new gerbils

[Bluebeard]

a pair of my gerbils had a litter back on the 21st, and they're just strating to hair out, i figured i'd post some pics of one of them.

[mrweaw]

Hello!

Cute little guy. I used to breed mice but did not like them at all. They killed and ate one another for no apparent reason and smelled aweful no matter how many times I cleaned the cage. I lived in CA then and could not have gerbils but now I live in OR. Do you find that they behave like mice?

Also, does anyone know of a good substrate for reducing rodent smell? I heard of some kind of pellets here before but can't remember what they are.

Thanks,
Erin

[Bluebeard]

i've never had mice, but from what i hear they're nothing like mice, Gerbils are aperently really good parents, i think one of my pairs ate theiir first litter but i'm not sure i never actuly saw them if they had any or not, but thats usely the first time only, they have smaller litters than mice, and don't really smell much at all, as for substrate for rodents i've heard corn cob is good for absorbing the smell, i think there was a thread on it little while ago.

[TripleMoonsExotic]

Gerbils have a lot smaller litters then mice...but do not smell near as bad. I've found that Gerbils are a lot more intelligent the mice as well. :)

I use Yesterdays News (found at PETsMART/PetCo) to reduce smell and also keep a deoderizer in the room. Seems to help considerably. I clean my colonies out once a week.

[akaangela]

can you house a male and female in the same cage? I was told the male will eat the babies? I am thinking of breeding them and I have a female, looking for a male but dont have the space to have two cages with only one animal in them.

[Bluebeard]

if your talking gerbils there , its actuly the other way around the female is the domonate sex and the male will actuly do most of the careing for other than nursing them, rarely will either male nor female will eat the babys, and usely on her first litter.

[Acradon]

My curent litter is six! Thats the first one of this couple. Both (male and female) equally care for the young. The father will not harm the babies under normal circumstances. Don't handle the young ones in the first two weeks though. A young with an unfimiliar smell can be rejected and also sometimes killed.

Acradon

[reptile_addict]

Hello!

Cute little guy. I used to breed mice but did not like them at all. They killed and ate one another for no apparent reason and smelled aweful no matter how many times I cleaned the cage. I lived in CA then and could not have gerbils but now I live in OR. Do you find that they behave like mice?

Also, does anyone know of a good substrate for reducing rodent smell? I heard of some kind of pellets here before but can't remember what they are.

Thanks,
Erin

I use some kind of stuff. Its like little rocks and it has little greenish bluish rocks in it. It smells minty. Its in a Greenish bag and it has a rabbit on the front and some more animals. Opps, just found it http://www.petsmart.com/global/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=84552444180 5368&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302026327&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=2534374302023695&bmUID=1114213860246