There are a lot of things to consider before you throw yourself into breeding. Gerbils may be cute, but they are not toys. They are living, breathing creatures. Making the decision to breed is a huge responsibility, and so you should make sure you have a well thought out plan in case something goes wrong. You should be able to answer all of the following questions with confidence, before you get your first breeding pair. Do you have homes planned for the babies? One of the most important things to consider when breeding, is whether or not you can find homes for the pups. Gerbils are prolific breeders and you should expect a litter every 1 ½ to 2 months. It is imperative that you go down to your local animal shelter and see if they have gerbils there. If there are more than a handful of gerbils available, please do not breed. You do not want to contribute to an already staggering pet overpopulation problem. You should also check to see if there are other breeders in your area. If there are other breeders where you live, you should ensure that there will be enough demand for gerbils, so that you can find homes for all your pups. Breeding for a colour that was previously unavailable in your area may make it easier to rehome pups. I cannot stress enough that your first choice for homing the babies should not be a pet store. This should be a very last resort. Most petstores do not have adequate housing for the animals, and are not willing to ensure their well-being. Often, petstores will sell gerbils singly, or with housing setups that are inappropriate or dangerous. Crazy Critters Gerbil Clan explains why you should never sell or buy gerbils from petstores. Look under the 'What's Wrong with Petstores' link for more information. Rehoming them yourself ensures that your pups will go to loving homes. You should always require that your pups go in pairs, unless the adopter has a lone gerbil already. It is a great idea to send your pups home with an information package that describes the gerbil basics. Responsible breeders will also take back the gerbil, if the adopter is no longer able to care for it. There are many different ways to advertise your pups. One of the most successful ways is through a website. You can also advertise on the Mongolian Gerbil Forum, the American Gerbil Society, the National Gerbil Society, and the Gerbil Breeder Directory. You can try putting flyers up around town, or just spreading the word through a network of friends. Do you have the time and money to take care of a large number of gerbils? Breeding gerbils will not make you any money. You will be very lucky if you break out even. It is a hobby and should be done for the love of gerbils, rather than for monetary gain. You must think about the initial start up costs. You will need at least three tanks, one for the breeding pair, and one each for the male and female pups they will produce. You will also need water bottles, food, bedding, toys, and houses. If your pups get sick, you will have to buy medication. In addition, you should have some money saved up for vet bills if one of your gerbils falls ill. You should also consider whether you will have enough room to house the gerbils if there is a decline in the market. Do you have enough room to house your breeding pair, plus all of their babies if you can't find homes for them? Make sure you have additional housing available in case deformed pups are born, or you wind up with gerbils that are too old to place in new homes. If you still live with your parents, you should also consider how they feel about the situation. Are they fine with the number of tanks you will have and the amount of time you will be spending socializing and finding homes for your fuzzies? Have you considered what will happen to your gerbils when you move out or if decide to go to college? What are your reasons for breeding? When you decide to breed gerbils, you should have a definate plan that outlines your goals. Are you breeding to create incredibly friendly, and social gerbils? Are you looking to produce an unusual colour? Your goals should be more developed than just throwing two gerbils together and hoping for the best. If you are breeding for a particular colour, do you have access to gerbils that have those genes? Keeping good records is very important, especially if you have more than one breeding pair. I usually keep all my breeding pair and litter information on a spreadsheet. When breeding for colour, you should also have a good grasp of genetics, to make sure you understand what possible colours you will get from your pairings. Have you done your research? Make sure to look through as many websites as you can. You will get some conflicting information, so it is necessary to read enough material to determine what is and isn't accurate. Take out all the gerbil books you can find at your library. Make sure that you are very knowledgeable about what gerbils need to be healthy and happy. Research about what foods they eat, about bedding, behaviour and appearance. Having a general understanding of gerbil diseases is also critical, because young pups are very susceptible to some illnesses, such as respiratory infection and diarrhea. The Gerbils Anonymous Medical Index is an invaluable source of information on gerbil illness. If this site is not working properly, or you have questions, mail me at mongolian_gerbils@yahoo.ca Breeding light colourpoint agouti, dove, argente cream, black, agouti, pieds and much more!! The material on these webpages is covered by copyright law. If you wish to use this material for reasons other than your personal private use, please contact me. Top