Introduction
The Octodon degus or degu are small rodents originating from Chile. They were imported into America around 1964 where they have become household pets and important research subjects (Banks, Sharp, Doss & Vanderford, 2010). Since originally being imported their popularity has grown and are now found in many pet shops in the United Kingdom.
This booklet explains the processes needed for breeding to occur successfully and hopefully without any problems.
Choosing The Parents
It is important when choosing degus that the heritage is known and that they are not related. It is common to find inbred animals that can come with diseases and health issues.
A healthy degu should be alert with large, bright, clear eyes, glossy fur, clean ears, clean tail and a clean rear end. There should be no discharge from its nose or laboured breathing as these are signs of a respiratory infection. Wetness around the mouth or lack of interest in food could mean that the teeth are overgrown. The teeth must be orange not white, as white teeth show a sign of vitamin A deficiency. If a degu has any sign of whitening of the eyes such as cataracts then it can be a sign of inbreeding and/or the degu may have developed diabetes (RSPCA, 2012).
Degus normally come in one colour, agouti, however there are genetic mutations around; the most common of these is blue. The mutations seem to have come from Germany and the Netherlands where degus became more popular. Blue degus do not have the brown pigment that the agouti degus have which leaves them with a silvery blue coat. Agouti is the dominant colour for all degus so if blue pups are desired then both parents would need to carry the blue gene so either be blue themselves or have at least one parent that was blue. There have been rumours of black, sand, patched and white degus however there are very few about and it is believed that these degus are highly inbred for their colouring and come with associated health problems (Long, 2011a).
Degus are very social animals and so should always be kept in groups. A lone degu can become very stressed and more susceptible to diseases and infections. Buying a degu for breeding that has been kept on its own is running a risk of having a low immune system along with possible infections being passed on to the mate or any pups they may have (Richardson, 2003).
Managing The Breeding Stock
As previously stated degus are very social animals and in the wild they create a large and elaborate system of networks underground. When kept in captivity it is best to try and allow them the space for their natural behaviours to be shown. Degus should have a large cage with enrichment such as branches (that are non-toxic), nesting areas and wheels (Banks et al, 2010). The size of the cage is under debate but the RSPCA’s (2012) minimum cage specifications ask for a cage to be at least 100cm long x 60cm wide x 60cm high with a solid base to stop the degus getting bumble foot. The cage should either be wooden or metal, as degus will chew their way out of a plastic cage. If the cage is metal then the gaps should be no larger than 1cm or the pups when they arrive will get out.
Once the cage is set up it is possible to start the introductions if the animals have never met before. It is advisable to put a wire mesh barrier in the middle of the cage to separate it into two. This way the degus will be able to sniff and ‘talk’ through the mesh. It is advisable to only have one male being introduced to a group of females so that fighting is avoided. Males can get territorial over females even if they are related. Introducing a male to a group of females should not take too long, though it is important not to rush the introductions. Once they have communicated through the mesh then the degus can meet in a neutral area. A household bath with a sand bath in is ideal, as they cannot escape. While in the bath bedding can be swapped from one side of the cage to the other to assist the degus getting use to the other scents. Once there is no boxing and the degus are happily grooming and the owner is comfortable enough to do so then the mesh can be removed from the cage and the degus can mix (Long, 2011b).
Degus in captivity can breed all year round and are likely to have more than one litter a year. Breeding is most successful when the female is around 4 – 9 months of age though she can breed at almost any age. The males can reach sexual maturity from 8 weeks – 1 year though it averages at 6 months. The female will only ovulate when stimulated by the male’s penis and mating only lasts around 10 seconds. The male will then ‘bark’ to let everyone know that he has successfully mated. At this point it is safe to assume the female is pregnant (Banks et al, 2010).
If you have a male in with a group of females then he will mate with all of them several times. The females are pregnant for roughly 90 days but it is unusual to see any signs of pregnancy until the last few weeks where the female will be more round and it is possible to see the babies moving within her. It is possible for a female to lose a little bit of blood during this time and this is normal but a female can also miscarry so if there is any worry then the female should be taken to the vets. Handling can continue but not as often until the female starts to show then it is advisable to handle her less if at all so that she isn’t stressed. The females will also need nesting materials to build the perfect nest. Their diet can stay the same; it is not unusual for females to eat more during pregnancy and so fresh hay must be given regularly and often (Griffths-Irwin & Davis, 2001).
Degus have been known to have a postpartum estrus, which means they are incredibly fertile straight after giving birth (Lee, 2004). This would mean that the male could possibly impregnate the female straight after she has given birth. To stop this from happening the male should be taken out before the birth of the pups and be left out for at least 24 hours after the birth. Studies have shown that a second litter that soon will be smaller and less numerous then the first and are less likely to grow as well. This can also take its toll on the mother leaving her tired and susceptible to illnesses (Ebensperger, Hurtago & Leon, 2007). The male can be put back in after the 24 hours to help rear the pups.
Managing the Offspring
When the pups are born they will normally be fully furred and have their eyes open. The litter size can vary from 1-8. The pups will start eating food at roughly two weeks though they can be seen trying food before this time so keeping extra hay and a little more food in the cage if preferable so that the parents still have the right amount of food. It is also possible for the pups to be weaned at four weeks though it is advised to keep them with the mother until they are at least 6 – 8 weeks old (Richardson, 2003). The pups can be sexed from an early age and so can be sexed anywhere from the day they are born to 8 weeks.
Degus will nest together during pregnancy so multiple litters are likely to be found in one nest even if supplied with multiple nest boxes (Ebensperger et al 2004). All the adults in the cage will look after the pups; unless there are complications with the mother they can generally be left to rear the pups. It is important to keep the young with the mother(s) for as long as possible to help with their early development. Handling should happen from a young age to help tame the pups however the mother should always be able to see them. Taking the young away too early can lead to differences in behaviour and can cause the pup to have anxiety issues as an adult (Braun, Kremz, Wetzel, Wagner & Poeggel, 2003).
If one of the mothers died, the other mother would bring up the pups. If you only have one mother and she dies then it is important to keep the father in with them, as he will help to keep them warm, if there is no father then keep them wrapped in a towel on top of a hot water bottle or heat pad. It is then important to make sure they are feeding. Degu pups feed every two hours and if there isn’t a female to feed them then kitten or puppy formula will help give the pups the nutrients they need until they can eat for themselves. If you have one mother feeding two litters it is important to keep an eye on the pups as the mother will need help feeding so the pups will also need to be handfed. The formula will need to be warm and fed through a teat pipette straight into the mouth. After feeding the genital region will need to be rubbed gently to help encourage the pup to go toilet. As the pup won’t be getting all the antibodies it would normally get from its mother the nest needs to be kept spotlessly clean. Also due to the pup feeding so regularly the weaning process should start earlier than normal. Offering food such as oats and hay will help encourage the pup to eat. Don’t rush the weaning process, just offer hard food and slowly increase the time between feeding the formula. Weighing the pups daily will help give the best indication on how they are doing (Long, 2004-2011c).
Other then keeping the cage clean and making sure the pups have enrichment such as logs to climb on and a safe wheel they can be left to themselves. Degus are amazing parents and generally don’t need any help bringing up their pups
Breeding and Stock Management of Degus
References
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Braun, K., Kremz, P., Wetzel, W., Wagner, T. and Poeggel, G. (2003) Influence of parental deprivation on the behavioral development in Octodon degus: Modulation by maternal vocalizations. Developmental Psychobiology, 42 (3). Pg 237–245
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Ebensperger, L. Hurtado, M. Soto-Gamboa, M. Lacey,E & Chang, A. (2004) Communal nesting and kinship in degus (Octodon degu). Naturwissenschaften, 91 (8). Pg 391-395
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[Online]
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Nishi, M & Steiner, D. (1990) Cloning of complementary DNAs encoding islet amyloid polypeptide, insulin, and glucagon precursors from a New World rodent, the degu, Octodon degus. Molecular Endocrinology, 4 (8). Pg 1192-1198
Richardson, V.C.G. (2003) Diseases of Small Domestic Rodents. 2nd edn. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
RSPCA. (2012) Degu. Exotic Pets. [Online]
