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Post by squirrelygirl3 on Jan 30, 2006 15:45:04 GMT
I have 3 definate female degus. I have had them for about 6 weeks. 1 is a "rambunctious"juvenile.
I noticed last night that the medium sized one, Cocoa, has noticably put on weight and has teats.
Is it even safe for Cocoa and pending brood to be in this situation?
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Post by ra on Jan 30, 2006 18:33:32 GMT
Yes, in the wild the other females help one another raise their babies. I would have at least two nest boxes though. That way if she wishes she'll have her own place to give birth.
I always thought Mocha was overly stressed because she was by herself with her brood of eight. She could hardly leave them to get food and water for herself. I put the food and an extra bowl of water right out side the next box. With two other females to help keep the babies warm Cocoa will be able to move about freely.
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Post by squirrelygirl3 on Jan 31, 2006 15:12:31 GMT
Thanks for the timely advice. Cocoa is the mother of 4-5 pups ( I can't tell yet) Are they ever tiny and cute! I guess I am doing even more cage reinforcement tonight....
My next query: Cocoa did not have them in a nest box, she had them in the dark corner of the cage. How does one go about cleaning the cage ( besides carefully)
Oh and the other two, Pisco and Yolanda, are being very helpful to Cocoa. She has her own waterbottle and food dish.
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Post by diet otaku on Jan 31, 2006 17:32:26 GMT
ooh, be sure to take pics and post them here! we love baby degus.  |
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Post by squirrelygirl3 on Jan 31, 2006 19:02:03 GMT
I am going to enjoy them while I can. My degu's cage is in my bedroom with me = madness ( 8 or so degus...)  Tonight is the photo session, tomorrow night a select few can see them, and also help with the reinforcements. I am thinking of wrapping the cage in metal screen (like what's on a window, but definately metal) Hopefully that will work... |
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Post by ra on Jan 31, 2006 19:24:43 GMT
Somewhere in the archives there are posts about us wrapping my cages in hardware cloth which is a heavier screen like material. Held it in place with the zip-ties like electricians use. Works very well indeed. Don't forget the top. Some of Mocha's little babies climbed the whole way up there and popped out of the top before I covered it!!
Cleaning the cage....... I would carefully scoop soiled bedding out from around the nest and replace it rather than try to move the babies and empty the entire cage at one time.
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Post by diet otaku on Jan 31, 2006 20:25:06 GMT
a small handheld dustpan would work well for scooping out litter and droppings.
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Post by squirrelygirl3 on Feb 1, 2006 14:56:19 GMT
Sadly, Cocoa seems to have rejected the babies. They were still alive when I left for work, but she doesn't seem to pay attention to them at all. They are crying a lot.  I have a space heater going in my room, but not one of the three girls seems to want to huddle with the babies. Even worse, Pisco, the "rambunctious"youth seems to want to wrestle with the nest. I don't know...... |
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Post by ra on Feb 1, 2006 16:46:20 GMT
That's odd, from what I've read and experienced Degus make great mothers and don't ususally abandon their babies. One thought passed through my mind though, do the babies appear to be healthy with straight tails not kinky tails, and well covered with fur, eyes open etc? Coming from a pet store, you wouldn't know who bred Cocoa. Perhaps the babies were inbred and she senses they are not going to survive.
On the other hand, it's hard to know how much time the babies are alone "uncovered" unless you can monitor them. Maybe it's not as bad during the day when there are no other distractions for Cocoa. Mocha's babies surprised me and kept leaving the nesting box on their own by day two! A bit unusual since they don't develop the ability to self-regulate body temperature for (oh dear I need to go check this it's been almost a year now) a week or so?
Is there a way for you to separate or wall-off the nest section of the cage with Cocoa in with the babies and the other two on the other side? That could encourage Cocoa to pay more attention to the babies and would protect the babies from Pisco.
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Post by diet otaku on Feb 1, 2006 18:09:58 GMT
can you tell if cocoa is nursing them at all? if not, there's a recipe floating around somewhere on how to make substitute milk, which you could feed to them with an eyedropper.
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Post by ra on Feb 1, 2006 21:58:33 GMT
I was surprised at how quickly Mocha's little babies started trying to eat solid foods. Mr. Brisky has a milk pellet that I bought to supplement the babies as they were weaned. I don't have a catalogue on hand but they may have a liquid milk substitute too.
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Post by squirrelygirl3 on Feb 2, 2006 14:59:07 GMT
I went home sick yesterday, and hung out with the degus.
Cocoa doesn't seem to pay much attention, but she will go huddle with them, and nurse them. Pisco would even calm down ( I
Last night I had all six of the little ones wandering the cage. (yes, I had a digital camera- problems compressing the files, though)
THe scary news is that I think that Yolanda is also pregnant, and due soon. Would two litters in the ssame cage work?
I did find an exotic no- kill adoption facility that will take as many degus as I want to give them.
Anyone ever have 2 females have pups at the same time?
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Post by diet otaku on Feb 2, 2006 20:30:03 GMT
if ever you were going to have 2 litters together, the closer they are in age the better.
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Post by squirrelygirl3 on Feb 2, 2006 23:35:20 GMT
Thanks everyone. Baby pics soon. They are quite adventerous little creatures at 36 hours old or so...  |
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Post by garrot21 on May 28, 2006 20:43:49 GMT
Hi. yeah ours both had litters together.A male at the pet shop "serviced" them both (worked out a few days before we got them!). they both had the litters in the same nest and both in the same night and just cared for them like they were all one big litter. And with both pregnant they will feed each others babies too so one can take a complete break if she needs to.
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