lillyorchid
New member
Any one ever breed / feed their snake a gerbil?
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Gerbils?
- Thread starter lillyorchid
- Start date
BabyMowgli
just one more....
i fed gerbil pinks a few times. I work at a pet store and two of our gerbils had babies, so I took the pinkies cause we didn't need anymore at the store. My snakes at them just fine then went back to mice pinks when the gerbils were gone. I don't think they noticed the difference. lol
schilsound
getting out of hand.
We have a pied ball that won't eat anything else, so right now we have 5 trays of them.
They are stunningly cute, look like micro-mini prarie dogs, and if I breed them much longer I will fall totally and completely in love with them and have some serious doubts about my ability to feed them off. . .
. . . that being said the python loves them as much as a room full of sugar-craving enjoys a palletload of strawberry pop-tarts airlifted into their classroom.
Crunchy snake treats with a sweet disposition, as it were.
'nuff said. . .
They are stunningly cute, look like micro-mini prarie dogs, and if I breed them much longer I will fall totally and completely in love with them and have some serious doubts about my ability to feed them off. . .
. . . that being said the python loves them as much as a room full of sugar-craving enjoys a palletload of strawberry pop-tarts airlifted into their classroom.
Crunchy snake treats with a sweet disposition, as it were.
'nuff said. . .
mike17l
Self-Admitted Duckoholic
I have used them in the past to get stubborn eaters eating. I used one as a first meal for a huge female WC Transpecos Rat Snake, after that she more readily took mice. I have also used them to get a ball python, that had been off feed for about 11 months, to start eating again. But you do have to be careful as some snakes will develope a tast for them and refuse mice.
lillyorchid
New member
schilsound said:
Do they smell?
lillyorchid said:
As far as I remember, No, they don't!
I had Mongolian Gerbils as a kid and the main reason my parents allowed me to have them was because of the mild smell they produce.
I'm currently making some room so that I can go down to the pet shop later to get a couple. I only have one cornsnake to take care of so my plan is to them breed for a few month until I have enough to last me for about a year.
Rinse, repeat...
Almost forgot to mention
More Mongolian Gerbil Info
More Mongolian Gerbil Info
Breeding Gerbils
I bought two today, here are the details:
Project Overview:
After a lot of research I decided to purchase a pair of gerbils, allow them to breed and feed their offspring to my Corn Snake.
Gerbils are not "high production" animals like mice or rats, if they are kept for breeding you should only keep one male with one female, if more females are kept together, fights are likely to start between rivaling females which can be bloody and deadly. Since I have only one corn snake, so far, I'm quite confident that my pair of gerbils will be able to feed my snake and allow me to store extras in the freezer. When finished, this guide will contain information and my personal experience on how to breed gerbils and humane killing methods to allow storage in the freezer.
I will also test if breeding is a cheaper alternative compared to purchasing mice locally ($1 - $5) or on the Internet ( $0.25 - $0.50 + ~$30 Shipping).
Gerbil Basics:
Here are some important points everybody should know before attempting to breed gerbils.
- Almost no smell, this is why I'm trying this.
- A couple should be housed in a 10+ gallon tank since they like to run.
- Live span 2-4 years
- Weight 2-4 oz (31g-124g)
- Length body ~4 inches (10cm) + tail almost the same as body length
- Breeding Age: 10-12 weeks
- Gestation period, 23-28 days
- Estrous cycle 4 - 6 weeks
- Litter size 3 - 7
- Can produce litters every 30 - 40 days
- Temperature 68 - 85F (20 - 25C)
- eyes open 12 - 14 days, weaning ~25 days (size at each stage will be updated when data comes available)
- Females are fertile for about 18 months, males +24 months
- Feed 15% protein diet for breeding (http://www.agsgerbils.org/Gerbil_Care_Handbook/breeding.html)
ROAD TRIP:
Now that the basics are covered, it's time to find a pair of gerbils. This apparently easy task turned out to be a lot harder then I would have imagined!
Ryan and I started the search at Pet Land, no Gerbils here but an employee referred us to go to Pet Kingdom. Off to Pet Kingdom in Fort Myers, Florida we went.
As soon as I opened the door I told my friend, that I will not buy anything here because the place reminded me of a bazaar, not a pet shop. It was loud, kids where taking animals out of the cages without supervision, ... - I was stressed, I don't even want to know how the animals feel in that environment.
Next stop PETsMART, they have Gerbils but only females
, if I wanted a male I would have to drive to Naples which is about one hour away
Last stop PetCo, the PetCo here in Fort Myers is clean and their service is good. They usually don't sell Gerbils but somebody just dropped three males off which are supposed to be about a month old. After confirming that they are males, I bought one, some food and a water bottle. I later noticed that I was not charged for the male Gerbil, maybe because it was dropped off by someone who did not want them anymore.
Back to PETsMART to get one of their females, I picked a black female which is a little smaller then the male but the largest one they had at the store. I asked for the age of the female but the girl did not know it. Due to the size of the male and because females are supposed to be a bit smaller then males I assume that she is about a month old as well.
Cost:
1x Sterlite Tub - I had from an earlier project, source Walmart (I'll get the price the next time I'm there)
1x Aspen Snake bedding - I bought this some time ago ~$7
1x Timber Hide $3.99 - PETsMART
1x Gerbil Female $8.99 - PETsMART
1x 8oz Water Bottle $4.49 - PETCO
1x 5# Hamster/Gerbil Mix $5.49 - PETCO
1x Gerbil Male No Charge - PETCO
Total Cost estimate with tub ~ $35
Introducing the new couple:
Back at home, I prepared the tub by splitting it in the middle with screen. This is done to allow the new Gerbils to get to know each other before placing them in a tank together. Just placing them in a tank without some preparation time will most likely start a fight. To avoid this, remove all toys and food. Split the cage in the middle with a material that will allow them to smell and see each other but not touch each other, screen or small meshed fence will work. Use two pieces of fence to create a gap between the two cage halves so that they can't reach each other. Here is an example
Source: http://www.twinsqueaks.com/
Keep one gerbil on each side for a few hours, then switch sides. This will allow them to get used to the other's smell.
Mine never showed any signs of aggression towards each other so I held her in my leather glove covered hands and showed her to him, they touched noses an that was it. Since I could not see any signs of aggression I released the female from my hand and watched them for a few hours, ready to break up any fights. The worst "fight" I saw was the female explaining the meaning of "NO means NO" to the male who has been trying to mount her for a while. After 30 minutes I gave them their wooden house which was claimed right away by the female, the male had to stay outside for the next 4-5 hours. I noticed that the female is making a squeaking sound when the male comes to close to her while she is in her house, probably scared.
It is 11:30pm now and the male is allowed to come into the house when they get scared while they are exploring their new home. The female has now stopped squeaking, I'd say they are fine.
I will report back once I see signs of offspring, I will also create a projects page soon where you can find more updates http://www.network-technologies.org/
The young couple! Black is the female, cream/white is the male. This is about 30-40 minutes after introduction.
He already wants some ....
Jacky, my Jack Russel Terrier, would like to join the action. It's odd, my dog is more stressed then the new couple.
The Velcro straps keep the lid on.
---
Skylinux
Network-Technologies.org
I bought two today, here are the details:
Project Overview:
After a lot of research I decided to purchase a pair of gerbils, allow them to breed and feed their offspring to my Corn Snake.
Gerbils are not "high production" animals like mice or rats, if they are kept for breeding you should only keep one male with one female, if more females are kept together, fights are likely to start between rivaling females which can be bloody and deadly. Since I have only one corn snake, so far, I'm quite confident that my pair of gerbils will be able to feed my snake and allow me to store extras in the freezer. When finished, this guide will contain information and my personal experience on how to breed gerbils and humane killing methods to allow storage in the freezer.
I will also test if breeding is a cheaper alternative compared to purchasing mice locally ($1 - $5) or on the Internet ( $0.25 - $0.50 + ~$30 Shipping).
Gerbil Basics:
Here are some important points everybody should know before attempting to breed gerbils.
- Almost no smell, this is why I'm trying this.
- A couple should be housed in a 10+ gallon tank since they like to run.
- Live span 2-4 years
- Weight 2-4 oz (31g-124g)
- Length body ~4 inches (10cm) + tail almost the same as body length
- Breeding Age: 10-12 weeks
- Gestation period, 23-28 days
- Estrous cycle 4 - 6 weeks
- Litter size 3 - 7
- Can produce litters every 30 - 40 days
- Temperature 68 - 85F (20 - 25C)
- eyes open 12 - 14 days, weaning ~25 days (size at each stage will be updated when data comes available)
- Females are fertile for about 18 months, males +24 months
- Feed 15% protein diet for breeding (http://www.agsgerbils.org/Gerbil_Care_Handbook/breeding.html)
ROAD TRIP:
Now that the basics are covered, it's time to find a pair of gerbils. This apparently easy task turned out to be a lot harder then I would have imagined!
Ryan and I started the search at Pet Land, no Gerbils here but an employee referred us to go to Pet Kingdom. Off to Pet Kingdom in Fort Myers, Florida we went.
As soon as I opened the door I told my friend, that I will not buy anything here because the place reminded me of a bazaar, not a pet shop. It was loud, kids where taking animals out of the cages without supervision, ... - I was stressed, I don't even want to know how the animals feel in that environment.
Next stop PETsMART, they have Gerbils but only females
, if I wanted a male I would have to drive to Naples which is about one hour away Last stop PetCo, the PetCo here in Fort Myers is clean and their service is good. They usually don't sell Gerbils but somebody just dropped three males off which are supposed to be about a month old. After confirming that they are males, I bought one, some food and a water bottle. I later noticed that I was not charged for the male Gerbil, maybe because it was dropped off by someone who did not want them anymore.
Back to PETsMART to get one of their females, I picked a black female which is a little smaller then the male but the largest one they had at the store. I asked for the age of the female but the girl did not know it. Due to the size of the male and because females are supposed to be a bit smaller then males I assume that she is about a month old as well.
Cost:
1x Sterlite Tub - I had from an earlier project, source Walmart (I'll get the price the next time I'm there)
1x Aspen Snake bedding - I bought this some time ago ~$7
1x Timber Hide $3.99 - PETsMART
1x Gerbil Female $8.99 - PETsMART
1x 8oz Water Bottle $4.49 - PETCO
1x 5# Hamster/Gerbil Mix $5.49 - PETCO
1x Gerbil Male No Charge - PETCO
Total Cost estimate with tub ~ $35
Introducing the new couple:
Back at home, I prepared the tub by splitting it in the middle with screen. This is done to allow the new Gerbils to get to know each other before placing them in a tank together. Just placing them in a tank without some preparation time will most likely start a fight. To avoid this, remove all toys and food. Split the cage in the middle with a material that will allow them to smell and see each other but not touch each other, screen or small meshed fence will work. Use two pieces of fence to create a gap between the two cage halves so that they can't reach each other. Here is an example
Source: http://www.twinsqueaks.com/
Keep one gerbil on each side for a few hours, then switch sides. This will allow them to get used to the other's smell.
Mine never showed any signs of aggression towards each other so I held her in my leather glove covered hands
and showed her to him, they touched noses an that was it. Since I could not see any signs of aggression I released the female from my hand and watched them for a few hours, ready to break up any fights. The worst "fight" I saw was the female explaining the meaning of "NO means NO" to the male who has been trying to mount her for a while. After 30 minutes I gave them their wooden house which was claimed right away by the female, the male had to stay outside for the next 4-5 hours. I noticed that the female is making a squeaking sound when the male comes to close to her while she is in her house, probably scared.It is 11:30pm now and the male is allowed to come into the house when they get scared while they are exploring their new home. The female has now stopped squeaking, I'd say they are fine.
I will report back once I see signs of offspring, I will also create a projects page soon where you can find more updates http://www.network-technologies.org/
The young couple! Black is the female, cream/white is the male. This is about 30-40 minutes after introduction.
He already wants some ....
Jacky, my Jack Russel Terrier, would like to join the action. It's odd, my dog is more stressed then the new couple.
The Velcro straps keep the lid on.
---
Skylinux
Network-Technologies.org
The one caution id give is gerbils love to chew. If there is any place on that tub that they can get their teeth into they will be out and in the walls in no time. This is why gerbils tend to be kept in aquariums.
The hole in the side of the tub for the water bottle is a perfect example of a place for them to chew through. Also any ledges, indents, projections, defects, etc.
I do breed gerbils ... however their reproduction rate is so slow (at least 5 weeks between litters) and so small (usually 2-4 babies) that it is not cost effective to raise them.
Gerbils are considered a loss product in the pet store trade. The gerbils themselves are sold at a loss (even at $6.00 each) and the profit comes from supplies needed to keep them.
Bryan
The hole in the side of the tub for the water bottle is a perfect example of a place for them to chew through. Also any ledges, indents, projections, defects, etc.
I do breed gerbils ... however their reproduction rate is so slow (at least 5 weeks between litters) and so small (usually 2-4 babies) that it is not cost effective to raise them.
Gerbils are considered a loss product in the pet store trade. The gerbils themselves are sold at a loss (even at $6.00 each) and the profit comes from supplies needed to keep them.
Bryan
Thanks, I'll keep an eye out for any signs of them getting through the tub. I will move them into my 10 Gallon tank as soon as my corn snake is big enough which has been my plan from the beginning.
Since I will document all the money I spent on them I will be able to compare them to other food sources. If they do end up being more expensive, I will try other rodents such as hamsters and eventually rats.
Since I will document all the money I spent on them I will be able to compare them to other food sources. If they do end up being more expensive, I will try other rodents such as hamsters and eventually rats.
Colleen360
New member
My Jack Russell, Colton, loves to watch the mice and hamster. He jumps up and down non-stop hoping that maybe the glass will just magically disappear so that he can get them. My other JR, Rose, would love to just cuddle with all the other animals. She doesn't even care about the snakes, just sniffs them. The two are complete opposites!
King21
New member
Skylinux-
I have three gerbils, but not for breeding. All female. I am extremely surprised at how fast you were able to introduce them. When I introduced mine together, I have to use the plit cage method for three dyas and even that was fast! I have heard it takes anywhere from 5 days to a month to introduce them sometimes! Just to be safe I would continue to monitor them and check for signs of an injury form fighting (loss of fur, blood, etc.) I also agree with Ratsicles that you need to watch out for chewing. If they were to start making a holw somewhere they could be out in minutes! I have had it happen before. Gerbils can chew much faster than you think! But you will probably learn through trial and error like I did. Good Luck!
I have three gerbils, but not for breeding. All female. I am extremely surprised at how fast you were able to introduce them. When I introduced mine together, I have to use the plit cage method for three dyas and even that was fast! I have heard it takes anywhere from 5 days to a month to introduce them sometimes! Just to be safe I would continue to monitor them and check for signs of an injury form fighting (loss of fur, blood, etc.) I also agree with Ratsicles that you need to watch out for chewing. If they were to start making a holw somewhere they could be out in minutes! I have had it happen before. Gerbils can chew much faster than you think! But you will probably learn through trial and error like I did. Good Luck!
They are a pair now, I'm sure.King21 said:
I was unaware of how much they care for each other. Every once in a while I can watch them clean each other. Today the female was on her back while the male was licking her ear, throat and belly. Unfortunately my camera has a very hard time focusing on the female's shiny black coat or I would post a picture.
I believe the reason the introduction went so smooth is because they are about a month old. Other Gerbil websites suggested that the problems start after 5-12 weeks of age.
I have seen some breeding wooden racks on this site and I believe I will build one, if I use concrete tubs without edges I should not have any escape problems. The water bottle and food will come from above and since I only plan on having three tubs I can still provide them with quality living space.
First Tub for Mother and Father
Second Tub for females
Third Tub for males
Fourth Tub is for low temperature hibernation.
King21
New member
Are you sure about the age of your gerbils? I have had gerbils that are 1 month old and they were VERY small. I would say between one to two inches in body length with another 1-2 inches for the tail. Yours look to be about 3-4 inches plus tail. At that size they would almost be considered full grown. Just from the pics I'd say they look to be between 9-12 months old. could you possibly get a pic with a ruler or something of size reference in it? That would help.Skylinux said:
Actually they DEFINITELY are much older than one month. (I just took a look at the pic with them and the toilet paper roll.)
Skylinux said:
Breeding racks would be cool and very worth it but no one has figured out how to do that. So for now I meant "wodden rodent breeding racks"
:cheers:
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Skylinux
Network-Technologies.org
SnowCorn87
Corny
I used to breed gerbils for pets for a long time. I loved gerbils because they were so much more interactive than hamsters were. But they would not let you sleep a bit. I finally got out of them because they were just too noisy. They tend to dig a lot because they are a burrowing animal. They will scratch at the corners of their enclosure for hours and hours on end. Great pets, but they are very noisy.
Yes they only sleep about an hour then make noise until they get tired and it all starts over again. Since I have a spot out of the way it is ok.
But I am happy to report first signs of reproduction
The female has moved her tail up when approached by the male, an invitation he could not refuse. I left them alone but left the door open and I could hear the male drumming with his legs to show his excitement. So I should be able to report back in about 25 days with updates.
But I am happy to report first signs of reproduction
The female has moved her tail up when approached by the male, an invitation he could not refuse. I left them alone but left the door open and I could hear the male drumming with his legs to show his excitement. So I should be able to report back in about 25 days with updates.
It is now 25 days later and I'm happy to report that my female gave birth to 8 little gerbils. So far they all seem alive and well.
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Skylinux
Network-Technologies.org - Breeding Gerbils Project
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Skylinux
Network-Technologies.org - Breeding Gerbils Project