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Post by bluecherry28 on Nov 1, 2011 0:12:03 GMT
Hello everyone, ive just joined tonight and need some advice please. I will read up on all the other threads here to educate myself but i just want to ask some questions now if thats ok. I just adpoted 2 female sisters on 7th Oct and then also one week later adopted their other sister who only has half a tail as she was on her own with her brothers. My problem is all three were living with their brothers when i got them and of the first pair, one was a bit 'chubbier' when i got her but i didnt take great notice. I have been watching this girl and she is now noticeably bigger than the others and much less able to get around. I have never ever kept degu before and know very little about them but wanted to give them a good home as they didnt have a good start in life. I have 25 rabbits and 7 chinchillas and 2 hamsters and have kept rabbits all my life and chinchillas a good few years now and got them the correct cage, food, housing, toys etc but today when i was cleaning them out and i held this particular girl i honestly believe she is pregnant and i have no clue what to do. I know they are pregnant 90 days but i dont know when she would be due as i dont know exactly when she conceived. My main questions at this time are what do i need to be doing now? Can her sisters stay in the cage with her or do i need to separate them? I can put i 2 nest boxes if it makes it less stressful for them all. Also as the father is also her brother what are the chances of the babies being ok and pulling through? She herself is quite young, i think about 9 weeks thereabouts so i know her inexperience will go against her and the babies may not pull through but i dont want anything to happen to her and if there is something i can do to help her i will do it. So if anyone can help me, advise me, anything at all i would be very grateful. Thanks for reading and thanks for this site as i really am so new to the beautiful rodents that are Degu. Liz, and the three girlies Laura, Lola and Lydia
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Post by NightwishRaven999 on Nov 1, 2011 1:43:35 GMT
Hello Liz ! Welcome to the forum and welcome to the wonderful world of degus ;D It does very much sounds like one of your females is pregnant.
I do not have the experience to offer advice in this matter, but many here do. It will not be long until someone with experience in this matter will log in and offer advice and guidance...
Again, welcome !
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Post by bluecherry28 on Nov 1, 2011 1:57:58 GMT
Thank you for the welcome Ive been busy reading posts and looking at all the fantastic pictures here too. Ive learned some things already! Looking forward to learning more and helping my sweet girl too. Thanks again
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Post by fred on Nov 1, 2011 9:27:07 GMT
Hi there and welcome to the forum! I am sure that you will soon get more advice from members who have had pups themselves. You definitely can leave your girls together, if one has pups, the aunties will help raising them. How sure are you that they are all females? Degus can become pregnant again directly after giving birth, so it is very important you are certain that you have got their sexes right. What confuses me is their age. You wrote that they are about 9 weeks old. However they couldn't be showing that much before they are at least twice that old. Can you find out their age more exactly?
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Post by nuttz on Nov 1, 2011 9:59:56 GMT
a big welcome from me also, liz ;D my willow gave birth to 6 beautiful babies a little over 3 weeks ago, im willing to help you in every way i can, i only know a little from my experience and also from others of this forum.. if you take a look in the breeding and baby section im sure you will find lots of useful information!!! fred has already said that the other girls can stay with the mother during and after birth, infact it will help the mother very much and also benefit babies! like fred has said, how certain are you of their sexes, if youve definitely got all girls then there is no problem!!! again another thing that fred has mentioned is the confusion of the age of your girls, i am too confused as, youve stated and are correct. degus are pregnant for around 90 days, if your girl is 9 weeks old, that would mean that she concieved around 3 or 4 weeks of age, right? if this is the case i really doubt that she could possibly be pregnant, unless of course she is older than 9 weeks now?? sorry, im just a little confused
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Post by Ady on Nov 1, 2011 10:01:58 GMT
Hello, as much as we know female can't get pregnant before 6 weeks of age, so yours would be only max. 3 weeks pregnant, not long enough to be showing. Some degu are just bigger than others at the same age. Also females are little bigger around hips than males. As fred said make sure again they're females. U can post pics of their bits here if u have any doubts. If she is prego than u can have just one nest as all degus in cage will help with care, it's even better for pups. EDIT: nuttz sorry i was typing while u posted, u already covered what i said
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Post by nuttz on Nov 1, 2011 10:20:13 GMT
lol ady, no problemo! ;D infact youve mentioned more in your post than I.
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madhoose
Foraging Degu
Pumpkin & Pipsqueak...
Posts: 85
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Post by madhoose on Nov 1, 2011 12:20:01 GMT
Hi bluecherry, welcome from me too ;D, you've got great advice here, don't think there is anything else i can say. I'm pretty inexperienced with goos too. Although i am learning pretty fast as I've only had mine 10 wks but my girl gave birth 12 days ago . So like nuttz, anything you think i can help you with don't hesitate to ask.. If i can't help there will always be somebody who can.. If she is maybe older and pregnant then it's around the last 4 wks that you start to notice weight gain, the nearer the time comes the more rapid the gain.. well that's how it was with my pumpkin anyway...
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Post by nuttz on Nov 1, 2011 12:43:12 GMT
also about a week before the birth her nipples will appear more noticeable and also if you look closely, you may be able to see the babies moving around inside!
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madhoose
Foraging Degu
Pumpkin & Pipsqueak...
Posts: 85
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Post by madhoose on Nov 1, 2011 13:17:01 GMT
Oh yea and when looking or gently feeling for her nipples don't make the mistake i made... I was looking on her tummy and couldn't find any until i was pointed in the right direction and told they were almost on her sides like where her leg is.. The other thing i noticed was she ate almost constantly and drunk more water too... hope this helps a wee bit... ;D
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Post by bluecherry28 on Nov 2, 2011 0:28:49 GMT
Hello again everyone and thanks so much for your replies and welcomes Little did i know when i posted here last night how fast things were happening. It has also reaffirmed how little i know about Degu and pregnancy . My girl Lydia, the one i felt was pregnant has given birth . I guess i can stop wondering now. Thankfully i had cleaned them yesterday so i should be able to leave them alone. They are in a little nesty box thing thats on the ground floor and squeaking on and off. I cannot see how many there are and i dont want to poke around in case i upset the mother. I think i can see at least 4 but they are underneath her and the other two girls are in and out and it looks very endearing as they seem to be minding the mum! They have lots of hay but should i add some of my hamster bedding for her to add to the nest? Also is she looks like she is caring for them would that normally mean she will feed them or are there signs i should watch out for in case this is not the case? I cannot believe this is happening and i just want them all to be ok. I have also since, phoned the place where i got the girls from and asked their age again and told them one had given birth and was told they were born the middle of June. I am very sure i was given different ages when i got them plus all three were still with their brothers so i am now wondering if the third female as i got her later after the other two might also surprise me. It does not matter to me that there are babies, i will find them good homes or keep them and give them a good home if not. What does matter is that i do the right thing in taking care of them now and they develop well and also that the original three are healthy and happy. With regard to their sex, they were sexed when i got them. One of the girls who sexed them where i got them keeps a lot of rodents and seemed very confident so i had no reason to doubt her, but now considering their age 'changing' i know i need to take that on board. I did look at their 'bits' when i got them and looked up pictures on the internet to compare and from sexing chins also i would say they are indeed female. If its better to post pics here i will but i dont want to stress anyone out by removing them to photograph their underneath. I was still in the process of getting to know the girls and they me and they had started to approach me and take herbs from my hands. I like to do things on their terms and so far they seemed happy but this has thrown me somewhat. Im sorry for all the questions and the large post but as i say owning Degu and caring for them was new to me and now i also have a litter so feel pretty out of my depth and appreciate so much any advice i am given. Luckily i am off monday and tues so Lydia was very obliging to have these babies today I will update on their progress and again thanks so much everyone. Liz
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Post by deguconvert on Nov 2, 2011 2:39:57 GMT
Talk about being thrown into the deep end!!! Your poor little girls, that is such a young age to have babies already. I hope very much that your two other girls are not pregnant, but at this point that is something that only time will prove either way. I think if you can put in some Kitchen paper toweling, or toilet tissue, she will be glad to have that to add to the nest.
Let me say, Welcome to the forum!!! It is a delight to have you, and will very gladly help with advice and encouragement as much as we are able.
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Post by nuttz on Nov 2, 2011 9:01:07 GMT
congratulations Liz on the arrival of your new baby goos, they are so lovely, im totally smitten with ours ;D it seems that all of your girls are doing a good job and looking after the pups, at this stage there isnt really much you can do to help in the care of the babies. im not sure of the cage you have but you may need to cover some of the sides with cardboard of something similar, soon the pups will be out of the nest exploring and the last thing you want is for any of them escaping through the gaps in the wire/ mesh! also, think about any ledges or any other danger in the cage, pups are very adventurous so you need to make the cage as safe as possible, i just filled the cage with heaps of hay so that if they did happen to fall they would have a soft landing...lol as DC has said, lots of tissue or kitchen towel makes a fantastic nest, please dont consider using the bedding for hamsters, this is especially dangerous as its been known that that stuff can become tangled around the limbs of small animals, sometimes leading to amputation! infact, since using this forum i have learnt that you should never even use that stuff for hamsters as there is a real risk to them also.. instead you can use tissue for them also, my hammys love building their nests with it and its real fun watching them ;D mum will need lots of food for the next few weeks, plus youve probably noticed that she is drinking a bit more so these are the only real things for you to do right now. the mum should be fine with you having a little hold of the babies, degu arnt like some other rodents that kill their young, just remember that if you do hold a baby, stay very close to the cage and mum, young pups do not hold their own heat very well so make sure it only a wee cuddles and pop them back in, they are so cute, im sure you are in love with them already! looking forward to hearing how many you have. and if you have any more questions, dont hesitate and fire away, we all will do our best to help you!!!
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Post by Ady on Nov 2, 2011 9:10:04 GMT
That must have been quite a suprise. I would say it's really likely your other girls are pregnant too. Degus are in general good parents and all cagemates will do their share of caring for them. Babies can't regulate their temperature, so adults will take turns to nest wihh them to keep them warm, also adding extra nesting material (tissue, cotton towel/cloth...) will help. I think mum and others eat the placenta and clean pups dry so there's very little mess in nest but pups will wee there so it's better to change it say 4-5 days. Mum won't mind if u check them out or even pick up (keep them warm, put them back if squeaking), could be different as mum isn't used to you yet but generally they fine. Mum will feed them about every 2 hours, if u concerned she doesn't u can just check if their tummies are full and round but she should take care of them. Hope this helps a bit. If u happen to have deep water bowl, make sure pups can't reach it as could drown.
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Post by bluecherry28 on Nov 2, 2011 10:39:44 GMT
Thank you, thank you so much again I think this site is going to become like another limb for me im going to need it so much! Well, i had a better look before l left this morning and there are six babies!!!! They seem ok and so very beautiful and mum is fussing about them and looks very proud of herself. I cant believe how friendly all three girls are being and assist each other, it so communal and sweet. I will add the paper tissue when i go home for sure. Also i dont believe they ever saw veg or herbs of any kind until i got them so ive been weaning them onto these. Ive looked up the foods approved on the forum here and tried late last night some broccoli, small amount and all three but inparticular the mum gobbled it! I know she will be hungry feeding a brood and hopefully that will help her. Are Degu like say rabbits for example in would they be prone to tummy upsets when introduced to new foods? Are there any veg in particular better for nursing mums or other foods i could give her?I dont have a water bowl there is a bottle on the side of the cage so no drowning worries. I do have a wire cage made up of very small square wire mesh. Looking at the pictures of the glass fronted cabinet types here i think that will change in the future I modified the shelves when i got it taking out all wire shelves (i have a three legged chin who lost a hind leg from getting trapped in a wire shelf) and fitted wooden ones with washers in different sizes and many different levels like i do with the chins and there are three large corner shelves also. I will make sure there is plenty of hay in case of falls and cover the bottom all around so no heads can poke out too. Gosh i feel like an anxious mother myself, and theres the three laid back Girlies at home playing away and cuddling up to each other and the babies Anyway will update again later when im home and all are checked. Thanks again for all the kindness and warm reception everyone, Liz
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Post by nuttz on Nov 2, 2011 11:04:32 GMT
thank you for the update! wow, 6...lol my willow also had six, its quite a big litter especially as the mum was still very young! although saying that, my willow was only 5 months old when she gave birth! TBH i dont feel i have anything more to add, i honestly think you are doing a great job and your girls between them sounds like they are working hard looking after the babies also ;D in regards to the food question, yes i suppose they can get an upset tummy if you gave them too many fresh foods at once, i guess they key is to gradually introduce them to it although im sure they will be fine. keep searching through the forum, there really is some very useful information in regards to feeding, housing and general worries and concerns.. i got my fist two degus back in october last year and even now im still learning. i dont believe anybody could tire of having degus, there is always something new to read or learn about, i love being a goo mum lol mummy goo will be especially grateful of some extra fatty foods, i gave willow a monkey nut every other day for the first couple of weeks. i also gave her some cornflakes, none of my goos like oats but if yours do then this is a nice treat for her while she is nursing. also, if you havent done so already, it might be worth popping her food bowl a little closer to the nest as this way she can have a little munch while the babies suckle like i said, i havent much else to say.. i look forward to your update later and it would be great to see some photos we are all photo addicts here lol
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Post by nuttz on Nov 2, 2011 11:17:36 GMT
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Post by bluecherry28 on Nov 2, 2011 11:30:43 GMT
Thank you Nuttz, i will look at that link, i think i spotted it but will take the time and go through it well. I will try those more fatty treats too, i think my lot a a bit like me and will polish off anything they are offered lol I am very fond of the camera dont worry, so will get cracking in the next couple of days. Im great at taking them but useless at uploading them but luckily the OH always helps out Update more later, thanks again.
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madhoose
Foraging Degu
Pumpkin & Pipsqueak...
Posts: 85
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Post by madhoose on Nov 2, 2011 13:06:28 GMT
OMG.. yay more baby goos and congrats.. ;D a bit of a shock i know when totally unexpected it was the same here but they are truly a blessing and a joy to watch.. ;D I;m glad your girlie has got her sisters to help out as that will make all the difference.. I'll keep my fingers crossed that you have no more surprises though oh yea and we want pic's... ;D
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Post by bluecherry28 on Nov 3, 2011 1:11:02 GMT
Well everything seems ok so far Added the bedding and she took it straight away! Had a better look at the pups and they are so cute! 6 weeny beauties all in a row Mum herself is indeed hungry and i now have three food bowls in and hers is near the nest. She had some more veg tonight and a nut and really seemed to enjoy it ;D The others are happy with all the fussing going on right now and i now think they associate me with a variety of goodies lol! There is great excitement in the chin room in general which is where the Degu are. All my chins are boys and they have been chatting and calling much more than normal. Being honest they have been getting a few more raisins than normal, but its a very happy time so hopefully my 6 wee new arrivals will join in the fun soon I will get pics up soon i promise, also need to think of names. I was thinking of a halloween theme seen as they arrived in this season. Anyway have a bit of time yet Thanks again everyone for the advice and support
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