Gerrbil Care C Handbo H ook Introduuction too Gerbils What is a Gerbil? A gerbil is a rodent halfway h betw ween a rat and a mou use in size.. T They're usuually 2-4 ozz, and havee a slightly different facial f shapee thhan a mousse or rat. Th heir long tails are coverred with furr and end inn a tuft. Their eyes are deep blackk or ruby red, and theey come inn d dozens of different d collors, from regular r agouuti (wild raabbit brownn w white belly), to black, with b to shhades of orrange, gold, cream, too c color pointss like Siam mese and Burmese! B G Gerbils mak ke fun andd e entertaining pets for both young annd old. G Gerbils are fun to watcch. Their antics a and fa family interactions cann entertain you y for hourrs. They aree also increddibly friend dly pets. Theey can be taaught to clim mb up yourr shoulder annd can sit thhere, or on your y head! Gerbils reqquire a minnimum of care. c Their homes takee up little space, s they are low-m maintenance,, create littlee odor, and they do nott need frequuent vet visits. They arre very frienndly, social, and rarelyy bite, as is the t case witth some rodents that wiill remain an nonymous. Things to Consider First: F d just what w you'ree looking foor. How maany do youu Before youu get your gerbils, youu have to decide want? Whaat colors doo you prefer?? Do you prrefer a certaain gender? Do you waant to breed?? Gerbils aree highly soccial and do not like beeing alone at a all, not liike the solittary Syrian hamster. Iff you're gettting gerbils you must get g at least two. t Lone gerbils g havee been provven to live shorter, s lesss healthy livves, and are often overw weight and not too hap ppy. They also a tend to be harder to t tame andd less friendlly overall. Even E if youu are home all day, and d playing with w them coonstantly, th his does nott make up for fo the fact that they must m sleep alone, a eat alone, and have h no onee to groom them. So a companionn is essentiaal. Both fem males and males m will get along happily h witth a compan nion of thee same sex, especially if they are siblings orr kept togetther from thhe age of siix to eight weeks old.. Females teend to be leess stable inn groups larrger than tw wo, while males m tend tto be more tolerant off each other in groups of o three, orr more. How wever, it is recommendded that thee average geerbil ownerr stick to a pair p of gerbbils, as the chance c of fighting f incrreases with larger grouups. Never mix gerbilss from two different d clans (tanks)!
Responsibility: Below are some ideas for taking responsibility for your own gerbils: 1. Remember that, as with any pet, there is a long-term commitment. For gerbils, that commitment can be as long as four to five years. If you are buying gerbils for a child they will need to understand the responsibility that they are taking on. You, as the adult, will have the obligation to monitor and support the child to ensure that the gerbil will be well taken care of. 2. If you have decided to breed gerbils you will need to adequate space for a mating pair and for their pups. Once young pups are weaned they should be separated into two separate tanks, males and females. Each new litter of pups will need to have hands on attention, so they will be use to human contact. One pair of gerbils can have a litter every thirty-five to forty-five days, or ten-litters a year (or more). A litter can be from one to eight babies, if each litter consists of four babies that would be fourty pups a year. Two mating pair could produce eighty pups... Can your market support that? One well-meaning breeder living in rural Maine grossly over estimated the demand and the possible profits to be made with gerbils. He started off with ten breeding pairs. Little demand and poor management has left him overwhelmed and inadequate to care for the three hundred animals he now has. His irresponsibility has turned to neglect. 3. You won't get rich raising them! Gerbils are often the “loss liter� at pet stores that make profit on supplies and add-ons. Gerbil pups should be handled every day and you may need to medicate or supplement feed as well, which takes added money and time. Breeding gerbils is a labor of love. 4. Finally, gerbils and other rodents do not receive the same respect and protection under the law that a dog or cat would. Where there are laws covering housing, size, and the number of animal that can occupy a certain space for dogs and cats; this law does not extend to gerbils and other rodents. Perhaps, each of us could take a look at the laws of our state, and if they do not adequately protect gerbils and all types of pets, we should consider speaking to our State Representatives. Laws can and have been changed by a few good people who have the guts to speak out!
Adoptinng a Geerbil It is wise to t have eveerything settup and preepared for your y gerbilss before briinging them m home. Orr even to brring the geerbils home inside thee setup you u've prepareed. The moost critical decision inn adopting gerbils g is sellecting a paiir that is frieendly, tamee, curious, annd healthy. Selecting a Gerbil: You'll wannt to carefuully consideer where yoou get yourr gerbils. While W the nearest pet store s mightt sound morre convenieent, it's not always the best choicee. Pet store gerbils cann be ill, unuused to hum man hands, and a femaless may be prregnant. Thee clerk willl commonlyy miss-sex them t as it iss difficult too distinguissh gender att 5-8 weekss of age. Many M first time gerbil owners have h turnedd out to be b reluctantt breeders, when w one off their two "males" " hass pups. If possiblee, find a brreeder in yo our area, even if it m means a trip p of severall hours. By visiting a reputable r brreeder you will w be ablee to see the pups, theirr parents, annd perhaps even granddparents. This will reaap long-term m benefits and makess a fun andd informative "field tripp" as well. If you purcchase your gerbils g from m an AGS bbreeder you u should bee given an AGS A Pedigrree, and a liitter registraation numb ber. To findd an AGS brreeder nearr you checkk out the AG GS Breeder Listing. L If you can't find a good breeder,, then a reputable pet store s will have h to do. A Always maake sure thee i fully furreed, their coaat is soft annd not rump pled, and noo gerbil's eyees are brighht and shinyy, their tail is animals inn the same cage look ill. (This goes g for ado opting from m a breederr as well.) The T gerbilss should nott show fear of a humann hand or reesist handlin ng by the clerk or youu. They mosst definitelyy should nott nip or bitee! Though a young puup may usee his mouthh to exploree you (this tickles, nott hurts). wo young geerbils of thee same gendder that are about six to t eight weeeks old. This will helpp Choose tw ensure thatt they will get g along well. w If, for some s reason n, you can't get them frrom the sam me place, soo long as thee pups are between six to eight weeks of age they t should get with litttle or no tro ouble. If forr some reasoon your gerrbils come from f two diifferent placces and onee or both aree adults, you will havee to use the Split S Cage Method M to introduce thhem. Split Cagee Method: Gerbils aree very territtorial, and will w be aggrressive towaards other unfamiliar gerbils. Ideeally, you should s pick out two geerbils that are alreadyy living toggether, or that t are bettween six and a eight weeks oldd. That wayy you shouuldn't have trouble inttroducing them. How wever, if onee or both geerbils are ovver eight weeeks old a Split Cage Introductioon is recomm mended.
A twenty-ggallon aquaarium divideed down thee middle fo or a Split Taank Introduction. You will need a cage or tannk that can be dividedd down the middle. Th here are som me commerrcial cages that can bee purchhased that are a divided in two, butt these can be difficultt to finnd. To mak ke a split caage, simply use one off your tankss and stiff, s heavy 1/4" to 1/22" hardwaree cloth with h. Place thee dividders from co orner to corrner. (This m makes it mo ore secure.)) Be sure s that th he divider fits f in firm mly! Gerbil will try too craw wl under, ov ver, or arounnd to get too the strang ge gerbil onn the other o side. Watch W the gerbils g as m much as po ossible untill you are a convinced that yourr split cage is secure. 1. Plaace one gerbbil on eitherr side of thee divider. The T whole concept behiind the splitt cage introo is to t give the gerbils g timee to becomee use to each h other's sccent, while preeventing fighhts. 2. Fouur to five tim me a day caarefully swiitch the gerrbils to oppoosite sides of the t split cagge. 3. Conntinue this routine r for one o week. 4. Now w remove the t divider. Wear heavyy gloves in case they shhould fight.. 5. Plaan to watch them careffully for five to six hou urs, or longger. (Removving the div vider is bestt donne on a dayy that you have h at hom me.) Do no ot leave theem unwatchhed togetherr until theyy sleeep in the sam me nest. If you y need too leave them m replace thee divider. 6. If the t introducction has goone well thhey will be use to eachh other's sccent, and no o fight willl break out. o 7. If a fight breaks b out separate s theem immediaately, and sttart all overr nging in thee again. "Boxing" iss okay, but rolling in a ball fight oor one sprin ns of seriouus fighting. air as thhe other chaases are sign You knnow that thhey have accepted eachh other wheen they setttle down too groomiing and are sleeping tog gether in thhe same nestt. WARN NING: Undder no circu umstances should you eever try to introduce a gerbil to ann establisheed group. Spplit cage inttroductions work only for two lonne gerbils. Gerbils G thatt have been separated for fo more thaan a day neeed to be grad dually reintrroduced usiing a split cage.
Handling: If you have bought your gerbil from a good breeder the job of taming them should be done for you, or a least well on the way. Remember that you should wait till a pup is around six week before bringing them home. This will give them time to learn from their parents and sibling to be social, and not to fear humans. Firstly, you give them a few hours to settle into their new home. Then, introduce your hand into their tank and let them sniff. You might find a young pup trying to "taste" you, and find out if you're edible. This should not hurt; just slowly move your hand away. Young gerbils are particularly prone to this as it's part of their "put everything in your mouth" stage. They will outgrow this. Rest your hand still in the bottom of the tank. The gerbils will cautiously explore your hand for a while. If they appear scared and run away, don't push it. Just put your hand in their cage for several minutes a few times each day. Pick sunflower seeds out of the food mix and set these aside. This is the perfect opportunity to teach you new gerbils that great treats come from your hands. Place a few sunflower seeds or peanuts in your palm and they will soon associate tasty things with your hands. If you want to pick your gerbils up, try to scoot them into a corner and gently lift them up in two hands. Never pick a gerbil up by their tail, not even the base of the tail. (A gerbil tail is jointed and could break off in the middle). Do not chase them around the cage, and do not swoop down from above. If you can't get them into your hands, then you can start by lifting them up using a tin can or cup. They usually explore these and then you can pick them up once they're inside. Then, take them out and sit them on your arm or shoulder, and let them explore. Gerbils love a good shoulder. Usually they'll run back and forth across your shoulders, down your arm, and perch on your elbow to get a look around. Be careful if they seem jumpy, and you may want to do this sitting down on a chair or bed to keep them from getting hurt if they fall. After a week or two of doing these exercises, the gerbils will usually happily let you pick them up. You can teach them to sit still on your shoulder or elbow while you walk around. Soon they'll start "signaling" when they want out of their cage. They usually do this by standing on their hind legs and resting their forepaws against the glass and hopping up and down a bit. Some learn to spring straight up in the air when they see you, if they've learned it results in the desired response of getting some out-of-the-tank time.
Gerbil Care Housing: There are a number of good choices for your new gerbils home. The most popular for a pair is a tengallon aquarium, for a number of reasons. It is inexpensive, easy to clean, roomy, and allows for great creativity. It will be necessary to have a small animal top, both to keep the gerbil from escaping and for its safety. General guidelines: 10 gallon tank 1 or 2 gerbils 15 gallon tank 3 gerbils 20 gallon tank 4 gerbils 30 gallon tank 6 gerbils There are two popular types of lids available in most pet stores. They are both inexpensive and safe. The first is a simple fine wire lid. The second has a number of fittings to allow for 'habitat' tubes. If you are not near a large pet store, simply make your own lids with hardware cloth. It takes about $1.50 to make a lid for a 10-gallon aquarium. Make sure the lid is secure with commercial or homemade lid clips, especially if you have cats. A large variety of wire cages can also be found, everything from a simple cage to a multilevel condo. There are several drawbacks to cages though. First, gerbils love to rearrange and dig in their bedding. I like to give my gerbils two or three inches of bedding to play and romp in. With all the playing, scurrying, and digging the bedding would end up all over the floor. Second, multilevel cages with ladders can cause a hazard to young pups. It is not unheard of for a pup to break its leg in the wire rungs. It is not advisable to use this type of cage with a breeding pair. Third, gerbils often gnaw on wire cages incessantly, which can be both annoying to you and harmful to them. The third type of home easily found is the plastic habitat. Although these are very popular, they have poor ventilation and smell rather quickly. Additionally, they are easy for gerbils to escape from and over time are gnawed to ruins. Bedding Material: Gerbils require bedding to absorb their urine, as well as for digging fun. They don't urinate all that much, so it doesn't need to be perfumed. The best choices are aspen, Carefresh, and corncob beddings. The average 10-gallons with two gerbils in it will only need cleaning every two to three weeks. If water is spilled or it smells you will have to change it. When cleaned on a regular basis a gerbil tank/cages should never smell. Fill the tank or cage 1/3 full with bedding. They love to pile it up, and bury their food in it. If you are breeding, two inches should be sufficient. • • • •
Aspen, Corn Cob, or Carefresh bedding is recommended by most experts. DO NOT use Pine or Cedar Wood Shavings, ESPECIALLY if you will be breeding your gerbils. Plain shredded paper will work, however the cage will start smelling earlier than if the recommended beddings are used. DO NOT use shredded paper with any sort of newsprint on it.
•
Filll the tank orr cage 1/3 full f with beddding if nott breeding. If breeding, two inches should bee suffficient.
WARNIN NG: Do not use Cedar or o Pine Beddding; they can c be harm mful to all ggerbils, but particularly p y pups. Theyy've been knnown to cauuse respiratoory problem ms and liver damage. Nesting Material: M Plain whitee unscentedd tissue provvides a safee and inexp pensive nestting materiaal Shred it into i narrow w strips and leave l the rest to them as a they buildd great whip p cream casstles out of ttissue paperr! WARNING G: Commeercial nestinng material looks soft ft and fluffyy and perfe fect for a lovely nest,, however itt is very daangerous too gerbils. Gerbils G can become enntangled in it, amputatting a foot.. (Even if it only happeens to 1 in a 100 gerbiils, it's not worth w the riisk!) They can eat smaall amountss that may laater cause a blockage. Nesting Boox: A simple nesting n box will providde your gerbbils a nice pllace to sleepp, hide, and find some privacy. p Yoou can makke a nesting g box out of o wood, or buy b a comm mercial one at a pet stoore. A plasttic one is noot recommended, since the t gerbils would w chew w it within a week. NOTE: Maany breederrs do not advvise the usee of a nestin ng box with a breeding pair, p since pups p have been b know to be trapp ped under or o behind them m. Water Botttle: Each tank//cage will need n it's ownn water botttle. There are a a numbeer of styles and most come with a simple wirre hanger too use with cages. If you are usin ng an aquarrium you w will need to purchase a special botttle holder/sshield. Be suure that thee tip of the water w bottlee is well aboove the bed dding. If thee tip comes in contact with w the beddding or othher materiaal it will draain out in a matter of hours. h Evenn though gerrbils are a deesert animaal they requiire clean, freesh water att all times. Check the water everyy day to maake sure it has h not run dry d and is operating o prroperly. (Wh hen you tapp your fingerr to the nippple, and youu should gett a drop of water.) w Food: A good prremixed gerrbil food is recommennded. It is easy e to get the right coombination of protein,, minerals, vitamins, v a bulk. Sunflower and S s seeds tend to be veryy high in faat, and, theerefore, aree fattening. A good ideea is to pickk out the suunflower seeeds and hannd feed them m to your gerbils g overr the course of the day.. This has a double beenefit. First, no one gerrbil hoards them and gets g too fat.. Second, it is an excelllent way to hand h tame and a bond with w your gerrbils.
Follow these general guidelines: Gerbil age/situation
Protein
Fat
Non-breeding
12%
7%
Older 2+
10.5%
4%
Breeders
15.5%
8%
Food can be placed directly on the bedding in the center of the tank allowing the gerbils to forage. Food can also be served in small ceramic dishes sold at stores, or made out of small cat food or tuna cans. Most gerbils will bury their food dish in their bedding. This is their way of protecting it from other gerbils. Don't worry they will be able to find it with no problem. If you want to give your gerbils a treat, try things like Cheerios and Rice Krispies cereals (nothing with artificial flavor, sugar, or marshmallow). They also enjoy the occasional peanut, but those are very fatty. They also like an apple, carrot, and lettuce, but remove it after one day and don't give it to them too often. You might want to give a large piece (say half an apple) to gnaw on for a few hours then remove it. Small pieces can get lost in the bedding and rot. Food Dish: A food dish is not necessary because the gerbils will just bury it under their bedding. If you would prefer one, use a small heavy ceramic dish, so they can't tip it over as easily. Toys and Exercise: Gerbils are very active animals, and they need an entertaining environment. Let your imagination be your guide. A four by four makes a great toy. Have several large holes drilled through it. Ask whether the lumberyard will do the cutting and drilling for you. They are also cheap, as you can use scrap pieces. This will provide the gerbils with entertainment and a great chew toy. WARNING: Be sure that the lumber is not treated! Special wooden play/chew toys can be purchase at pet stores in the shape of cheese wedges or treasure chests. Every time you finish off a roll of toilet paper add it to the aquarium. The gerbils will run in and out of the tube before settling down to a good gnaw. They love it, but within a few hours it will be shredded. For those having multiple tanks, you might find yourself getting these from family, friends, co-workers‌anywhere you can to keep your gerbils "in cardboard". Heavier cardboard boxes work well to climb on and nest in and will last longer. You can use traditional wire hamster wheel in your aquariums. BUT‌ there are several precautions that must be taken before using them with your gerbil! First, to save on room hang the wheels from the wire tank lid. This keeps it three to four inches off the tank floor. A simple way to attach the wheel to the tank lid is by using twist ties. They work well, and are easily removed.
Second, tightly coverr the outsidde of the wheel w with a heavy masking m tappe (but nott plastic orr anything with w embeddded threadss). Then carrefully coatt the inside of the wheeel with bed dding. Thiss covers up the t tape, and prevents the t gerbil's feet from stticking. Seee picture bellow. Some gerbbils love theeir wheel, annd play in it i for hours!! Others aree will have nothing to do with thee wheel. WARNIN NG: Tails caan get caughht in uncoveered wheels and be ampputated.
A basic 10-galloon aquarium set up. u There is a layyer of corncob bedding coveringg the floor, and loots of shredded pllain, unscented tissue for a nest.. They have a waater bottle attachedd high enough that it will not touuch the bedding ass they dig. A food dish is located in the corner unnder a hanging whheel. There are some tubes for them to play in.
The 'Boys Tank' This setup has thee bottom of a plasttic critter cage in the t back left filledd with sand. It startts out as a sandbox and is later a pootty to keep waste to one area of thee tank. The left sid de is corn cob to dig d in. In the midddle there are somee kitchen shelvingg steps, and couplee of boxes for clim mbing and gnawinnd. The right sidee has carefresh forr tunneling and a nest n box with unsceented toilet tissue uunderneath. This setup s is interestingg for larger clan, bu ut *important* it only o has one logicaal place for them to o nest.
Tamingg If you havve bought yoour gerbil from f a goodd breeder th he job of tam ming them should be well w on thee way. Remeember that you y should wait till a pup p is aroun nd six weekk before brinnging them home. Thiss will give thhem time too learn from m their parennts and sibling to be soccial, and noot to fear hum mans. First, give them a few w hours to seettle into theeir new hom me. Then, inntroduce yoour hand into their tankk and let theem sniff. It is not unuusual to gett a gentle nip n as they explore and examine your hand.. They're tryying to "tastte" you, andd find out iff you're edib ble. Don't jeerk your hannd away, move m it backk slowly. Givve them a quick q puff of air in the face. f (like your y blowinng out a canddle) This type of o mouthingg should noot be painfuul and rarely y cuts throuugh the skinn. It's also a habit theyy usually outtgrow. Youung gerbils are particullarly prone to this as itt's part of thheir "put ev verything inn your mouthh" stage. If despite gentle g handlling your geerbil nips paainfully and d then runs away a or draaws blood itt could be a sign of pooor temperam ment or lackk of early socialization s n. You mayy want to reeturn or excchange suchh gerbils for ones that are a of a genttle and reliaable nature,, especially if children will be han ndling thesee pets. Hand trainning can be easy if youu move pattiently and slowly. Each morningg when you u feed them m remove alll the sunflow wer seeds from f their food. fo Put theese aside inn a little cupp near their tank. Thenn through ouut the day puut a few sunnflower seeds in the paalm of your hand. Do nnot try to catch them orr pick them up. Before long they will w be use to t your han nd and see you y as a gloorified seedss dispenser.. t one off them sit onn it. Then sllowly lowerr After a week slowly raaise your haand a few innches each time wn again. it back dow Once they feel O f comforrtable with your hand moving up p and downn g gently give them a littlle nose rub. Some gerb rbils love to o have theirr n noses and fooreheads ru ubbed. You can create a cave with h two handss h held againstt your body y, some of them t will ggo to sleep, and otherss h have a silentt purr like kittens. k Within two weeks they W y should be very frienndly, and loved l to bee h held. Evenn though with responsible, gentle child dren it iss r recommende ed they do not hanndle the geerbils, untiil you aree c confident thhat the geerbils are tame. t This avoids a bad earlyy experiencee, and it is easier e and faster f to tam me gerbils when w only one o person is working with them.. Once they are use to human h contaact, the chilldren can grradually beggin to play w with them. NOTE: If you y have more m than onne tank of gerbils g alwaays wash yoou hands weell before handling h thee gerbils from m another tank. You doon't want too smell like an intruder.
Health Issues Gerbils aree robust animals, and with w good caare and atteention may very v likely never be illl. However,, there are a few illnesses and diisease that a gerbil ow wner shoulld be awaree of. If you ur gerbil iss seriously illl, and not eating e and drinking d takke them imm mediately to a veterinarrian. Respiratorry Problem ms: Young pupps, elderly,oor gerbils unnder stress are most su usceptible too respiratoryy infectionss. There aree a number of o causes frrom virusess, bacteria, to environm mental. Twoo common irritants aree the use off cedar or pine p beddinng. Pups haaving respiiratory prob blems durinng weaningg can be trreated withh Ornyclycliine in the water. w Purchhase this in the bird secction of a pet p store and use the dosage d for a small birdd (canary). Treat the water for at least ten n days. Suupplementall feeding with w Kittenn Replacemeent Milk cann help keep up the strenngth of weaaning pups with w respiraatory infectiion. Symptomss to watch for are rum mpled coatss, a clickin ng noises, and a hunched in i a corneer. Gerbils are smalll and theiir health can c deterioratee quickly. If I you havee a serioussly ill gerbiil, not eatinng, drinking, and a diarrheaa, take him immediately i y to a veteriinarian. These fivee pups that had a resppiratory inffection, and d were treatted with Ornaccycline andd supplemenntal Kitten replacement r t milk (KM MR) feedings. Four F of the five f pups suurvived. Scent Glan nd Tumorss: A scent glaand tumor is i the most common tuumor found d in gerbils, and occurss most often n in elderlyy gerbils. Thhe scent glannd is a smalll bare patchh of skin on n the gerbil'ss belly. Firsst noticeablee as a smalll hard lump the tumor will continuue to grow is not treatted. This tyype of tumor occurs mo ost often inn mall animall males, butt is occasioonally founnd in femaales. Take you gerbil to an expperience sm veterinariaan. Scent gland tumorrs are usually operablle, and therre is a highh likelihood of a fulll recovery. Broken Taails: A totally avoidable a prroblem therre are severral causes; getting g caugght in a cagge, wheel, or o by beingg grabbed byy the tail. This T leavess behind ann ugly, skin nless, but itt doesn't require a vett's attentionn unless it beecomes infeected. The exposed e bonne will dry up u and fall off o within a few weekss. WARNIN NG: A gerbill should nevver be pickeed up by its tail, not even at the baase. Strokes: Strokes aree characteriized by parralysis, usuaally down one o side. They T are moost common n in elderlyy gerbils, buut sometimees-young geerbils with health prob blems will suffer from m them. A gerbil mayy experiencee a series off strokes, annd not live loong. In otheer cases theyy may makee a full reco overy. Keepp them comffortable, andd be sure they have foood and water.
Seizures (or "going limp"): Quite often found in younger gerbils, these seizures/fits are usually triggered by an unfamiliar stimulus (like being placed in a new environment), or by being overexcited. Many young gerbils eventually grow out of these seizures. In mild cases they will go limp when you startle them or place them in a new cage, but in severe cases the gerbil will begin to freeze or twitch at the slightest excuse. Simply put the gerbil back in its cage and leave it alone for a few minutes. It is strongly discourage to breed a gerbil that has had a seizure disorder as the tendency will be passed on to offspring. (In rare cases a gerbil may pass on from a severe seizure.) Red Noses: You often hear a gerbil owner concerned that their gerbils has blood around its nose. Many owners are concerned that gerbils are fighting, but this is not the case (wounds on the tail or rump are signs of a victimized gerbil). Also, gerbil's mucus is often mistaken for blood, as it is a reddish color. The most common cause for a true bloody nose is an allergy. If you are using pine or cedar bedding, switch immediately to aspen, Carefresh, or corncob bedding. Occasionally a gerbil may be allergic to aspen. Gerbils kept in a cage will often spend hours chewing on the cage bars, and this will rub off fur and irritate the nose. The simplest solution to do is keep your gerbils in an aquarium. If it appears that the gerbil's nose is infected take him to a veterinarian for treatment. Mites: To check for mites take a few sheets of unscented white toilet tissue and swaddle your gerbil in it leaving their head out. Wait for a minute or two then open the wrapping and inspect it closely and carefully for either dust specks or tiny red blobs. If you do discover that your gerbils do have mites you will need to check a pet store or your vets office for hamster & gerbil mite and flea spray; Pyrenthin spray at 0.66% concentration. First thoroughly clean the tank/cage with bleach and soap, and anything that is going back into the tank. Next, spray the tank inside and out and everything going into it. (Spray the outside of the water bottle.) When you put in the fresh bedding give it a good squirt. Spray down the old bedding and put it in a garbage bag. Seal it and spray the outside of the bag well. Put it in a garbage can with a secure lid. Spray the gerbils, and make sure you wet them from their ears to their tail. Now spray your hands, getting them wet, and carefully work the medicated spray into the fur of their heads. Gently massage your gerbil working the spray all the way down to the skin. Repeat the tissue test daily, and spray every time you find more crawlies. You may need to follow all of the steps listed above several time, before you can successfully get rid of the infestation.
Diarrhea: Too many greens and vegetables in their diet can cause diarrhea. If your gerbil has a diet high in vegetables remove them and they should be OK. Tyzzer's is a deadly and highly contagious disease whose symptoms often include diarrhea. Death usually occurs 24 hours after symptoms appear. Antibiotic treatment may not save your sick gerbil, but it may prevent the spread to your other gerbils. If you gerbil/gerbils have unexplained diarrhea place your entire clan on antibiotics. Gerbils are small and their health can deteriorate quickly. If you have a seriously ill gerbil, not eating, drinking, and diarrhea, take them immediately to a veterinarian. Overgrown Teeth: Gerbils' teeth are continually growing, and it is vital that they have something good to gnaw on. You can get a nice apple or cherry branch for each of my tanks. Freeze them for 72 hours to kill any bugs that might be present. Overgrown teeth most often occur in elderly gerbils that are no longer chewing frequently. Make it a point to check all your gerbils' teeth at least once a month. If your gerbils' teeth do become too long, your vet will trim them for you. Once this becomes an issue your gerbil may need to have their teeth trimmed on a regular basis.
Behaviors Thumping: There are two reasons gerbils thump: to warn other gerbils in their colony of danger or in sexual excitement. When alarmed or excited, gerbils will make a rhythmic thumping sound with their hind feet. Usually only one gerbil in an enclosure will do this while the others perk up their ears and listen. It's really amusing when you have several tanks of gerbils and one gerbil will thump an alarm, and another in another aquarium will thump back! It's their way of communicating danger. Gerbils produce this thump by stomping both their feet on the ground. It is amazing how loud and how long they can thump. While we may not be able to differentiate between the two types of thumps, gerbils can certainly tell the difference. While an alarm thump may produce a chorus of warning thumps, a mating thumps will often go ignored. Grooming: Grooming is not only a way to keeps clean, but also it is a vital part of the social infrastructure of gerbils. Pairs, parents, and pups will spend a lot of time each day grooming each other. Regular daily grooming is a sign that all is well in the family group. Fighting: There are two distinct types of fighting: play fighting, and serious fighting. Play fighting goes on frequently among gerbils, especially pups. It is what we always called 'roughhousing'. They will pounce and jump on each other. Then give a wild chase around the tank. In a gerbil-boxing match they will stand on their hind legs and hit at each other. (Much the way you may have seen kangaroos box.) Gerbils live in small family groups in the wild. There is one dominant pair that mates, and a number of their older offspring that help care for the young. When one of the subordinate gerbils is ready to start their own family they will move on. When kept in captivity gerbils cannot move on. They are forced to live as we, their humans, see fit. Much fighting can be avoided by following a few rules. 1. always introduce two strange gerbils using the split cage method. (details found under "Split Cage Introductions"). Young pups, sexually mature pairs, and an older male and young pup clan most easily 2. never keep more than two adult females together 3. never keep more than four adult males together, though some have success with up to seven 4. never, ever breed more than one female in a single tank 5. when a second litter arrives remove all but 1-3 older pups to keep from overcrowding There are a few warning signs that trouble is brewing. Your gerbil may lose weight, have bit marks on their head or rump and tail, and most seriously of all stop sleeping in the nest. If you see these signs pressure may be building, and a fight imminent. One way to prevent gerbils from fighting is to keep the tank simple, with only open structures and with only one logical, enclosed box to nest in. When gerbils do fight, they are very violent and often fight to the death. Once blood has been drawn, reconciliation is unlikely.
Marking: If you look at your gerbil's stomach you will see a small patch of bearskin; this is their scent gland. It produces an oily secretion that they use to mark their territory. They will mark everything that is in their territory, as well as, family members. This is done by rubbing their stomach or mounting the object or other gerbil. Digging Madly In The Corner: A lot of people mistake gerbils' habit of digging in the corner of their cages as an urge to get out. It isn't. This is known as "stereotyped digging" and is caused by the gerbils' natural instinct to burrow. It is perfectly normal. Escapes: Gerbils, being the mad geniuses they are, are sometimes very good at escaping. It is vital that you have a lid on your aquarium and make sure there is no way your gerbils can escape. If they do escape, seal of all exits to every room in your home, put the cats/dogs out or in a small room (that you're SURE the gerbil isn't in!) and start looking. Escapees are not likely to travel far from their home, so start in the room where their tank is kept. Slowly move around the room; looking under and behind the furniture or in the back corner of the nearest closet. Once you have found them sit down quietly and wait for them to come out. They usually can't resist investigating. If they are very friendly, confident, and recognize you as the source of good food they may come near enough that you can carefully scoop them up. Often a gerbil will come right up to their tank; if it is placed on the floor, especially pups. Keep a 1 - 2 foot section of PVC piping handy. Lay it on the floor near where they are hiding. Sit back a ways and be very quiet. Whey the gerbil investigates the PVC pipe quickly drop a towel over it; blocking both exits. Quickly, but carefully put your hands over the two ends. (You will only have a few seconds.) A shoebox with a small hole in one side can often work, too. If you absolutely can't get your gerbil out of hiding, or can't find it, set out a number of sunflower seeds on the floor along with a dish of water in that room (or in each room if you can't find them). Count the number of seeds, and check back later. Often you'll find the husks of shells left over, which means the gerbil has been there. You might be able to set a high-sided trap with ramps leading up to the side, and a towel to climb down (the weigh of the gerbil should pull it into the trap). The idea is that the gerbil can get into it but not climb out.
Breeding: Making the Decision to Breed: Many people are looking for a way to make quick and easy money. Puppy mills and large catteries have fallen prone to indiscriminate breeding and in many instances horrific conditions. Read as many gerbil sites as you can and one thing will become absolutely clear. "You won't get rich raising them!" The only reason to raise gerbils, or any other animal, is love. We have stewardship over each gerbil that comes into our home. We are responsible for their health and happiness. This will require a great deal of time, money, and patience. So, do you still want to raise gerbils? If the answer is "yes" then you have several primary considerations. How many gerbils do you want to have? How many can you realistically care for and house? You will need to have adequate space for a mating pair and for their pups, up to eight. Once the young pups are weaned they will need to be separated into two tanks, for males and females. Each new litter of pups will need to have hands on attention, so they will be use to human contact. Are you going to sell the pups? One pair of gerbils can have a litter every thirty days, or twelve litters a year. A litter can be from one to eight babies, if each litter consists of four babies that would be forty-eight pups a year. Two mating pair would produce ninety-six pups or more a year. Can your market support that many pups? Gerbil Breeding by Donna Anastasi Selecting the Breeding Pair When breeding gerbils the most important factor to success and a good experience all around is the selection of your breeding pair. The choices are pet store or breeder. If you purchase your pair from the pet store, get the male and female from two different pet stores that are quite some distance apart. That way you are assured that the two gerbils are not related. When selecting your breeding pair demand excellence in: Health – I select the strongest from the litters to breed and avoid runts or gerbils that have had any issues as a pup, such as respiratory infection. o Temperament – The gerbils should be the ones that come right up to you to sit on your hand and beg to come out. By genetics and example their people friendliness will be passed on to the babies. The gerbils should also be gerbil gentle (which is a completely separate factor from how people oriented they are). This means they are easily introduced to other gerbils (especially to a pup) and stay clanned. o Color – Why is color so important? While great temperament and top health are the first considerations, breeding for the more popular colors will make placing your babies easier. REW/PEW, plain Agouti, and solid Black can be harder to place. Spotted anything, rich colors, and color points are in demand. Before setting up a breeding pair, it is good to understand basic gerbil genetics so you know what colors the pair will produce. o
The advanntage to gettting a pair from f a breeeder is that you can meeet the pareents. Do you u love theirr temperameents? And you y can assk the breeder questio ons: what is the overaall fatality rate of thee breeder's pups? p What is the fataliity rate of thhe breeding g pair that birthed b yourr pup? What have theirr pups died from? (noote that a fatality ratee of 1:10 or less inccluding stilllborns is good) g How w inbred/relaated are thee parents? (ask ( for a pedigree). p Did D the pupp you are iinterested in n have anyy health probblems or injjuries? Did it start as a runt, any respiratory problems, p anny difficulty y weaning?? Did any of the siblinngs die? Froom what caause? How are the parrents with oother gerbills? Has thee breeder evven had a problem p wiith clanningg them with h an adult or pup in the past? A reputablee breeder wiill be straigghtforward in answerinng your qu uestions andd appreciatee your goall of raisingg healthhy babies. Once you y have yo our male annd female ggerbil, you will w have too introduuce them to o one anothher. If they aare babies (6-8 ( weeks)) and thhe female iss the same size or sm maller, you might m try a direct introductio on. Howevver, a splitt cage intro oduction iss always the safest way to introduce two ggerbils.
Breeding Environme E ent Once you have your male and female andd they are fast friendds, create an environment e t for them that t is condducive to breeeding. Youur breeding pair p should be locatedd in a quiett and calm m area of thhe house wheere there is not n a lot of traffic t nor sudden s loud d noises. Yoou do want thhe pups to get g used to people andd sounds, th hough. Placce the tank soo that yourr gerbils havve some prrivacy from m other tankks and animalls. It is criticaal that you never breedd with moree than one adult femalle in the tankk – gerbils are a a matriaarchy and the t females will fight to t the death over the males. m A male-female m pair establishes an intimate bond and is the perfectt breeding arrrangementt. It is imporrtant that you y leave thhe dad in with mom to help herr raise the babies. Oth herwise thee experiencee will be streessful for thhe mother gerbil g and sh he may not be able to hhandle it on n her own – especially a firstime or o older moom. If you do split a breeding b pair, leave a ddaughter from the lastt litter too help mom m raise the pups. p Keep the t breedin ng tank veryy simple. M Many peoplee lose pupss becausse they've faallen off leddges, got cauught under or behind a box, orr taken a ru un with mom m in the wheeel, etc. Wh hen I breed,, I use only about three inchhes of careffresh, unsceented toilett tissue, a waterbottle hung loow for the pups to reeach, and a towel draped oveer the tankk. Nothing else. No material m orr fibers or "fluff" sold s in pet stores s evenn paper tow wels containn fibers that can be b wrappedd around a pup's leg or worse. I throw in a half toilet t paper roll for thhe parents to t gnaw upp every day so s they donn't go too looopy.
What abouut the beddiing materiaal? I believee corncob is the safestt. But becauuse I keep the tank soo simple, witth corncob there is not place to tunnnel or hidee and can make them t more stressed s or skittish, s so I'd have to use u a wooden orr cardboardd nestbox. Since S I do not n like to keep anything inn the tank, I use Careffresh or a laayer of corn n cob with two inches i of Carefresh C on top. At the t first sig gn of respiratoryy infection,, I medicaate with Ornyacline O (see below) and switch over o to corrncob and unscented u toilet t tissue for several s dayss. Using corrncob and a nestbox veersus Carefresh is a tradeeoff. Breedders using corncob have ver. reported noo problems with respiraatory in pupps whatsoev Special Caare A pregnannt gerbil doees not requiire a lot of special s caree. Make surre to handlee her gently and do nott drop her, especially e inn the last days d of the pregnancy. Give her a high qualiity gerbil fo ood with att least 15% protein. I feed f L&M Vita Vittlees Gold. So ome breederrs supplemeent with ex xtra protein,, e.g., dry kiitten food or o scrambledd egg. I fishh out the peeanuts for thhe mother ggerbil. A prregnant andd nursing gerbil must haave a consttant water suupply. Checck that the water w bottlee is filled an nd workingg properly att least oncee a day. If the water bottle b runs dry d the mother gerbil may have to resort too sacrificing one of her pups as a soource of liqquid so she can c continuee to nurse thhe litter. Mating an nd Birthingg Your gerbils will moost likely mate m at abouut three mo onths of agee. If one off the pair iss older andd especially if one is an a experiencced breederr, mating iss likely to occur withiin a couplee of weeks.. Gerbils ussually mate in the earlly evening and it is a two hour ritual of cchase, "tag"", and eachh checking thheir underssides. This site s shows gerbils g matiing. A femaale gerbil w will producee pups untill she is two years old. A male gerbbil will prodduce babies throughout his lifetimee. If this is a first liitter or youur gerbils aare not raising/nursingg pups whhen they mate, the gestation will bbe 24 days. Mark yourr calendaar! The preg gnancy mighht go as lonng as 28 day ys. A pregnnant gerbil does not "sshow" until a few dayss before thee birth. She S will staart to feel heavier h andd become pear p shapedd with a bulge b in thee belly area. When the t babies are a being biirthed it is best not to disturb thee parents. You migh ht watch froom a distannce; but no ot too closee and do nott disturb thee tank or haandle the paarents or baabies. A fem male gerbil will reach down from m underneathh, pull out thhe baby, cleean it, and eat e the placeenta. Duringg the birthinng or immed diately afterr the gerbil pair p will mate, m again this t may lasst for a cou uple of hourrs. Do not w worry aboutt the babiess being negllected for thhat time, they will do fine. The mother m gerbil should gaather the baabies into a nest, but soometimes might m not doo this until after a the birtthing and mating m is com mplete.
The First Few Days Most gerbils are exceellent parennts and wouuld never caannibalize their t babies (unnless their water sourrce ran dryy). Howeverr, if a babby is stillborn orr dies shortlly after birtth, the parennts instinct is to "cleann up" to keep thee tank sanitiized, if you do not remoove the bod dy right awaay. If only one pup is biirthed or onnly one pupps survives the birthinng, it normally cannot c stim mulate enouugh milk fllow on its own. The best thing is too foster witth a litter of o young puups. A locaal AGS breeeder http://www w.agsgerbilss.org/Breedeers.html might be able to help youu. After the birthing b the father gerbiil is usuallyy kicked outt of the nest for 24-48 hhours while the motherr attends to the t babies. On occasioon a dad gerrbil will sneeak a pup orr two into hhis nest for company. I generally will w return thhose to mom m. Always waash your hands before you y handlee the pups – though gerrbils usuallyy don't min nd the smelll of their people, foreiggn smells suuch as soot,, strange geerbils, stale litter, etc. ccould make the gerbilss rejject or evenn attack the babies. b If the mother seems to be b distractedd and is runnning aroun nd, digging,, or scratching in the corn ners, leave her h alone inn a quiet roo om, drape a tow wel over haalf the tank,, and give her h some unnscented to oilet tissues.. Yoou may wannt to warm one corner of the tank, but not too o hot! I usee a clamp c lamp and a 40 watt w grow ligght positionned several inches i from m thee tank. Use a thermom meter to makke sure the ttemperaturee is not anyy higgher than 855 degrees F. A mother gerrbil may mo ove the litteer from onee corner of the tank too the other, especially e i she feels nervous or threatened.. This is normal and noothing to worry if w about.. Usually aft fter a few daays this behaavior will sttop and the mother willl keep the ggerbils in on ne corner off the tank. It is imporrtant in the first severaal days afterr the pups are a born thaat you do nnot to chang ge anythingg about the environmen e nt. Do not cllean out thee tank, do not move thee location oof the tank, do not givee them cardbboard or new w toys, do not n take anyything out of o the tank. Most M definiitely do not remove thee father gerbbil. Any chhange may cause the mom m to speend several hours puttting the hou use back inn order, negllecting the gerbil g pups. When breeeding gerbills, I check on o the babiees two or thrree times a day d from daay one, but try to leavee raising thee litter to thhe mom annd dad withhout interfeering. Femaale and maale gerbils are usuallyy wonderful parents. Soometimes inn the first coouple of day ys a pup willl get separaated from th he nest. Putt the pup bacck into the nest, n but maake sure to wash your hands first (or cover yoour hand wiith a plasticc baggie).
The First Few Weeks Before I handle the pups, I give the parentss just a bit of o cardboarrd to distracct them and d keep them m busy for a few minutees. Or I givee them somee food. I start takinng the babiees out of thee tank startinng when theey get a lighht coat of fuzzz – at abouut day 5-7. Be careful! Even at th his age gerbbil babies craw wl fast, andd being blinnd they willl crawl, wig ggle, and fliip right out of o your hannd which could c resultt in severe head injuryy. Always takke gerbil puups out of thhe tank com mpletely encclosed in tw wo hands and hold them directly d on top of a pilllow or blanket. At this agge, I only taake the babiies out oncee a day and for just a feew minutes.. I let them m get accuustom to th he smell and a feel off human haands. Afterr exploringg you for a bit, and peerhaps tryinng to nurse on your fiingers, theyy will pile up u in your two t cupped hands and take t a nap. At 7-10 days you should be able to seex the gerbbils using the t "nipplee method". Only femaale gerbils have h nippless and these appear as dents d on thee armpits, center/side c of the belly y, and upperr thighs. Att this point write downn the colorss and gendeers of your litter. This will aid youu greatly in n sexing thee gerbils when w you plaace them at about six weeks. w From 10--20 days thee babies willl be nicelyy furred andd you should d be able too determine their colorrs. See thee AGS Collor Strips for f help doing so. At this agge the gerbbil babies will becom me very comfortablle in your hands, theyy may sit up and waash their faces, theyy are likely to try craw wling up your sleeve. You Y can take out thhe babies onne or two tim mes a day for f several minutes. m You shouldd still be hoolding the babies b over a pillow orr blanket – as the chhances are good g that thhey will craawl off you ur hands. You may want w to spllit the litter in half andd take out only o 2-3 pups at a tiime, since thhey are gettting more mobile m now. At about 17-21 days your y babies will open their t eyes. It I may take a few dayss for all the pups in thee litter to oppen both eyees. If one or more eyess remain clo osed you caan try rubbiing the eye very softlyy with a warm damp clooth. Be very caareful the day d the eyees open annd the few days after the eyes oopen. Gerbil pups thatt formally were w calm and a relaxed in your hannds becomee jittery andd are likely to take offf like a shott across the room. The world is brright and coonfusing and d baby gerbbils are nervvous as they y figure outt ming giant rather r than tthe familiarr warm softt vision. Theey no longeer recognizee you – youu are a loom pair of cuppped hands and a sleeve tunnel. t It is importtant that yoou continue to take out the gerbil pups p at this stage of deevelopment. Take them m out a few times t a dayy – carefullyy! Take thee babies outt one at a tiime for onlyy a minute or two andd keep them cupped andd completelyy enclosed in two hand ds, so that thhey cannot ttake off.
After just a few days, the gerbils pups, now about 24 days d old, aree back to thheir old frien ndly selves.. At thiss point they y normally are calm and relaxeed and youu shouldnn't have to worry abouut them fallling or leap ping off off your haands. At this age try haandling them m when theey are mostt active, in the early evening. Rest your hand in th he tank andd when a pup climb bs on lift it up slowly.. If the pup p jumps offf lower itt slowly. When W you takke the pup oout, give him a minutee or two of fun out time, then put him back. Soon you shouldd have a line of pupss climbing onto o your hhand, up you ur arm, andd sitting on o your sho oulders. If your y parent ggerbils alreaady do this,, the pupps will follow w them righht up your aarm. Weaning and a Respirratory Infecction At about thhree weeks old the babbies will staart to nibblee at food. They T still require theeir mother's milk until almost a five weeks old. Weaning iss about a two week gradual proocess. You can feed thhe pups weaning food,, such as peeled sunnflower seedds, roasted peanut bitss, Chreerioss or Cornflaakes, oat meal oats (uncooked)), and soft seeds s such as canary seeds, s in adddition to their regulaar food. Thhere is nothiing cuter thaan a three week w old puup with a giant Cheeerio the size of a donuut between his paws. Make sure that the water bottlle is positiooned low enough e to the t ground that the baabies can reach it. You Y may waant to sprayy the side off the tank near n the watter bottle with drops of water too help teach the babies to drink fro om the water bottle. From threee to five weeks I start inntroducing some cardb board into thhe tanks. Tooilet tissue rolls r or halff paper toweel tubes andd small lighht boxes. Noote that a heeavy box orr a large boox filled witth litter cann crush and suffocate a pup who crawls c undeerneath. Reemove the bottom b of thhe boxes orr use boxess that willl be gnawed d up quicklyy. Sometim mes a pup may have trouble weeaning or may m duringg weaningg experiencce respiratoory infectionn. It is imp portant thatt you agggressively treat the problem rright away. Signs off respirattory infectio on are clickking (like thhe click of your y tonguee to the roof r of yourr mouth), heeavy breathhing (see sid des movingg in and out), pufffed fur, glaazed eyes, scrawny taail, loss off weight,, falling beh hind in grow wth from thee rest of the litter. My breediing emergency kit connsists of thhree things: 1) powereed kitten repllacement milk m and infant mediicine dispeenser or eyye dropper; 2) 2 A clam mp lamp with 40 watt grow w bulb. annd thermometter; and 3) Ornyacyclline (brand name for tetracycline) which is sold s in pet stores in the t bird seection. Treaat respiratorry infection by b warmingg one corneer of the tannk to no higher than 85 8 degrees F, kitten repllacement milk m feedinggs three times a day annd Ornacyclinne (use the dosage d for a small birdd) in the watterbottle with drops placeed from youur finger dirrectly onto the t pups lip ps three timees a day. Do not n mix thee milk and thhe medicateed water as the milk wiill lessen the effectivenes e ss of the meedicine.
If a pup staarts out as a runt or is losing grouund, supplem ment feed with w kitten m milk replacement. It iss difficult too supplemennt feed beffore the pupp is two- th hree weekss old. Makee sure to wipe w off thee excess milkk with a waarm damp paper towel; it dries likee cement. Separatingg and Placiing the Pup ps Usually whhen the pupps are abouut five weeeks old, a new n litter will w arrive. ((Though it may arrivee anytime frrom 4-8 weeks after thhe first litteer). You maay want to remove r som me or all pu ups to theirr own tank when w the mother m gerbiil looks verry heavy wiith the nextt litter. Mosst mother gerbils g don'tt mind havinng the olderr litter in thhe tank withh the youngeer one, but on occasionn a mother gerbil feelss stressed orr threatenedd by the older o pups and may attempt a to drive d them away. Sin nce there iss nowhere for fo the babiees to go (annd most baabies run rig ght back too mom for security), you y need too remove thee older pupss right awayy if this shouuld happen.. You can probably p leaave one or tw wo with thee mother. I recommend waiting g until sixx weeks to place the pups. Thee babies will be biggerr and strongger then, haave had a liittle time too adjust awaay from the parents, annd are easierr to sex. Att about fourr weeks boyy and girl geerbils look identical, i buut at five to o six weeks,, the testiclees on the maale gerbils will w becomee apparent. I always ask a anyone who handlles the pupps to wash their handss first. Wheen you plaace the pupps, give thheir new ow wners caree informationn (such as the t AGS paamphlet) andd some of th he weaningg mixed withh the adult gerbil g food.. Double cheeck the gennder of the pups p right before b you place p them. You may w want to ask k the personn to bring inn their gerbil housing seetup to makke sure it is complete and a everything is safe for f the new w babies. The Goldeen Rules off Gerbil Breeeding Breeding gerbils g remiinds me of the movie "Gremlins"" – there arre few hardd-and-fast ru ules. If youu follow thesse all is welll, but if nott – Big Trouuble. In sum mmary: o o o o o o o o o o o o o
Thee most impoortant factorr to successs is the selecction of youur breeding ppair Feeed a high quuality gerbill food (15% % protein) an nd provide water w at all times Creeate a low sttress enviroonment for them t that is conducive to breedingg Nevver breed with w more thhan one adullt female in n the tank Keeep the breedding tank veery simple Corrncob is thee safest beddding when breeding b Aftter the pups are born doo not to chaange anythin ng about thee environmeent Leaave the dad (or an older daughter) in with mom to raise the t babies Takke blind gerrbil pups ouut of the tankk completelly enclosed in two handds Hold blind gerrbil pups dirrectly on topp of a pillow w or blankeet Whhen pups firrst open theiir eyes they are very jitttery – be caareful with tthem Imm mediately trreat respirattory infectioon or slowed growth duuring weaniing Enjjoy the babiies – take thhem out for short positiive sessionss throughoutt puphood
Record Keeping: It's very important to develop a good record system. You can keep them in a notebook, or in a database on your computer. 1. Each Gerbils - their name, AGS registered number, date of birth, parents, color, genetics, breeding or non-breeding, who their cage mate or mate is, date of death if applicable, and cause. 2. Each Pairs - their names, AGS registration number, # of litters, AGS litter registration number, the number of pups in each litter, date of birth, colors, gestation period, survival rate. 3. Every Litter - AGS litter number, date of birth, parents, color, genetics, health, date of death if applicable, and cause. 4. Adopters - their name, address, phone #, email address (where applicable), what pup(s) they have, and any comments (like "they have a website"). 5. Pedigrees - keep a copy of the pedigree for each gerbil. Â