Birth

Breeding Gerbils- Birth 


The time has come for your mamma-gerbil to have those babies!
It's likely that she'll have them during the night, and you'll wake up to a nest of pinkies. If she doesn't, and you're present for the birthing, here's some things you'll want to know.

Mamma-gerbil will reach down, pull out the baby, and clean it. She'll keep doing this, with anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes in between pups. She also might be surprisingly active, and surprisingly rough with the newborns. When my gerbil Pepper had her pups, she shoved them around and kicked bedding on them and walked over them the entire time.
Here's the thing: don't interfere! Those little babies are tougher than you'd think. They'll be fine.

Watch from a distance, and don't disturb the tank. Don't try to "help" the pups. If one of them is stillborn, mamma-gerbil will probably "clean up" by eating it. This isn't exactly pleasant to watch, but it's simply instinctual and efficient.
During and after the birthing, the mother will mate with the father if he's available. This might take a couple hours, and she might seem to be neglecting the pups during this time. Don't worry. This is normal. They'll be fine. Eventually mamma-gerbil will gather all the babies into a nest.

The biggest thing here is do not disturb! Mamma-gerbil knows what she's doing, even if she seems to be being a little careless.
And if you're hovering over the tank, you might make her nervous, causing her to ignore the pups even longer. So the best thing for you to do is find a comfy spot across the room and observe from there.