Before even thinking about breeding gerbils, read this information and consider the pros and cons of breeding.
Gerbil breeding is not an easy thing to do. They may be little, but the responsibility and effort is not! Also, be sure to have plenty of homes lined up. Try not to sell to pet stores. You never know what kind of home will await your little babies.
Quick Facts:
Gerbils tend to be monogamous breeders (only breed with one mate)
Gerbils usually have between 3 and 6 pups per litter
Length of gestation (pregnancy): 24-27days
Length of nursing time: 28-50days
Litter frequency- every 4 or 6 weeks
Gerbils can have seven or more litters in a lifetime
Gerbils have, on average, thirty or more pups in a life time
The first thing you need to ask is�What are your goals?
If you plan to breed to make money, this is not the right profession. Breeding gerbils should have a goal that goes towards learning more about the little guys and strengthening the species as well.
Next, do you know and understand Gerbil Genetics?
You need to Learn Gerbil genectics to fully understand gerbil breeding.
Do you have time?
A lot of time is required for breeding gerbils. Planning for new pups, placing new and existing pups, and keeping up with superior attention takes a lot of time. Are you prepared to devote a good portion of your life to these gerbils?
Do you have money?
Unless you plan to charge $15.00 a gerbil you won�t be making money. You usually lose money instead of gain it, so make sure you have enough steady income to care for all of the fur-babies.
Do you have the room?
Gerbils can reproduce quickly, especially if you have more than one breeding pair. You need to have adequate room to accommodate the breeding rate.
Now, weigh the pros and cons of breeding. If you think you can handle this, proceed reading.
Choosing a pair:
Choosing a gerbil pair is highly based on their genetics and relation. It is best to breed unrelated gerbils. You can breed within the family up until the 3rd generation, after that your run the risk of high birth defects.
Babies:
Place the mother and father on Aspen if they aren�t already! Do this before birth, it will help keep the respiratory factor down in the babies.
When pups are born, do not take the father out! Unlike what the most Gerbil Books say, the father is helpful and is able to care for the pups when the mother needs to rest. The parents do not need to be separated at all (if there appears to be a disturbance after birth, wait and see what happens, if fighting occurs, it is ok to remove the male).
Do not handle the pups unless the mother is comfortable with your hands in the cage. If she isn�t comfortable she may attack you and/or her babies.
Pups should be separated from the parents around 5 weeks to 7 weeks of age. This will get them ready for adoption and also allow the mother to have a new litter if she is pregnant again.
This is only a quick over view of breeding. Please contact me if you need any other information.