Male Gerbil just given birth!

[nutmeg]

Same old story. One of the young people that my husband supports has two male gerbils and one has just had two babies. I don't know how best to advise him other than, take out the real male. Sex the babies when old enough, and put boys with dad and girls with mum. How soon can the boys become sexually active? Is it around 3 weeks same as pigs? Anyone got any piccies of boy bits and girl bits so he can hopefully identify them. Thanks. xx

 

[Claire W]

Oh dear mallethead I think that they need to be separated quite early but I am not sure what age. A gerbil can be sold from 6 weeks.

This website may help you to sex them although it can take a while for their bits to fully develop http://www.egerbil.com/sexing.html

 

[Claire W]

Just to add that the scent gland on a male is normally bigger tha on a female. The scent gland is on the gerbils belly xx

 

[zombieprincess]

Too my knowledge gerbils like hamsters or rats can live with their mother up to about 6 weeks old - do know a lady who used to breed gerbils so i will send her a message to see what age she seperated from mum, gerbils can actually regulate when they breed and if a female is not in a situation/environment where shes comfortable enough to get pregnant she wont, not that I'm suggesting that its ok to keep dad there, but back to back breeding is not so common in gerbs x.

 

[zombieprincess]

I've just found this website http://www.gerbilbreeding.com/sexing.htm it has pictures of 11 day old pups of both sex so actually quite use full as they arent furry! You can really see the difference.

I asked my friend and she said she keep all pups with their mum until they are 6 weeks, and if theres any other questions she'll be happy to answer them if i pass them on to her