Cage--for one pair of my gerbils, I use a 20 gallon sterilite container with holes punched all around for good circulation. I use storage containers, because you can get big ones for low prices. I also make sure they are see-through, so I can see them, without actually opening the top. My other pair have a ten gallon tank. The babies are split boys/girls into 15 gallon cages, and the two little DEH boys I'm keeping are in a wire cage about the size of a ten gallon tank.
Bedding--I use aspen, and I mix corncob with it. I never had problems with pine, but I decided not to take risks, because now my gerbils are having babies. Respiratory problems effect the babies more. I also put pieces of tissue and paper towels for them to shred up and sleep on.
Toys--I put TP rolls and I make little houses out of those triangle shaped Priority Mail boxes. They're really long, so I make about 5 or 6 out of each one. They also like to play with treat sticks and dog biscuits. It takes them hours to chew on and they get something to eat at the same time.
I feed my gerbils the regular gerbil food that you can buy. If it has too many sunflower seeds, though, I pick those out. I also give them treat sticks and dog biscuits. I try to every day give them lettuce and carrots and occasionally apples and peeled grapes. They also like crackers, or pieces of toast. I try to give them a little of something from the bread group if I'm eating it at the same time. I try to avoid meat, not because it's bad for them, but because I'm scared that they might began to like the taste of flesh, and turn into cannibals.
Once, I was so mad at a pet store. I bought those treat sticks I mentioned earlier, and when I took it out and broke it into pieces so every cage gets some, the middle was full of maggots! I was so grossed out! I don't know if they were maggots for sure, but they were little worm things. My poor gerbils didn't get treat sticks until I found another place where they sell them.
My very first breeding pair was bought together, so I didn't have to do the split cage method. Right away, they began to gather nesting materials and made a nice nest. I put the cage in a quiet, warm room, only disturbing them to feed them and change their water.
Most gestation periods last around 24 days. Within a few weeks of when I got them, they had four wiggly pink things in their nest! I thought they were the cutest things! The father would keep them warm while the mother was gone, then they'd switch places for her to nurse them. At five weeks of age, I put the four males in a seperate cage. Usually, you should leave them in for six weeks, but the mother was expecting another litter (which was born two days ago) and she kept chasing them out of the nest. If your mother gerbil doesn't chase them away, they can stay and might even help with the babies.
My other breeding pair was seperated when I got them. I didn't use the split cage, because I was unaware of it. But, they were about half a year old, and they got along fine. Same as above, they had seven little pink things.
My Litters Developments
My first litter had four babies. They opened their ears appox. 3 days of age. At 15 days, three opened eyes (first one, then the other eye). At 16 days, the runt finally opened his eyes (he's my favorite!). You can see the fur show up around five days, so I could tell there was two DEH and two agouti. But, even before the fur, the skin was darker for the agouti, so I could kind of tell then, too. At 18 days, they began to nibble on things, but continued to nurse. At four weeks, they became independent, but should be kept with parents for an extra two weeks. But, I took them out at that time for specific reasons.
Second litter of seven. Right away, I could tell three were dark skinned and dark eyed, and that four were light skinned and red eyed like their mother. I could tell specific colors at about a week (you can see them at my adoption page). At 16 days old, the black baby opened his eys, and creme spot had one open. Nobody opened any at 17 days, and on their 18th day, the creme spot opened his other eye, argente creme spot opened both, agouti opened both, slate opened one, and a creme argente opened one. At 19 days, the creme argente opened both, the slate opened both, and the remaining creme argente opened one, but probably the other by the end of the day. At five weeks, I put all the babies in a twenty gallon tank. The mother had six more a couple of days after I moved the pups. At six weeks, I seperated the babies into boy/girl into two seperate 15 gallon cages.
Third litter of two. Same parents as first litter. Could tell right away that there was one agouti and one DEH by skin color. They are only three days old. They also have dark eyes because you can see the black spots where their eyes are. Unfortunately, they have all passed on.
11/06/99 a litter of six were born to Pumpkin and Gizmo. Unfortunately, the agouti spot passed away at a couple of days old. I could tell colors at about one week of age. At 17 days, the gray agouti spot opened his left eye, the agouti his left, the REW had both eyes open, and the cream spot had right eye open. At 18 days, the gray agouti spot opened his right, the agouti his right, the cream spot her left, and the cream still had no eyes open. At 20-21 days, the cream had both eyes open.
