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Post by skullblits on Feb 4, 2019 14:09:27 GMT
So we could be getting a couple of male degus.
But it says online that they end up fighting. Is this likely?
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Post by savvy on Feb 4, 2019 14:19:37 GMT
It depends on their ages, if they are young (less than 18months) then they will be going through adolescence where they will fight for control of the group, but this settles down quite a lot as they get older. But, the girls also go through this phase as well.
In any group their will be an alpha who may be challenged at some point by another, but in general, same sex groups tend to get on well.
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Post by skullblits on Feb 4, 2019 14:25:51 GMT
Ah they said they are between 16 to 18 months old.
Would of got them today but the delivery company screwed up the 2nd part of my cage and put it in the wrong depot
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Post by savvy on Feb 4, 2019 14:29:24 GMT
They should be coming to the end of adolescence at that age. They will squabble in the new cage as they sort their territory out, but it should settle down.
Also, check that they are both males.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 4, 2019 14:30:23 GMT
Ah they said they are between 16 to 18 months old. Would of got them today but the delivery company screwed up the 2nd part of my cage and put it in the wrong depot What cage are you getting? Having a cage with enough space can greatly reduce the chance of any fighting. The risk of fighting is almost the same in female groups as it is males honestly. It’s probably going to happen during their hormonal teenage stage, but there are things you can do to lessen the impact!
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Post by savvy on Feb 4, 2019 14:35:44 GMT
Ah they said they are between 16 to 18 months old. Would of got them today but the delivery company screwed up the 2nd part of my cage and put it in the wrong depot What cage are you getting? Having a cage with enough space can greatly reduce the chance of any fighting. The risk of fighting is almost the same in female groups as it is males honestly. It’s probably going to happen during their hormonal teenage stage, but there are things you can do to lessen the impact! It's similar to the Adventura and liberta Em, it's definitely big enough.
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Post by skullblits on Feb 4, 2019 14:35:53 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Feb 4, 2019 14:56:29 GMT
Awesome! Looks like you’re off to a good start!
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Post by deguconvert on Feb 4, 2019 15:11:26 GMT
* REALLY IMPORTANT INFO * If/when you get your degus, make absolutely certain to bring home some of their dirty bedding. The scents in their dirty bedding carry crucial information about their relationship with each other, who is top degu, health, and all kinds of things. If they come to your home without any of the dirty bedding which you can then sprinkle generously over top of whatever bedding/substrate you use, it will be like having their hard drive wiped, and they won't remember anything. They will fight as though they don't know each other and have to settle all the social questions/positions all over again. You will likely see some disputing and fighting, but it will be much more aggravated without the presence of the dirty substrate.
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Post by misscatafer on Feb 4, 2019 15:11:29 GMT
Congratulations on finding some to adopt I can see you are a bit nervous about fighting with degus - something which is very common with these critters! As well as having enough space, make sure you have two food bowls & water bottles and enough toys to keep them occupied. When feeding, provide unlimited food for them to prevent arguing over food, and space out where you put the food, or scatter it around. They can fight over things like the sand bath and wheel... So I would advise to make sure they have constant access to these items in the cage. Also, do not over clean their environment. Degus rely heavily on scent marking and by constantly erasing their hard work you are asking for trouble and difficulties within the heirachy - I clean out my cage every 5-6 weeks for an example, or many people here do partial cleans every few weeks to maintain scents. You are bound to get unrest when you first get them home given the ages, so as the others have said - preparation is key! Play fighting is completely normal and entertaining, but do have a read through the 'introductions & fighting' threads to know what to expect. We are here to support you on your new degu journey and I am excited for you! My girls went through the adolescent phase and I kept a water spray bottle by the cage during this delightful time - it's definitely not just the males that fight!
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Post by ntg on Feb 4, 2019 15:19:20 GMT
I've always had males and the fighting is very much dependent on their personalities. My first group never got past squealing and kicking each other, Sherlock and Watson draw blood from time to time but are okay if I give them a 30 minute timeout from each other when I notice things are escalating. They've never been properly split up though as they've always settled down by the time I've noticed one has been bitten.
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Post by bouncy on Feb 4, 2019 15:53:53 GMT
Hooray to the boys! As ntg says, it's very much down to the goos. It's VERY important that you also get comfortable with the different types of fighting. Some of this has to happen to establish who the boss is. An established pair will still squabble, so expect mounting, boxing, kickboxing, squeaking, etc. What you want to look out for is the more aggressive biting and furball of death (FBOD), which is often quiet. You may find you have a werewolf in the group, too. I've got one that kicks off every full moon, and I swear he's just deranged. He's at least four now.
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Post by skullblits on Feb 4, 2019 17:01:42 GMT
Well kind of a update. I posted on a FB page a few days ago.
And I got messaged today someone has 2 girls they can't look after anymore.
They are a year and half old and are largely tamed and friendly. The person sent me pictures of them on his shoulders
I'm very tempted. He lives alot closer to me than the adoption place.
Will have to have a think about it. But the 2 girls sound better.
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Post by goolover on Feb 4, 2019 17:59:13 GMT
I had 2 castrated boys in one colony, a father and son and when the son was around 6 month old they were fighting and vicious fighting, possibly for the girls as only one wants rights to the female mating, so this can certainly be a trigger. Not saying this would always be the case but certainly a big consideration if choosing a mixed sex group. A member on this site has 3 boys who are brothers and who are through their adolescence but they have had a recent long period of fighting. Any group male or female can fight. Its all so complicated in goo land! Sounds like yours are nearly through their adolescence so that is positive.
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Post by skullblits on Feb 4, 2019 19:52:08 GMT
Oh btw anyone any advice on what to use to wrap up some metal ladders so they don't get bumble foot?.
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Post by savvy on Feb 4, 2019 20:03:12 GMT
Switch them out with full ramps or steps - much safer! They're unlikely to get bumblefoot from running up the ramps, but they could easily get a leg or foot caught in the gaps.
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Post by misscatafer on Feb 4, 2019 20:30:33 GMT
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Post by ntg on Feb 4, 2019 20:38:16 GMT
You can cover them with tight fitting fleece, I had to do that for one of my ladders over Christmas since I forgot the bendy logs I usually use. As long as they can't slip down then they're a decent alternative. But drilling some holes into bendy logs and screwing in cup hooks is simple. You can also buy steps from zooplus which work well www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/small_pets/accessories/bridges_stairs/stairs/13365
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Post by winic1 on Feb 4, 2019 20:47:23 GMT
If what you've read says that males fight and cannot live together, that is absolutely untrue.
Degus of both genders will fight to establish a hierarchy, their pecking order within their group. This usually peaks during their "teenage" years, but can happen at any age if a lower-status degu thinks he can become "king of the hill" and take the top spot.
Males may well fight among each other when they sense fertile females nearby, sometimes even if they have been neutered. The call of hormones is very strong. So mixed groups work best when there is one neutered male (or you would very quickly be overrun with babies) and several females.
But, if all you have is a group of males only, whether two or three or more, there is every reason to believe they will settle their pecking order, and live well together. If squabbles start to get out of control, YOU can step in to be "top goo" and stop them by loudly telling them No!, rapping on the cage, or, if they aren't easily put off, using a squirt bottle to break up the squabble and send them to separate corners of the cage.
The same behaviors can happen among females, and again, if they get rough, YOU can become Top Goo and make them stop.
Just don't EVER stick your hand in to stop a fight. In the heat of the argument, the goos will see your hand as an attacker, and you will get bitten, badly.
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Post by skullblits on Feb 4, 2019 22:52:27 GMT
Disaster. Can't get anything quick enough. And don't really have anything to cover the ladders up. Ughh
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