Gerbils as food

[Zoe]

I was thinking of switching my IJs to gerbils... if I can. They refuse rats, but might they take gerbils? How big are gerbils, are they any bigger than mice?
Is it possible to go from mouse, to gerbil, to rat (as opposed to from mouse to rat).

Thanks!
Zoe

[Linds]

Gerbils are a little larger than mice, but not too much. I've never heard of gerbils being a step in between anything, if the snake seems to prefer the gerbils to mice or rats then they sorta get stuck on them from what I understand. Do you have access to a good supply of gerbils? They don't produce significant amounts like rats and mice do, and they are monogomous for life hence you can't run them in colonies similar to mice and rats. That's all I can contribute on that... hopefully someone with IJ's will be able to add more :)

[Zoe]

Do they produce less than mice?

Can I keep 2.2 together, or will the males fight?

Thanks for the response... i'd do anything to get my IJ's on rats... it's killing me here!

:)
Zoe

[crucified]

i don't think gerbils produce as frequent as mice and rats would.. but i could be wrong.. did you look up on the net about them? i used to have gerbils as a kid.. 2 males actually.. and they never fought once.. i don't think they fight if raised together as young... but mixing 2 adults they probably would fight...

[marisa]

Gerbils wouldn't do well in a group like that. I believe most don't even do well with 1.2....but I know there are certain cases that have worked out.....but this is the exception and normally males will fight. The pair likes to stay together for life normally, and don't accept new gerbils in the colony, or being switched around.

My gerbil pair normally produces 3-7 babies every two-three months. Compared to mice and rats they are crappy producers. But they stink like ZERO, and they are quite friendly and entertaining. I just keep my one pair and feed offspring to my tarantulas.

My corns, king and milk refuse anything to do with the gerbils. Only my Mexican Black will eat them.

Marisa

[ReneeB]

I have two 1.1 groups and a 2.4 group.. they've been raised up together since my original pair had their first litter.
Yes I know.. inbreeding, but it works and I only do one generation.. never F2s to F1s or the original pair

I feed my tarantulas the offspring as well as they seem to prefer gerbil babies to mice or rat pinkies.

All my snakes [when I had them] would eat rats and gerbils.. but not mice [which was fine as I can't stand mice!].

[vanderkm]

We keep our gerbils as 1.1 and they produce 5-8 pups every couple months. We wean at 6 weeks and they usually have another litter born or due by then. They don't accept other gerbils well after weaning age, so we set up new pairs out of the weaning tubs.

Two of our IJ have accepted gerbils and for one, the fresh killed gerbils were a step between mice and frozen thawed rats. He now takes either, though he prefers the fresh gerbils but I don't know if if is because they are fresh or because they are gerbils. The other IJ accepted gerbils for about 6 feedings and then refused them. Our other snakes are quite picky and most don't like gerbils, although the kings will accept them. The boas eat anything.

An adult gerbil is the same as about 3 mice and we did find a big growth spurt when we used them as transition prey for our boas and for the IJ. We keep them still because they don't smell and they are cute pets.

If I were you, I would likely try it, but be prepared to breed your own because if you have to buy them they are expensive because they are so inefficient - takes them a long time to grow to adults, but you can house a bunch of pups together ( a dozen in a large zoo-zone, with no fighting or breeding until they are adult size.

mary v

[Blackwidow69]

:cool: My breeder gerbils are having 5 to 8 pups per litter and i have several breeder pairs and some that are 1 male to 2 females, gerbils mate for life and males will fight with each other when old enough.. When the females has her pups the males are breeding with them the next day so that when the pups are 5 weeks old they end up having more pups even if the pups from the first batch are still in the cage.. and man its nice to have something with zero smell!!!!!!!!! Breeding colossal rats they have super large litters but man do they and the mice stink, rats alittle less than the mice...:(

[snake_goth]

um ok i havent breed gerbils but ive keped 3 males b4 one after another and thay are pritty agresive and fast verry verry verry fast