Degu Fighting

[marumba7]

I know that determining who is the leader of the group is important, but what does it look like when your degus fight?

We had two young males to begin with, Homer and Norbert. We introduced an older male, and our two young guys were terrified of him. Their fighting wasn't fighting but being picked on. Basically, the old one bit them. So, already attached to Homer and Norbert, the old guy was returned to the store.

At the store, we sought out youngsters, like our two back home. Unable to find any males, we surrendered- fully knowing the consequences- to taking home the available females of similar age: three of them.

Shortly after introducing the ladies, our gentlemen- who have never fought between themselves- began fighting for dominance.

When Homer and Norbert fight, they stand on their back legs and push at each other's faces. Then, one of them sort of... drop kicks the other one, sending it flying across the aquarium.

Homer is our Alpha male.

[Sunshinemeg]

You need to seperate the males now that you have females. As males will fight to the death for the right to claim any females they smell. The fighting you describe is exactly what happens when they are establishing dominance, but with females present they will not accept being second in the pecking order.

[marumba7]

The fighting has been sporatic at most, and our two males seem friendly with each other, often cuddling throughout the day.

I thought degus lived in HUGE familes in the wild. Is there only one male then?

[Sunshinemeg]

In the wild they have the opportunity to get away if they need to.

The males will be friendly to each other if they have been kept together before the females. But they will fight to claim the females. Should one of the females come into season the fighting will get worse. It is degu nature if they are male to want to claim all the nearby females.

[marumba7]

Ah makes sense. Good thing our boys were together for a while before hand.

Thanks.

[ra]

What, pray tell will you do when the babies start to come? I would think it could be overwhelming if all three females become pregnant. Mocha had 9 puppies so 3 X 9 = 27!!! On top of your current five adults that could give you 32 Degus!!!!

I had an awful time trying to re-home the 8 babies that survived. Two females went to my older sister's collegues, I kept the third female as a cagemate for her mother. I could not give away the five boys. I tried for 7 weeks to re-home them. Ended up giving them to the pet shop where I bought Mocha.

[marumba7]

We have two pet shops in town, both of wish have agreed to take the babies and not kill them. One place will even pay for the babies.

[Sunshinemeg]

If your females breed every time they come into season they will not make old bones. Reguarly giving birth will greatly reduce their life span.

If you are going to keep the males and females together you need to be prepared for some serious injuries when the females ome into season. Keep an eye on their behaviour, and I would recommend buying another cage to possibly house the males away from the females.

[marumba7]

I agree. We're currently working on acquiring another cage.

I wonder though: Longer life or Happier life? If you could only see the five of them together, it's amazing. But we're going to do the best we can to keep our girls healthy and long-living.

[diet otaku]

there's always the compromise of neutering the males - then they have a long AND happy life.

[marumba7]

My sister-in-law is a vet in the Caribbean and she doesn't recommend it in such small animals.

This is probably a question for a different board, but do any of you have neutered males?

[Hanlou]

I agree - why not consider neutering the males?!

Things can go wrong with giving birth too - which is also something to bear in mind. Giving babies to a pet shop is always a bit hit and miss too, you don't know where they will end up.

[Hanlou]

Aimeelou has a neutered male. I'm getting three rescues tomorrow - two females and a neutered male. Furryfriends, where I'm getting them from, routinely neuters all male rats and degus to prevent unwanted pregnancies.

[diet otaku]

neutering is a bit risky in small animals, but if you find a vet who specializes in small animals, they'll have the expertise to perform the procedure safely.

[Aimeelou]

Hi Mo5
I have a neutered male Degu, and if the opperation done by a qualifyed and understanding vet, with some knowledge of Degus, you should be fine.
Neutering any animal has its down sides, but in my experience its the best all round for the health of my Degus.