AG -- thanks for contributing your experience on female groups...
AG Wrote:
"I keep all females from litters together (and if there is just one or
two in a litter I will do like I described above to put them with
another litter where there are more girls.) This way, all females are
familiar with each other from birth. Then when they are old enough I
move all females from the litter to an all female cage. I have not had
any problems with fighting in such all female groups (and all male
groups likewise I have no problems with). ..I think another key too is
selection- breed girls that are more tolerant and don't breed ones that
are hostile."
I just read in an article on keeping laboratory gerbils that they were
keeping female groups as well. Given the large number of people who
report PAIRED females fighting, I wonder if it is more an issue of an
individual female's temperament versus the number that are together (??)
I am especially interested because I have a female group of four
together -- Mom, daughter from first litter (14 weeks), two daughters
from second litter (10 weeks). So far, so good. But I am wondering
when/if I'll have to split them into two pairs.
My question is (yes, I do have a question here):
What are GMLers experiences (good or bad) with keeping female groups of
more than two into maturity?
And when there was fighting, was the aggressor any better (that is, less
hostile) in a pair?
