Gerbil breeding

Question
Hi, I just wanted to give you an update... it has been 4 and a half weeks now and all the babies are doing great.  They are so cute, how long can I keep them all in the same cage with the mom?  they are weaned correct?? they eat the food now and drink from the water bottle so I am asuming they are ok to start giving away to the anyone of my kids friends that would like one or two. Also I will donate the rest to the pet store because I can't keep to cages right now in my house so is ok that I do that? will they be ok without the mother? thanks for all you advice it has really helped me
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Just so I have this clear, If I want to keep the mom and the dad and one baby I should keep a male baby? or are you saying I have to only keep the dad and a male or a mom and a female?
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Ok I know I have a lot of questions but , you have been very helpful and I just want to be responsible and make the right discissions for my gerbils. When you mean split them up  so they don't inter breed, do I have time? How long do they start breeding again? I was also thinking about just keeping one and giving the others either back to the pet store or some of my children's friends would like to take one or two of them. If I keep one and it is a female will the father try to breed with the baby? sorry for all the questions and I probably will have more, I hope you don't mind. Thanks again for all the help, the babies are looking great they have fuzz and they are very active and cute. The mother is finially doing a great job.
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thank you so much for your help, when you say the babies are old enough, when is that?  how long do they nurse?
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HELLO, I HAD WRITTEN ALL LAST MONTH ABOUT MY GERBILS AND YOU REALLY HELPED ME OUT. I HAVE TAKEN YOU ADVISE, MY GERBILS HAD 5 BABIES AND TOOK OUT THE MALE RIGHT AFTER SHE GAVE BIRTH. HE IS IN A GLASS TANK NEXT TO HER, I TOOK OUT THE FUN ZONE UPSTAIRS AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT SHE IS ACTUALLY TAKING CARE OF HER BABIES. THIS IS THE 3RD TRY AND IT SEEMS TO BE WORKING. I DID WHAT YOU TOLD ME AND TOOK OUT ALL DISTACTIONS EVEN THE WHEEL.  HOWEVER, SHE DOES SEEM TO BE TRYING TO GET OUT AND FIND THE DAD, AND HE IS SO UNHAPPY BEING ALONE.  HE IS JUMPING AS HIGH AS THE TOP OF THE GLASS TANK TRYING TO GET OUT.  WHEN IS IT OK TO PUT HIM BACK WITH THE MOM AND BABIES AND WILL HE BE SO MAD THAT HE WILL HURT THE BABIES? SHOULD I SEPERATE THE TANKS SO THEY DON'T SEE EACH OTHER IF YOU TELL ME TO KEEP THEM SEPERATED? AGAIN I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THE ADVISE I JUST COULDN'T GO THROUGH ANOTHER BATCH OF BABIES NOT MAKING IT PAST 2 DAYS....
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Hi Gayle,

I am so so happy that i managed to help you, and that the mother is now raising the babies!!!

Allow the father in for an hour or two a day whilst you are around the house so you can make sure they are not upto any 'business'. This way he gets to know the babies and still keeps in contact with the female, but without allowing her to have more babies straight away!!!
Once the babies are old enough and have left the mother, the father can go back in for good around a week after that, so that that way she has had a chance to recover and allow her body to absorb some nutrients etc instead of babies taking it all. Remember each time she has babies the same process needs to be repeated!!

I hope this helps, and do ask if there is anything that you need!!!

Thanks,
Charlie.
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Hello,

They should be separated at about 5 weeks, and split into their sexes to prevent inbreeding. At around 3 weeks old they should start eating solid food, and at around 17 (ish) days their eyes should open!!!!

Hope this helps again,
Charlie.
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Hi,

Yes you have time, if you split them at about 5 weeks old you won't risk them inter-breeding. The female could mate now with a sexually mature male, which is why the dad is currently separated! The father won't realise that one of the female gerbils may be one of his own, and once she reaches maturity he will mate with her, so it is best to either keep a baby boy and keep dad, and/or a baby girl and keep mum!!

Hope this helps!
Charlie

p.s make sure you are handling the babies already this will ensure that they are friendly and tame!!!
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Hello,

OK, you must only keep males with the males and females with females. If you put mum and dad together they will mate, and both mum and dad will mate with any of the babies too if you give them the chance, so your choices are as follows:

1. Keep only mum and dad, and allow them to be together and have babies, and follow the routine you are now each time.

2. Keep only mum and either one or more of the female babies, so obvoiusly you will no longer be able to breed and allow the father in the cage, as they will fight with him and he may mate with a daughter.

3. You keep only a male and one or more of the babies, and the same as above...

4. You keep both mum and dad but in separate cages each kept with their own sex. So dad with his son(s) and mum with her daughter(s), and they stay separated.

I hope this helps you!?

Charlie.
xx

Answer
Hello Gayle,

I am pleased to hear they are doing well! They should leave their mum at around 5 weeks old, but must be gone and separated at 6 weeks! Remember as well they are happier in pairs or groups, so if you can get your friends to have more than one if they want one then thats great!!

If they are eating and drinking on their own then you are doing a great job!! They will be fine to go!

Charlie.
xx

p.s - i am here to help anytime!!