My gerbils just gave birth to 7 babies last Saturday, so they are only about 4 days old.

In thier cage, there is a sattellite kind of thing attatched at the side, where the gerbils can run up a tube about 1.2 feet long to an area that is just a tube that goes around in a circle.

The day the babies were born, their mother took them all up to that area, and sat on top of them or in front of them, and started digging. Because of this, she would end up pushing them back down the tube (straight drop about 1.2 feet)! I thought they were all going to die because of this (the mom kept bringing them back up, and doing the same thing over and over again).

Well, four days later, they are all still alive. Mom has been feeding them, and dad built a nest later on in the first day on the bottom floor in a corner, that the babies have hardly left since.

But I have a few concerns I can't find answers to:

1.) Mom just brought them up to the top part, and i'm afraid of them falling back down. I'm also hoping she still wants them. Shouldn't she leave them in the nest instead of bringing them to a plastic tube? They are all alone right now for the past 5 minues...

2.) When should they be walking? They can kind of struggle around a bit. I am just hoping they aren't brain damaged or have broken limbs from the falls when they were only hours old...

3.) Am I able to touch them yet? I know my hands must be washed first.

And finally,
4.) Right before mother brought them to the top area 5 minutes ago, she had one in her mouth and started running on the wheel a few times, as the baby was crying. Is this normal?

I don't want the babies to die, espeically if it is just because the mom doesn't want to care for them. I am probably over reacting, as I felt this way as soon as they were born and they are all still alive right now. I just need some guidance and don't know where to get it... =( Help please!

Hi
I would google "Gerbil Forum" and ask someone on there. I doubt you're going to get any help here, all they do here is fight with one another. Good luck!

Very encouraging advice flowermom.

Perhaps google Richard Gere would be even more helpful.

-mod

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but the babies WILL die. Either they will die, or they will eat their parents and they will die. That's how they are. Nasty, nasty creatures. I had them when my kids were young..biggest mistake I ever made, Mom's ate babies, babies ate moms..etc, etc. Best thing you can do is to get rid of them and get some guinea pigs.

I am serious...

Is there anyone in the house who can give akanakin a plan of action other than 'the people on this forum are useless' or 'your pets will all eat each other'

-mod

OMG..excuse me for being honest your majesty!!!

This is a call for help from what I see.

-mod

Why don't you give us your infinite wisdom on the care of Gerbils? You can't becauese you've never had them..well I have. And I WAS giving honest advice. Stick that in your pipe and smoke it Blictor!

That's not advice CJK. That's your prediction.

-mod

here is a link on

http://www.abcgerbils.com/mybreeding.html Breeding Gerbils

and also Gerbil Care Handbook

Mod I hope this did not break any rules but the website stated not to copy their words without their permission

quote:

Originally posted by The Mod:
This is a call for help from what I see.

-mod

And members of this forum have had a call for help for a long time and you ignore them. You are the one that leaves the idiot here to post which has put this forum where it is today with all the fighting. How come you never answer your long time members yet a new person comes to post and you jump in and want to help? Where is your dedication to those that have been here for a long time?

quote:

Originally posted by Passion Wolf:
here is a link on

http://www.abcgerbils.com/mybreeding.html Breeding Gerbils

and also Gerbil Care Handbook

Mod I hope this did not break any rules but the website stated not to copy their words without their permission

Oh don't you worry, YOU are allowed to break every rule here and not have consequences. So nothing to worry about.

Sheltie thanks for your input on the subject of gerbils.

quote:

Originally posted by Sheltieluvr:

Oh don't you worry, YOU are allowed to break every rule here and not have consequences. So nothing to worry about.

First thing Akanakin is that I would not have different levels for the mom. The tube thing you talk about should be removed ASAP. If the babies pass there is nothing you can do. Probably be a good idea to find someone else that breeds gerbils before you have your next litter. Find some books and read up on it so you can do things perfectly for the babies.
CJK is not the first person I heard say about them eating each other so that is something you might want to take into consideration before perusing a next litter.

quote:

Originally posted by akanakin:
My gerbils just gave birth to 7 babies last Saturday, so they are only about 4 days old.

In thier cage, there is a sattellite kind of thing attatched at the side, where the gerbils can run up a tube about 1.2 feet long to an area that is just a tube that goes around in a circle.

The day the babies were born, their mother took them all up to that area, and sat on top of them or in front of them, and started digging. Because of this, she would end up pushing them back down the tube (straight drop about 1.2 feet)! I thought they were all going to die because of this (the mom kept bringing them back up, and doing the same thing over and over again).

Well, four days later, they are all still alive. Mom has been feeding them, and dad built a nest later on in the first day on the bottom floor in a corner, that the babies have hardly left since.

But I have a few concerns I can't find answers to:

1.) Mom just brought them up to the top part, and i'm afraid of them falling back down. I'm also hoping she still wants them. Shouldn't she leave them in the nest instead of bringing them to a plastic tube? They are all alone right now for the past 5 minues...

2.) When should they be walking? They can kind of struggle around a bit. I am just hoping they aren't brain damaged or have broken limbs from the falls when they were only hours old...

3.) Am I able to touch them yet? I know my hands must be washed first.

And finally,
4.) Right before mother brought them to the top area 5 minutes ago, she had one in her mouth and started running on the wheel a few times, as the baby was crying. Is this normal?

I don't want the babies to die, espeically if it is just because the mom doesn't want to care for them. I am probably over reacting, as I felt this way as soon as they were born and they are all still alive right now. I just need some guidance and don't know where to get it... =( Help please!

Hi, I am not sure if there is much I can do to help this litter. But I would suggest for now,
#1 remove the male. He should have been removed before she gave birth.

#2 remove the tube and any other attachments to the cage. That should of been removed before she gave birth.

#3 remove the wheel, again should have been removed before she gave birth.

#4 make sure there is plenty of food and water in the cage for Mom.

#5 keep your hands away from the babies until they have fur on them and they are walking around.

The babies take about two weeks to get their fur and start wobbling around the cage. Chances are they will be fine if the Mom is feeding them. She will not sit in the nest with them all the time. She is moving them around for a couple of reasons, one is because you have to much attached to the cage and two there may be to much activity outside the cage, and lastly it may be because the male is in the cage.

Gerbils will eat each other if the space they are in is overcrowded or they are not getting enough food or the proper food. Gerbils can be one of the best pets out of the rodent family if properly housed and cared for. Keeping the male and females seperate is important as they will mulitply quickly.

I would strongly suggest you get a book on raising Gerbils and read that and keep it on hand. Good Luck

*my expertise on the subject of Gerbils started when I was in the first grade!*

quote:

Originally posted by The Mod:
Is there anyone in the house who can give akanakin a plan of action other than 'the people on this forum are useless' or 'your pets will all eat each other'

-mod

I am sorry Mod, but CK is right. The situation that akanakin has discribed is a blood fest waiting to happen. The male will eat the babies. The Mom could start eating the babies if she feels trapped by the male. Over crowding and improper feed is two of the main reasons they will attack each other.

In the proper cage without the male and alot of outside interference the Mom would normally give birth and stay put. She would feed and clean each baby daily. If one died, the Mom would literally dig a hole at the other end of the cage and bury her baby. Gerbils are very tidy creatures. But when you don't know what you are doing and you just throw a male in to make babies without proper preperations you have a disaster in the making.

I will also add this. Some Gerbils are born loners. If you put a loner in with others there will be fights and death. One thing I forgot to add. When the Babies are big enough to feed on their own, they MUST be removed and put into their own cages. Two or Three gerbils can be kept in a large cage together. You can even keep several Gerbils in one cage so long as the cage is over 50 gals. They need their space two you know.

CK and SL.

quote:

Originally posted by akanakin:
My gerbils just gave birth to 7 babies last Saturday, so they are only about 4 days old.

In thier cage, there is a sattellite kind of thing attatched at the side, where the gerbils can run up a tube about 1.2 feet long to an area that is just a tube that goes around in a circle.

The day the babies were born, their mother took them all up to that area, and sat on top of them or in front of them, and started digging. Because of this, she would end up pushing them back down the tube (straight drop about 1.2 feet)! I thought they were all going to die because of this (the mom kept bringing them back up, and doing the same thing over and over again).

Well, four days later, they are all still alive. Mom has been feeding them, and dad built a nest later on in the first day on the bottom floor in a corner, that the babies have hardly left since.

But I have a few concerns I can't find answers to:

1.) Mom just brought them up to the top part, and i'm afraid of them falling back down. I'm also hoping she still wants them. Shouldn't she leave them in the nest instead of bringing them to a plastic tube? They are all alone right now for the past 5 minues...

2.) When should they be walking? They can kind of struggle around a bit. I am just hoping they aren't brain damaged or have broken limbs from the falls when they were only hours old...

3.) Am I able to touch them yet? I know my hands must be washed first.

And finally,
4.) Right before mother brought them to the top area 5 minutes ago, she had one in her mouth and started running on the wheel a few times, as the baby was crying. Is this normal?

I don't want the babies to die, espeically if it is just because the mom doesn't want to care for them. I am probably over reacting, as I felt this way as soon as they were born and they are all still alive right now. I just need some guidance and don't know where to get it... =( Help please!

I used to raise rats and hamsters so I know a little about rodents. If she didn't want them she would eat them. My rats never ate their babies but the hamsters have, and watch out for the father because he might eat the too!
Seems like the mother is just finding a place that she wants them to be and she likes the top thing. You should seperate the mother and father. CJK is right they are nasty and eat each other. If you want a nice small pet you shoudl get a rat, they are very friendly and get attached to you. Hamsters are like demons!! LOL

Well, I apologize if my response sounded a bit harsh, but after what I went through with mine, I just can't stand them! And maybe it was because I didn't know what I was doing. Because I didn't.

I bought two cute little gerbils for my kids because the house we rented did not allow regular pets (like dogs or cats), so I thought how cute it would be to have a couple of them. Had no idea what sex they were...pet store people had no idea what sex they were. So just as my luck would have it, I ended up with one of each.

I also had the cute little Habitrail set up for them with the tubes and wheels, etc, etc.

I come home from work one day to discover 4 little babies in the cage. I was thrilled!! Oh how cute they were!! Came home from work 3 days later and they were gone. Totally vanished. Unless they had been beamed up by some alien spaceship, it was pretty easy to figure out that either mom or dad had eaten the babies. Made me sick to my stomach.

I didn't know any better about separating them. Yea, stupid, I know but this was 20 years ago and I had no clue about breeding or even animals in general.

So I just figured that maybe there was something wrong with the babies and that's why it happened.

So a few months later, I come home to another group of babies...this time they did not get eaten. Mom just decided to eat dad instead. Believe me, it was not a pretty sight considering she left his head lying in there for my kids to find!!

So I decided to keep one of the babies because it was our favorite. I gave the others away.

About a month later I came home to find mom...or what used to be mom as there was nothing left of her but her rear end and tail. And her son sitting there beaming up at me! I literally threw up I was so disgusted..That was it for me! I was so repulsed I couldn't even look at him.

I took his ungrateful ass and threw him out my back door right into a snow drift! Yep, I sure did. Now of course that was a knee jerk reaction and once I calmed down I felt really bad and tried to find him but I never did.

But to be honest, I didn't lose much sleep over it. Now if that were to happen today, I am sure I would react much differently..but I don't have to worry about that because you couldn't pay me to have another one..Yuck..ungrateful little brat!!

OMG CK, I thought it would be safe to read you post while drinking my coffee. I had a mouth full when I came to this part;

quote:

Came home from work 3 days later and they were gone. Totally vanished. Unless they had been beamed up by some alien spaceship,

LMAOROTF I near choked to death. I got through it and put the coffee down as I continued. Yup sounds like a typical first time experience with Gerbils. LMAO

I won my first Gerbil when I was 6 in the 2nd grade. I had gone home and told my mom I need a note to tell my teacher i could have an ostrich. LOL She called my teacher to find out what I was talking about.

I only had the one and she was a girl about 2 years old her name was ginger, I had her for another 2 years. I came home from school one day and found her dead in her cage stuck in the bars of the cage. I tell people to this day that she had gotten out and my cat was trying to help her get back into the cage. That is my story and I am sticking to it. I loved her soooo much.

Many years later, I got more gerbils, books, cages, everything you need. I put my boy and girl together for a few nights, I wanted lots of gerbils. Before I knew it I had lots and lots of Gerbils. All was great except I no longer had a hallway to walk through.

A friend of mine worked in W. Brookfield Ma at a Gerbil farm. They were for research. In that place if a Gerbil fell to the floor it was to be exterminated by boot! Well my friend was like me, she would sneak them out of there and bring them home. Soon she started bringing them to me. Poor things I thought. Well I had one that was blond and huge. It was MEAN with beady eyes. I would have to have my cat sit at one end of the cage to distract the demon so I could feed and water it. I couldn't kill it and I hated it. Well I also used to give my gerbils tolit paper rolls to play with. I found the demon one day dead stuck in the paper roll. Seems the idiot climbed in and had a snack and was to fat to get out. Ah problem solved there.

Well, I kept the males in one tank and females in the other tank. One beautiful spring day I came home to find a blood bath in the boys tank. Yes sooooooo gross. I threw the tank and all in the dump. I still had my girls and they were thriving. Ya until one summer night when one girl had babies. I got her out with the babies and then went through all of them to find the daddy. They are hard to sex. Got him and then thought that was the end of it. Ummmm Nope. Seems he was busy in there. Over a 3 day period I had 3 more litters in there and the fights began with the last litter. Yes I took each set out as I found them. But there was one mom that had buried her babies and I didn't find them right away. I came home to a war. I said that is it. I took the tank and brought it up on the hill by a stream and tipped it on its side. I then went and got all other cages with Gerbils and did the same thing. I went up there once a day to through out food for them all. I was also in my 20's and I did have some idea of how to care for them and sex them. But I wasn't as good as I thought I was. Hence, I don't have Gerbils anymore.

LMAO, well now I don't feel so bad. I guess I'm not the only one who "disposed" of the creatures in a not-so-friendly manner.

However, I am happy to hear that I learned my lesson with the little demons long before you did! HAHA