Yah, agree that we already can breed out slate and grey agouti.... I will try and focus on Fox variety... hope can successfully breed more yellow, red and hopefully polar fox hahaha... but need REW to do that.

Breeding does take alot of time.... my parents are not gerbil people, so I have to do alot of control breeding. For me I got 2 large 2ft tanks and 4 other 1.5ft tanks.... I only have about 20 gerbils coz I only keep colours that I feel necessary for breeding and also the gerbils that were from my 1st breedings.

How much I spend? I really dunno, never calculate hahahah.... but what i know, my RM500 a month allowance is never enough. That's why I have to find ways to gain a bit of money, not for my needs but for my pet needs. Cleaning and feeding and handling takes up all my time, I actually rarely go out with my friends, I know many forumers here ask me go yum cha with them but hahah, really no time for that.

Start with a good healthy pair first, also make sure you know the genes and background of the gerbils. If not, it will only give you headache they only produce common colours like black, lilac, nutmeg and agouti....

Lilac got loads at Pet Safari, PW also got.... nutmeg and blacks, you can see so many at Pet Family and PW also.... coz sometimes when you breed 2 colours that don't compliment each other well, then result also all blacks or agoutis....

When breeding must pair correctly, then also must aim for a good colour.... for me, I try to not breed colours that are already alot in the market.... that to me is common hehehhe... but wrong breedings, always would be blacks or agoutis.... dominant genes.

Like the 40 gerbils and 8 gerbils for adoption later, all ah... Blacks, Agoutis, Lilacs.... I think got a few Argente....

Anyway, I will let you guys know about inbreeding incident. This is why we always stress never to buy a pair from the same petshop, not only gerbil but other animals.

I'm fostering a gerbil family for 3 months.... well, the female died before I got them, leaving behind 5 pups and 1 male(dad).... The female died after eating something wrong, this is what I suspect lah. Anyway, both male and female came from the same petshop..... so the owner really loves them, wanted to breed one time then separate dad with males and mom with females later.... but the sad thing..... inbreeding. The 5 pups slowly now left only 2 after under my care. I try my best to doctor them but nothing worked. Their immune system was very weak, making them prone to getting sick easily. 3 got sick.... wet tummies and wet butts, like wet tail but it is not.... hunched back, no appetite, and 1 by 1 slowly died.... Now the dad and 2 pups are stabil and healthy..... but one thing really makes me worried is that their body size. They lost their mom before fully 3 weeks old, means haven't complete weaning.... also, the inbreeding caused them to have smaller growth. The pups are now 6 weeks old but they actually look like they are only 4 weeks old. I will take some pictures for you guys to see and compare.

I just hope they grow bigger and stay healthy.

I just bought a wheel for my gerbils hahah... not bad, hang the wheel upside own by the tank cover, can see a few of my gerbils like to run a bit.

Wow, Hao ah, nice sig hahh.... but somehow it looks like jerboa more than gerbil.... maybe tail too long heheheh... but very cute loh.

Foo ah, I found is the wire mesh wheel but quite ok. 8 inches or 9 inch, I forgot to measure but my gerbils like to run on it at night. Saw them run, they never show signs of difficulty or any falls or injuries... not bad loh. Summore is metal wheel, no need scare they chew till spoil.

Hahah.... really cute loh. I like the sig Hao, nice work.

The wheel ah, I'll get a pic for you guys to see. My gerbil only runs on it at night, dunno why... in the day nothing happens but when comes to night time, run run run.

The wheel will squeak coz made of metal, so you need to apply abit of oil at the joints. Can use cooking oil or grease for cars also can.

I hang the wheel upside down with wire, coz if it is standing in the tank, the gerbils will kick and stuff bedding under it till cannot move. Also it is safer for the tail if upside down.

Ohhh... I bought Rm15 from a near by shop hahahah.... but they only had 1 left, luckily not rusty. I wanna get 3 more, so asking Mr.Z to help me get loh....

Hahah... wait ar, now charing my cam... will get a pic. My tank got space coz not much stuff inside but a few jars here and there. My gerbils too smart, the little house I got from Foo, they actually climb up the house to chew on my tank's cover and make big hole... LOL.

My gerbils murdered a few expensive bottles.... Those Rm14 WILD bottles.... sigh... that's why now I burn holes to attach bottles outside their tanks hahahah....

Here are some pics of my gerbils with their wheel.... I think if 1.5ft tank, it would be a snug fit but a 2ft tank looks great with it. My gerbils love the wheel, once night time can hear them run on it. Well, since it is not a silent wheel, so I can hear very very thump thump from the running.

The wheel is 9 inches in diameter, quite ok loh I guess.








My sp Argente cream, Chipper having a nice Run on the wheel.

Hahah... I call that wire mesh... ok, bar wheel..... but you see my boy, he really run without falling loh. The wire mesh wheel.... if wanna import, maybe RM50 to Rm60 for 1 wheel.....

The tail doesn't get caught.... some people thing it gets caught but the fact is thetail get's caught at the joint stand. That is why I put the wheel hanging, so the stand is above, the tail is free. If you feel the bars may be discomfort, can put a strip of cardboard in between the bars but I know instead of running, my gerbils would probably chew it LOL.

Hahah... wire mesh wheel, no loh..... coz not locally made, need to import from US I think.... anyway, I actually got alluminium wire mesh with me, maybe I can DIY a bit..... coz now I see, better than nothing loh. Plastic wheel they chew to bits, dunno how many plastic wheels I put in already gone case.

Hahah.. no wor. I don't see any bite marks.... you got see any in the pics? Coz the wheel has been inside for 3 or 4 days already hahahah.....

See lah, I think I can make the wheel safer by DIY a bit....

I already got the mesh hahaha.... alluminium fine wire mesh, 1 meter was like RM9..... now thinking how to attach.... tie with wire? Hot glue it? See how, will come up with some idea.

Oh, that could work too.... see how lah. The alluminium mesh I have is soft and flexible, like canvas.... if alluminium plate, need to buy a whole sheet, dunno how much that would cost hahaah...

Yay for you. Your 2 boys really gorgeous loh.... DEH really gonna be a big boy, his size is terrific for his age.

SP black heheheh....

Yuying, wait ah, taking pics now.... then you will know the size LOL....

Hahaha.... well, here are the pics. The 2 boys get along very well.

DEH boy, well, his name I gave is Baxter
Born on July 26, this boy actually had a sibling but didn't survive, poor girl. Now, he took all his mom's milk, became a fat round boy.




The this boy is the Sp Black... quite a nice Sp pattern. I call him Pringles.... LOL... He is a lovely boy but he gets easily spooked if you suddenly hold him from behind. Overall good boy. He was born on June 2... you can see he is smaller than Baxter a bit.




Both of them....