laiyah
Burrowing Degu
Posts: 181
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Post by laiyah on Mar 3, 2023 18:29:32 GMT
LOL, if I listen to savvy, my degus will be killing me in my sleep lol.
By the way, small question, bouncy, what kind of vitamin D do you give your degus ? I try to put the degus in the way of sun, but they run from the wind x) so I was wondering about the supplementation.
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Post by bouncy on Mar 5, 2023 20:33:50 GMT
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laiyah
Burrowing Degu
Posts: 181
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Post by laiyah on Mar 7, 2023 12:17:32 GMT
Yeah, I only open the window on very sunny day, hoping the degus would lay in the sunlight (not through the window glass), but somehow, I think we're in a very breezy area so I'm not sure the degus really get their vitamin D. I did try to use an UV lamp, but I bought one that wasn't emitting heat and it's not really something they enjoy. I know they're not really in bad shape right now, but I believe it's because they're young. But I didn't take into account the possibility of vitamin D toxicity, so I will wait for dental issue to actually appear to think of drops. As a side note, my boyfriend's patient (he is a physiotherapist) gave us a box of unopened bathing sand her son had when he had gerbils. www.versele-laga.com/fr/gb/verselelaga/produits/verselelaga-chinchillabathingsandsabledebainIt has an expiration date but is really unopened. So I'm wondering if I should be using it past expiration date ?
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Post by moletteuk on Mar 7, 2023 17:20:55 GMT
I think the sand should be fine. It's probably millions of years old, I shouldn't think an extra couple years would make a difference lol!
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laiyah
Burrowing Degu
Posts: 181
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Post by laiyah on Mar 9, 2023 23:30:53 GMT
Time to ask an extra weird question. .
So... Plants need nutrients... And isn't animal poop like... A fertilizer ?
So I was wondering if anyone tried using degu poop for their gardening lol (because i started some degu plants and I'm wondering.)
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Post by moletteuk on Mar 10, 2023 11:53:49 GMT
Yes, it should be a fertiliser, but I think you would need a lot of poop or a very, very small number of plants for it to make much difference.
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Post by savvy on Mar 10, 2023 12:35:21 GMT
Depending on what you are using as a substrate, I tend to compost what I can from the cages; uneaten forage, hay used in bedding, poo, etc, especially if its been wee'd on, tends to rot down really quickly and makes a good compost.
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Post by bouncy on Mar 18, 2023 19:57:43 GMT
My mum takes the old substrate when I clean the palace in the winter (poops too) to mix with horse manure before spreading it on her allotment.
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laiyah
Burrowing Degu
Posts: 181
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Post by laiyah on Mar 20, 2023 10:26:42 GMT
Ha ha, it got funny because my boyfriend was like "Does this molleteuk person have the same degus as we do ? Because ours poop SO MUCH !" So, I only got potted plants in the balcony, so I actually don't need as many. I just decided to start using the degu poop in the soil. And I am considering using the hemp substrate on top of the floor.
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Post by moletteuk on Mar 20, 2023 14:26:48 GMT
LOL! I don't have degus any more - maybe this aspect is being minimised in my memory!
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laiyah
Burrowing Degu
Posts: 181
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Post by laiyah on Mar 20, 2023 15:08:56 GMT
Ahaha, once I put my degus at a friend's who got rodents, "two degus poop more than four rats."
I was like "but do they pee as much ?"
As a side note, my degus don't like the rodent grass I got (Keblr). Do you guys got a low effort grass to recommend ?
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Post by savvy on Mar 21, 2023 2:30:41 GMT
Are you growing the grass or buying it ready dried?
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laiyah
Burrowing Degu
Posts: 181
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Post by laiyah on Mar 21, 2023 8:41:09 GMT
They sell seeds you're supposed to grow in a tray. I planted them in soil but the degus don't care for it.
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Post by savvy on Mar 21, 2023 10:26:03 GMT
Oh I see! Lol. This is a problem most degu owners have with hay, they can be so finicky about grasses.
Unfortunately you may have to experiment quite a bit until you find the right one.
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laiyah
Burrowing Degu
Posts: 181
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Post by laiyah on Mar 21, 2023 11:52:39 GMT
Is there any, like, list of grass ? I admit I just bought those grass mix from keblr and trixie (trixie seemed to have been more appreciated) but the packages aren't very clear about what those are...
I have sowed some flowers and they do enjoy them. But I really have no clue on what grass to grow.
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Post by bouncy on Mar 21, 2023 15:42:22 GMT
Cat grass goes down well.
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Post by moletteuk on Mar 21, 2023 17:27:32 GMT
Perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) is what they grow on farms for grazing animals, or meadow grass (Poa pratensis) should be a reasonable choice.
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laiyah
Burrowing Degu
Posts: 181
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Post by laiyah on Mar 27, 2023 20:10:36 GMT
So, for now, I planted some cat grass and used my leftover trixie seeds. I tried to find the raygrass (meadow grass really was nowhere to be found), but they only sold it mixed with some other grass and whatnot. So I'll see how it goes afterward
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Post by moletteuk on Mar 28, 2023 10:23:01 GMT
You might need to be careful sowing grass sold for lawns in case it is treated with something, I should have mentioned this before.
Maybe you could try growing other plants they might be interested in, like dandelions, or quick growing flowers or rocket or whatever you can find seeds for. In UK you can buy seed mixes meant for growing to feed tortoises, I think the website is shelledwarriors.
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laiyah
Burrowing Degu
Posts: 181
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Post by laiyah on Mar 28, 2023 13:52:28 GMT
I do have some things growing for my degus. I have calendula and my dandelion is growing (slowly but surely). I have several kind of herbs (thyme, mint, basil, etc.), because my bf does like them for his cooking lol. And I have two small terracotta trays of trixie seeds. I also have two sunflowers growing, which I'm assuming they can eat, but it seems like not very productive as degu food, especially in a pot. (I grew it for personal fun, honestly) I didn't buy the lawn mix because I was worried it had some stuff they weren't allowed to eat. So, don't worry about that. I bought cat grass in the supermarket and repotted it. It seems like only one of the two degus like it, so it's not TOO bad lol. Side note on possible later planting : - Alfalfa seeds. They are sold in organic supermarket as a superfood haha - oats seeds. Same as alfalfa, but I have still to find it. - raygrass. I found out that they are sold as children gardening kits. I just find it a bit pricy. -> Degu slave gotta be slaving.
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