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Post by rattiesrules on Jan 19, 2007 23:34:25 GMT
hi, I am new here and to owning degus...I have 3 which i had named Damien, Dominick and Dante but the other day I realized that Dante is actually a Delilah....She seems to have gotten huge almost over night....So I have put her in a separate cage to prevent her from getting pregnant after giving birth but I don't know if they are like rats or hamsters?...what I mean is with pet rats, you can hold the babies as soon as they are born to socialize and hand tame them....with pet hamsters you're suppose to wait until they are two weeks old before touching them in fear that they would reject or eat the babies that were touched...and I also would like to know when I separate the males from the females how to tell for sure the sexes so i don't have any more accidental litters...Plus while she is pregnant, how do i make her more comfortable..I have given her plenty of nesting materials and of course she gets fresh food and water every day *like normal*...I am letting her rest and relax...and for the last question for the minute, how do I know when she is in labour?...i would appreciate any info..Thanks
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Post by Sunshinemeg on Jan 20, 2007 12:06:48 GMT
firstly, welcome to the forum. I will try and answer your questions in order, 1. handling babies - you can handle them right away, the mum wont mind, infact as she is on her own she may be glad of a few moment rest bite. 2. checking the sexes - take a look at the website linked to this forum - www.myhomezone.co.uk/degus and look in the questions and answer section, there are images of both sexes to help you tell them apart. as you now have the female on her own, unless you are planning on getting the males neutered and returning her to that group (which will me a re-introduction period) I would suggest keeping one of the female babies as a companion for the mum, one of the mods on this forum did that, and they are a lovely pair now. Be aware though, that if the males smell a female in heat, they could fight to get to her, so consider having the female cage in a different room. (easy in theory, can be harder in practise I know). 4.You will likely not realise when she is actually giving birth, but when she is close you will notice she will be very focused on bed making and may well move it several times until she finds somewhere she feels is safe enough for her babies. Dont worry, allow her to do it to ease any stress. Also, make sure if your cage is a wire one, that the holes at the bottom are small enough to prevent escapees! You may need to add chicken wire around the outside of the cage if the holes are larger. once the babies arrive, make sure mum has easy access to food and water at all times, and fresh bedding. Check the babies reguarly, and should the worst happen and one dies, be prepared that mum may either try and hide it or remove it. This is instinct to protect her remaining brood, but still not nice to discover. Anyway, hope all this helps, quick request though, please add a location to your profile, doesnt have to be town, street etc, country is enough. Thankyou
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Post by rattiesrules on Jan 20, 2007 17:43:37 GMT
thank you so much...it helps a lot...I am planning on leaving the female babies with her and putting the males in their own cage....depending on how many she has will determine if they have a new cage to themselves or be introduced the older boys...her cage right now is a make shift one...its a small tote with holes drilled in the top and sides and a hole drilled in the side for the water bottle nozzle...I have called my mom to see if she can find her old aquariums and tops....Delilah sleeps all the time, resting up....she is also eatting the bedding, is that normal....i use carefresh...she has plenty of food but i keep seeing her eatting the bedding..
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Post by rattiesrules on Jan 22, 2007 22:57:18 GMT
well i've looked at some websites with info on sexing them...and discovered that I only have one male, 2 females...the second female doesn't look pregnant so I am hoping she isn't...but I have put her in with the pregnant girl...but at least i know how to sex them now, so no more accidental litters...
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