I have a male and a female sugar glider, they are brother and sister. I'm looking for mates for them. They are 8 months old. Do I need to find ones that are the same age or can they be a couple months apart? If they can be different ages how far apart can they be?

Thank You,
Danielle

Danielle - they can be different ages. However, given your question,it appears you really need to do some research before doing any breeding.

I don't think you split a bonded pair up. I think you should neuter the male and if you want to breed get another non related pair.

Suggies will bond no matter if they're related or not. Your suggies are definately bonded to one another since they've been kept together from birth. You need to neuter the male and if you want to breed suggies, get another non related pair, just as Ahsaehr said.

Splitting up bonded pairs can have serious consequences and can result in the death of both suggies. They will get depressed and may never recover the loss of a mate. So please, don't split them up. Neuter and let them be.

They are in different cages, next to each other. They have been that way since I got them. I just wanted to get them mates so they had someone to play with. I do not want to neuter because I don't really agree with it. I bread dogs years ago and would not neuter them, so I'm not going to neuter my baby boy.
I just did not want to get gliders that were to old or young and have them fight. I'm doing research before get them mates that is why I asked.

Thank you for your responses.

Thank you, dchandler. So many people just jump in and start breeding as soon as they get their suggies. And they aren't prepared if a problem arises. Im glad to hear that you are going to research first. Here is a very good site to read:

Breeding Sugar Gliders

http://www.suzsugargliders.com/breedingsugargliders.htm

Hand Raising A Joey

http://www.suzsugargliders.com/handraisingajoey.htm

Feeding Your Joeys And Adult Gliders

http://www.suzsugargliders.com/feedingyourjoey.htm

Your Joey's Appearance and Characteristics

http://www.suzsugargliders.com/yourjoeysappearance.htm

Health and Your Glider

http://www.suzsugargliders.com/healthandyourglider.htm

gliders get depressed alone so if you have any female babies you should leave them with mom.

Unfortunately two unneutered males will smell really bad and WILL fight to the death with their cages in the same room as the females. With gliders you either keep them together or you don't, there is no taking them out and putting them back in. You would have to do introductions each time you wanted to mix and match them and that really stresses the glider and therefore weakens their immune system. And with the males how do you know you aren't putting the son in and inbreeding? I know you don't agree with neutering but you may have to or you may have to choose not to breed.

Gliders pop out babies FAST and too much can make the mother's body depreciate.

Edited to fix word choice.

Also the mother needs the father to raise the baby and mom and dad should not be separated until the baby is fully weaned. Mothers can get pregnant while babies are still in pouch.

I think you should do more reading before you choose to breed considering how quickly these things breed and how important a family is to them.

Ditto to all of the above.....people think they are going to breed and sell and make lots of many..doesn't work that why. If you just want to breed to have joey's for yourself that works..Ihave enjoyed my little one who is now almost 10 months old. Since I have handled her from the day she came oop she and I asre very close....anyway..listen to my buddies...they know what they are talking about

You WILL need to neuter the daddies eventually, unless you're going to split them up from their mates. There's no way around it. IF you let them breed freely you will for one have up to 10+ gliders in one cage within a couple of years and secondly, you're burdening the mom with too many litters. She will get stressed out and her life will be in danger from physical exhaustion.

Seriously, if you're not willing to neuter, then I suggest you forget the whole breeding thing and get two girls. You need to neuter at some point, in captivity suggies breed more frequently than in the wild and you can't just take the mom or dad out everytime you don't want any babies. That will certainly cause problems for both mom and dad and might even cause premature death due to depression. So please, do reconsider and do some more research. Suggies are a bit more complex than dogs, so you really need to fully understand what you're getting into. I understand you have your values, but not neutering breeding pairs of suggies IMO is unethical and irresponsible. There's too many breeders like this out there already, so please - think about it.

Why do you not agree with neutering? I have a set of breeding dogs but I also have a neutered dog and a spayed dog.

I was going to ask the same question SugarLoafin, neutering is the responsible thing to do. There are so many un wanted gliders in the US, why would you want to add to that?

Neutering does no harm, unless of course it's not done correctly. I'm going through my breeding pairs now and getting my males neutered so I can retire them!

I understand neutering sugar gliders after they get older, but my boy is only 8 months. I also don't believe that the sugar gliders are unwanted, they are just not found by people that want and can take care of them. I have seen millions of adds for people wanting sugar gliders since I started looking 2 years ago.
Also on the comment about the dogs. I have raised dogs with my mother since I was 5 years old and we have never once neutered a dog. We would always separated male and female. We had a kennel and up to 50 dogs at one time.
I'm sorry if I offended anyone, I was not trying to.
Thank you for all the replies, it shows how much you care about sugar gliders.

quote:

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Originally posted by dchandler88

we have never once neutered a dog. We would always separated male and female.

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I repeat what I said in my earlier post: suggies are not like dogs. Separating males from females won't work here, unless you're intentionally being cruel to them.

You made not agree with altering your males, but unlike humans. They CAN'T use he pull out method like alot of humands do, or use rubbers, or give your sweet little girl a birth control pill each month!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But I can tell use this, I had my gliders for a few months. Read the books, thought it is ok if the glider gets prego 4 times a year. That is if the seasons are right, thats what the book suggested. WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG!!! I ended up with 4 joeys out of 3 pregancies. An the joeys were every 3 months. An not wanting to seperating the bonded pair, guess how had the alteration.

You may not agree, but unless you can teach your gliders sex ed. You will have to swallow your thoughts of altering them. An thats why there is sedatives for the pain, I'm pretty sure why your saying your against altering animals.

An not atering your males in just being cruel to the female glider. An it you think that altering animals is cruel then what do you think you are doing to that female????????????????????????

My comment about the dogs had to do with dogs only. I'm not saying that dogs are like sugar gliders. And I understand about stress of multiple pregnancies, in that case dogs are the same. I don't really know how the post I wrote lead to all this. All I asked was if a breeding pair could be different ages? That is all I asked. I'm thankful for all the information.

I can not believe you would have that many dogs at once. To me that is a HUGE RED FLAG and I would consider you a mill!!! PERIOD! I am disgusted!

I would likewould to say, we here at this site is a little testy when someone say that the don't see the big deal to alter the males. An you might just get the wrong idea that we are mean, mad, or distraught at your personal ideaof what you believe. If you just read someof the posting of unwanted, over breed, mistreated, unfeed gliders, you then would understand alittle better to everyone's hasty posts. An I'm not sure if you ever got you answer. So let me let you know what I know, which is not much. The males can be mature by 6mo up to 1 1/2yrs old. An the bald spot is also a good hint. The females can get prego after 6mos. (now this is just what I've been informed, not sealed in concrete) An it is not a goo idea to breed your females if they are about 4yrs old or older, if they never have been breed before. I guess it takes a toll on the body more so than if they were breed at an earler age. But like I said, I read that they can breed up to 4 times a year. Ok that would give me time to find a vet an everything, Well after 6mos I have 3 prego & 4 babies. An I personally could not sale or even give the babies to my friends do to they were not going to be goo parents. My personal opinion. An I honestly can not sell or give anyone an animal that I can't for sure know that the critters will be properly be cared for. So don't take the posting in a personal attack, but do read between the lines, where there is the good & always hepful adivse.

I did not have a mill. I had many breeds and we took in others people's dogs. Not all of the dogs were breeders. We had over 5 acres of land for them to play on. But once again how many dogs I had is not the point.

It is not that I wont alter the males, it is that I rather not. My boy is only 8 months old why would I want to neuter him.

Thank you really much Miss doolittle. I have been trying not to take the postings as a personal attack, but it is hard when that is what they sound like. I have thanked everyone for their postings, but every time I that things seem to get worse.

Sorry if I offended anyone, I did not mean to.

Gliders are unwanted. They are wanted while they're cute, sleeping babies but if you educate your future buyers about proper glider care before they buy including: vet visits, diet, how they aren't always going to bond, biting and smell most people change their mind.

I've had people go from "OH oh i gotta have one NOW!" to "Oh my gosh, I don't want one" in about 30 minutes by just being honest. Had someone been honest with me I would not be a glider owner and I'm sure there are others that feel the same way.