com/thread/19754/beginners-guide-degu-keeping(edit: apologies for repetition as I cross posted with Winic) |
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