my gliders have been mating so i might have some joeys soon what all do i need to feed her right now shes on bml which she gets every night with fresh fruits and vegies 3 to 4 mealworms a day what else do i need to feed her and what milk do i need to purchase if she rejects her babies i have seen there are 3 to 4 different ones i want to get the right one any information would be appreciated

Just give her extra protein and do research now. figure out if a joey is rejected ifyou will hand raise it or just let "nature takes it's course" if you choose to hand raise it, in light of all the rejected joeys this month, go ahead and buy the stuff. Can't hurt that much.

I'd say, if you don't have a vet ready get one. If any of the babies are males they'll need a neuter so they don't mate with mom before they are a certain age, and if any are females then you have to get them out of the cage or neuter dad. I prefer to keep a family together.

Good luck!

dont fill bad this is are frist joyes too been asking and doing all sort of reading and listen to the folks on here

amberstepp, I keep posting this, I guess we need to save this URL this time...

"Rejection Preparedness"

There are a lot of things to buy to prepare for rejection, but the stuff you should take care of "today" if you are anticipating OOP are the things you might not be able to get and your local market or pet store.

For example, it's a good idea to have a #5 1cc French Catheter/Syringe which is easier to get in their mouth than a dropper. Most vets have them on hand or if not your can get them at some pet stores on on line. In fact, some people just put the mixture in their cupped hand and gently push their mouth to it and let them suck it up. But you don't know which way is going to work with any one glider, so it's good to hedge your bets.

You also may need an "incubator" to keep them warm I was talking to Kissed82 about that and she says a special pet heating blanket is safer than a reptile rock...

cozywinters.com sells a Small Animal Heating Pad, but you will want to get or make a fleece cover for it. You can also talk to your vet about what they use. So this is another item that may take some time to get.

Regarding formula, the emergency formulas are made up from pedialite and ensure which you can get at the store, but you should order either Brisky’s Booster Milk or Wambaroo Possum Milk Replacer at Brisky's (800-462-2464) or exoticnutrition.com (866-988-0301), respectively. Both places have a "Gliderade" supplement that is good to have on hand as well although the formulas are a little different.

All the rest of what you need (fleece, thermometer, blankets, buckets, enclosures, etc.) are easy to get at the store.

There are a few good sources for how to care for rejected joeys. One you can see right away that I have seen is:

www.suzsugargliders.com/handraisingajoey.htm

Also take a look at this page:

www.orgsites.com/tx/hopeforgliders/_pgg4.php3
(2/3rd down the page)

Also www.hopeforgliders.org will introduce you to Angie Higdon (AngieH), one of our new friends here who runs a rescue and is very familiar with how to care for rejected joyes.The other, which I recommend you order is in the little book called: "Sugar Gliders - Living with and caring for Sugar Gliders, Is this the Right Pet For You?." It has a good chapter on rejection and even though there is no table of contents or index, it's still good info:
www.authorhouse.com/BookStore/ItemDetail~bookid~38442.aspx

I hope you take the time to read all of this and prepare before the joeys are out of pouch. Good luck!

- Ed & Gail

amberstepp, some of this is a repeat from what Rheasha kindly told you, but here it is anyway:


In our experience the best thing you can do is to make sure the environment is as stress-free as possible. You can lower the stress by doing the following:

1. Make sure mom is getting enough protein. Moms need more protein when they are nursing. It's OK to give her more mealies for the next few months. You can also feed fresh food at night and replace it in the morning with more fresh food in case she wants to get up in the middle of her "night" to eat. If she feels like she is getting plenty of nourishment, that lowers stress.

2. Play. It is important for her to get a break from the nest so she can get out and play. If she does not do it on her own, it is ok to take her out and get her on a wheel, cuddle with her and let her jump around a little with you while dad is babysitting. She still is a glider and needs your love and attention. Don't worry, the babies have plenty of time to nurse during the other 23 hours...

3. Safe Haven. Dads feel less stress if they have the joeys in an enclosure with a small opening where they can stick their head out and guard the nest. A nesting box is really good for this. Be careful when you approach the box. It is good to "announce" yourself by gently cooing and calling to him to let him know you are going to pay a visit. If you move too quickly, he may lunge at your hand and bite. Don't freak out because that's just him being protective.

4. Visitation. At first limit your "visits" and handling to three or maybe five minutes for the first ten days. You can step that up a little bit at a time so at one month you are up to 15 minutes. After that use your judgement. Include mom and dad. You can cradle mom and dad in your hands and layer on the joeys to make it a family affair. Dad will groom and scent them both during and after you touch them and that also is normal.

5. Talk / Sing. Moms will sing to their joeys while they are nursing and just before they come out of pouch. You can do this too in a gentle low voice when you are next to the cage. It is good for them to hear your gentle greetings when you feed, play and offer food.

If mom is staying close to the nest most of the time and she is happy and well-fed, that lowers the chance of rejection. If she comes running when they cry, that is a good sign.

- Ed & Gail