3 Babies

[sswik]

Our Female, Copper, just had 3 babies on Saturday (2/25/06). They are so cute. When can you start holding them? They are already out exploring.

[Aimeelou]

I think it is best to to handle the babies as little as possible, as the babies are marked with your "scent" and could cause the mum to get stressed.
If you want to hold the babies do it where she can still reach them so she knows their not in any harm, and she can smell you and the babies at the same time. It is a good idea to maybe roll your hands in their sand bath to start with.
Degus arnt perticulary over-protective over their young, but as i have known every mum is different. My Taquila has had two litters, of which she was very casual about them, but hated them beeing to far away from the nest. Her second litter, she was a little different, she would let them wander as far as they liked, but disliked people beeing around the cage.
All Degus are different, so use your own judgment on how far she will let you with her babies.
Hope all goes well and keep us posted!

[sswik]

Thanks for the info. Copper, the mom, doesn't seem to mind us picking them. Yoda, the dad, doesn't seem to mind either. My husband and I have only picked them a couple of times. We're not letting anyone else pick them, yet. Just for the fact that we don't want to take the chance of the parents biting someone, because they don't know their sent. The babies are crawling all around. They are so much fun to watch. I have taken pictures and shown the people I work with. They think they are so cute.

[ra]

The babies are so darned cute. Rather than picking them up, I would sit with my hand resting in the cage for them to explore. I loved it when they would decide it was time for a nap and build their little Degu pile on top of my hand!!

[sswik]

Ra, thanks for the idea. We have let them walk on our hands and also sniff them, but they have not curled up and taken a nap on them yet. My step son, who is 8, just loves watching them. He has also petted them. We noticed lastnight and also this morning that they are starting to do things like their parents do.... It is cute to see them starting to do that stuff.

[sswik]

Update: Well, our babies are now about 6 weeks old. I do believe that all 3 of them are males. We have a friend who is going to take 2 of them... He said that even though he doesn't have them, yet, (he's getting them this weekend) he has already named them... "Starsky and Hutch". My husband and I got a chuckle out of that.

[Aimeelou]

Im glad you have found homes for them, thats the hardest part of having babys! Glad all is fine