GliderCENTRAL

A colony w/ stud?

Posted By: Anonymous

A colony w/ stud? - 02/15/08 05:43 PM

A very future-oriented project, but I need plans now. Will a colony be peaceful w/ 1 male and numerous females? I'm liking the female personality and general cleanliness right now, and wondering if I could base a colony on temperament. Only the best tempered (w/ health) breed. Or would the females get jealous over him and fighting ensue?
Posted By: GliderLove

Re: A colony w/ stud? - 02/15/08 05:48 PM

Well, how many females are you talking about? People do trio's but I really wouldn't reccomend having a colony of females and a male there "to stud".
Many problems can arise in this situation, and joeys could be pulled too.
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: A colony w/ stud? - 02/15/08 07:29 PM

Alright, understood. I wouldn't want so many gliders anyway, because I could not give them the love and attention they deserve. I was actually thinking more like 2-4 females and one male. The females tend to smell better, and my female has a better temperament, so I figured I'd just want more females than males, that's all. But I want to keep them together, also, so they won't be lonely. So if they wouldn't get along, I'd stick with one or two pairs, and no more.
Posted By: GliderLove

Re: A colony w/ stud? - 02/15/08 07:38 PM

People do have successful trio's and quads, and it can be tricky. I have seen it work better amoung gliders who have grown up together like a famail colony, and then having the males neutered. Breeding could get out of control with multiple females, and it's great you realize your limits on the time and love you can provide. clap So kudos to you for researching before hand.

It all depeneds on the gliders as well, just because you have all females it doesn't mean those females would get along. Females do smell better! lol But altered males on a good diet can have little ordor as well. thumb

I'm sure others will come along and offer better advice. I don't have large colonies, only pairs smile
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: A colony w/ stud? - 02/15/08 07:56 PM

Thanks for the info. Another thing I was considering for a *small* colony is having a few male/female pairs, with all but one male (one with best temperament, which is what I want to breed for) neutered. Maybe then only that pair would breed? I definitely don't want a bunch of babies. Perhaps two each year or so would be plenty, because I already have enough reservations to last a lifetime for the babies, even though my pair isn't even old enough to breed yet. For now, I've recommended rescue or a good breeder, but they seem adamant about wanting one of cute little Kat's babies. First I need to clear enough time to spend with babies, also, though.

I'm considering having my current male neutered if his biting doesn't improve, because like I said, I would breed for temperament (and, of course, health). I guess the obsession with temperament comes from having two sweet pit bulls.
Posted By: sugarlope

Re: A colony w/ stud? - 02/15/08 08:24 PM

If you have a male in with several females, even if other males are present, he will breed with all of them, so you will have more than a couple of joeys a year. ohwell
The other problem with having unrelated males in with an intact male is that there have been discussions about males pullng joeys as well (even neutered males) that aren't theirs. dunno

I have heard of colonies with several gliders and all neutered males. You might start a colony of all females and keep one pair (intact male and 1 female in a separate cage) and have the joeys you want, then when you are ready to neuter, you can try to introduce them to the female colony (since you are wanting mostly females - is why I say that).
Posted By: MizValorie

Re: A colony w/ stud? - 02/15/08 08:24 PM

More than likely you will have way more than two babies a year if you pair a few females with a male. One female alone can have 3-4 babies (rare, 2 is more common) in one breeding cycle.

Many breeders find that their female gliders mate even before the babies are weaned again.

You could have SEVERAL babies in a matter of a few months. You might want to think about having a male and female at first breed and then nuetering the father and/or son asap and having that as your colony. As Gliderlove mentioned neutered males on a good diet hardly have any smell.
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: A colony w/ stud? - 02/15/08 11:16 PM

Actually, now that he's on my made-up diet, Keito doesn't really smell at all, even though he's intact. He did smell like urine, but now not at all. Perhaps it will grow stronger as he matures.

Is there any way to spay the females, or are they just too small? I don't want to do an overly risky procedure or anything on any of my babies. And I definitely don't want that many joeys... I'd become a mill breeder in no time! *horrified face*

Sugarlope, your idea is a good one... me likes it!

Soooo, neutered males and females it is! Perhaps then I could start rescuing a bunch of gliders... if I had a nice, big colony of fixed males and females, in a huge cage that really wasn't even a cage... *drifts off into dreamland*.
Posted By: sugarlope

Re: A colony w/ stud? - 02/16/08 01:49 AM

No, spaying is absolutely not recommended, it is just too invasive and should only be attempted in emergency circumstances. But gliders really don't do well with abdominal surgery even if necessary.

Do realize (sorry to bring you back down to Earth) that introducing adults is much easier said than done. I have a pair and a trio (all of the males are neutered now and all of the males are related) that I have been trying to introduce for almost 2 years and they absolutely will not go together. It isn't all the males either, there is one male and one female that are the primary 'problem children'. Be ready to keep separate cages if it doesn't work out. wink
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: A colony w/ stud? - 02/16/08 09:13 AM

The problem with rescues, I suppose. I am absolutely prepared to do whatever necessary to take care of my suggies. Besides, I don't want more than maybe... six or eight gliders in a colony IF they're all neutered. Four max if they aren't fixed... And the kids would probably be required to be neutered before going to a new home. I'd rather have the line end than them end up in a mill. Of course, since I don't want to risk the females, there wouldn't be much I could do about them... *off onto thinking spree again*
Posted By: sugarlope

Re: A colony w/ stud? - 02/16/08 08:42 PM

Just so you are aware, it's not just rescues (none of my kids are rescues), it is sugar glider nature. Because they don't have as much space as they would in the wild, they can't get away from each other if some spat arises and territory is a huge issue with some of them. Even my trio (mom, dad and son) have some squabbles now and again. I actually have to take the son out while feeding mealworms or he will attack mom and dad (and it will continue for sometimes 2-3 days because he is worried he is missing the worms somewhere). shakehead

I am not trying to deter you, I still (in my heart roflmao ) believe that I can get mine together...but am also ok if it never happens. I just wanted to make sure you were aware before you dove into something. (And I know about the thinking sprees, I do that about mine all the time....if I could just get them together.... ) smile
Posted By: GliderLove

Re: A colony w/ stud? - 02/16/08 09:29 PM

Originally Posted By: Mio
Actually, now that he's on my made-up diet, Keito doesn't really smell at all, even though he's intact. He did smell like urine, but now not at all. Perhaps it will grow stronger as he matures.


Just curious what your diet is?
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: A colony w/ stud? - 02/17/08 01:15 AM

PM sent. xD
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: A colony w/ stud? - 02/17/08 01:55 AM

You aren't planning on breeding your rescues, right?

Breeding for temperament is a GREAT idea, and it's awesome you're doing your research thumb But knowing bloodlines is also important to make sure you are not allowing any inbreeding, and health also has to be taken into consideration with good breeding (making sure the lines your gliders are from don't have any health problems).

So happy again that you're researching first.

I second that introducing gliders can be very difficult! We have two pairs that can ABSOLUTELY NOT be put together or they will fight horribly...no matter what.
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: A colony w/ stud? - 02/17/08 02:54 AM

Oh, goodness, no. Rescues would be neutered. These are different situations. Rescues, all neutered, or a few pairs that may breed for temp. and health a few times, and then the males would be neutered and the pairs retired. I don't like the idea of letting animals breed for too long, as it seems too cruel. Like making a family take care of dozens of children... sick, almost.
Posted By: Sheila

Re: A colony w/ stud? - 02/22/08 06:45 AM

I don't recommend this at all. I have tried it on several occasions and the females end up getting hurt. If the male is raised with the female from joeyhood, it works well even with several females. If you introduce an adult male to adult females, there are personality issues. It could work, but is a big risk. Usually there is one female who does not like the male and when he breeds her she tries to get away and gets hurt.
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: A colony w/ stud? - 02/22/08 11:05 AM

Rescues would not be bred. Only the ones that I had raised from joeys would be, so that I would know if their personalities were suitable for breeding. However, I've decided that having more than one good, solid pair breeding is too much for me and for the good of my gliders. I'd only want one pair that I bred a few times, and the rest neutered rescues.
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