Rogelio Garza wrote:
>
> In a message dated 3/20/00 6:47:30 PM Central Standard Time,
> [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
>
> << Folks who are too lazy to read the FAQ,
> which they have easy access to >>
>
> Some 'folks' realize that there may be several opinions on a given subject.
> Just because it is on an FAQ list doesn't mean that that is the only way to
> approach a problem. I'm thinking that this list is for the discussion of
> those different ways. I recall a section in the rules of the GML that says
> that the GML would never come to a consenus on how to care for gerbils. This
> is just a very good example of that.
I agree.
>
> A few thoughts on weaning:
> The mom should know what to do, its instinct. There has been mention on this
> list of young females helping her mom with the kids, and getting experience
> with them. First time females sometimes have problems, right? Another
> thing... somebody made the point that the gerbils in the wild don't have any
> help with pups and don't have little plastic water bottles. What immedeately
> came to mind was that gerbils in the wild also have a wider variety of foods
> to eat, and perhaps the females have 'cravings' for certain things, to keep
> the litter's and her own health up. In captivity, one provides the basic
> food and maybe some treats. During the later part of child rearing, I would
> think of adding some extra foods that usually aren't fed. Foods that would
> help the female in producing quality milk and keep her own strength up to
> putting up with bouncing fuzzies with tails. Milk soaked bread, for the
> babies to start getting a feel for eating solid food. At least something
> easier for them to get eating. Just because you aren't physically helping
> along the female to wean the pups, there are things one could do to make it
> easier for her. After all, isn't that what one should do in return for
> sacrificing the animals freedom? Give it the best care possible? Another
> thing that crossed my mind is that I'm sure that in the in the wild the
> entire litter does not survive.
I was about to point that out. I am sure there are many
more losses in the wild. And I don't see anything wrong
with a few things like you have mentioned above, to help the
mother out.
As far as running on the wheel goes, when my breeding female
started running on her wheel with a pup in her mouth, I took
the wheel out. I took her from the tank for a little every
day instead for her exercise. It worked quite well and none
of the pups got injured from flying around in a wheel. They
can do what they will do in the wild, but while they are
under my care I will do everything in my power to prevent
injury/illness.
And BTW I have observed gerbils raising families enough to
see how much behavior is learned (quite a bit!)
--
Tana and The Little Rascals
http://thesanctuary.tripod.com
http://gerbils.freehosting.net
http://www.geocities.com/tinypaws68/
