Poll Question: We are conducting research on this topic. Please choose from the list below what they youngest age should be before taking a joey away from its parents and selling it. We encourage you to take the poll and also to site your sources (book, vet, etc.) in the replies. If your answer is off the scale, please send a reply with your details. Many thanks! Choices: 4-6 Weeks OOP 6-7 Weeks OOP 5-6 Weeks OOP 7-8 Weeks OOP 8-9 Weeks OOP 10 - 11 Weeks OOP 11 - 12 Weeks OOP 12 - 14 Weeks OOP

I went to the Utah state fair this weekend and there was a lady there saleing her glider baby 7wk oop.. I told her to her face that that was way to young and not fair to the glider. and she said something else. I said it LOUD enough that I would never buy from a MILL LIKE THIS!
I was so upset.
sarah

Sarah, apparently, selling them at 7 weeks and maybe even younger is a common practice. That's one of the reasons we wanted to do this poll was to get input from a lot of people on this. The authoritative sources on this subject such as those quoted in the gliderpedia, are pretty clear, but that does not stop people from doing whatever they want to do... Let's see how this poll turns out and then we'll have lots to talk about... Thanks for weighing in.

I think I voted right. I clicked the number and then hit vote now. I voted 8-9 weeks because I think realistically breeders in general will not hold off for longer and buyers want a young joey to work with. This is just an opinion. Sort of as a compromise to both breeder and buyer.

Ive seen both cases joeys that are to young being sold and ones that are to old when sold and dont bond with their new owners well .Ones opinion doesnt mean that they are wrong or that you are right All gliders develop differently some may mature more quickly and be able to go earlier than others and still be healthy and well taken care of .I keep mine till their ten weeks but thats because I prefer too even tho my glider joeys are eating and doing well at 7 to 8 weeks old .Ive had some that were able to be taken than I just chose to keep them till their ten .Its ones opinion whats best for their own gliders not everyone elses.Thats just like some people dont bottle break their kids till their three and than theres some that break them at 7 months or younger but is that good for them or bad animals are no different than humans they develop differently .So before you throw stones and say that anyone that sells their gliders before you think their ready doesnt make you right or them wrong as long as their gliders are healthy and prospering thats every breeders goal.Yeah theres those that have no business with them at all and we all have seen them out there but no every breeder or glider owner is that way and those of us who sell them at any age doesnt make us bad breeders or owners it just means we know are animals and without you actually knowing the animals your talking about personally than you cant say that they were sold to young or separted to early.

Thanks tammyangel, I'm hoping to learn from this and I appreciate you weighing in like everyone else. Judging from the poll so far it looks like it's all over the map. Maybe wrong and right is going to be hard to determine? The basis for "too early" I am basing my single opinion on is developmental behavior. There is a basis for this type of judgement in books and reference text on this species. So that's where I am coming from in *addition* to my own experience in breeding suggies. Looks like we have a diversity of opinions. My God I love free speech. Don't you? Thanks again and if you have more to say on the subject please do. There is also a dicussion thread on this site as well.

I don't think age matters when a glider bonds as long as the owner has pateience. I got Ren and Stimpy when they were a year old and they bonded well, and even better after I put my former glider with them.

ANYWAY,

-Leia, I did not take this picture the former owner did, she was "10 weeks old"


-Neo, the first week we had him, he was from a breeding mill, sugar gliders r us.


-Trinity came from a rescue, ironically that lady works for sugar gliders r us and frequently had rescued" 8-10 week old joeys" convienant! She was too wild to get a good picture of her, so this is all we have.

The others we have were a year old when we got them.

Thanks for weiging-in Rheasha!

my suggie was 6 weeks OOP when i bought her...

at least that's what they told me

Samantha, thanks for sharing. Any thoughts on the optimal age?

We were told ours were "8-10" weeks but there were others there for sure much smaller. I would even say that Kiki was younger than Skitzi. Maybe that accounts for her always protecting Kiki from the day we got them? At the time, I didn't know what to look for but a lot of the characteristics I've read that joeys do before they are weaned did not happen with mine. I could have been lucky as well...If the way mine acted is "normal", it seems that this timeframe was OK but I'd naturally lean more towards the 10 week mark.

Thanks Kylah, I know I came down pretty hard on anything less than 10 weeks being "wrong" but you know how outspoken I am. But at this point 32 people have logged-in on the poll and it looks like I'm not totally KooKoo. Maybe just a loudmouth though :-)

Yes, Skitzi was probably being protective of the "baby" and that's always a good sign. Your Skitzi reminds me of our Barbie and even before she had joyes she was always protective of Bingo and she was only a few weeks older. In fact, she was so protective of him, that she used to let Bingo ride on her back as if he was still a 6-8-week old. Here's an old video of that if you are interested:
vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=17281850

well i think that she was too young to sell because when they are younger you have to be so much more careful what you feed them and how much. they need a lot more attention and care. i was slightly overwhelmed, but i got through it, because now she is so comfortable with me that she grooms me. =D which makes me the happiest girl in the world right now.

I got my baby girl at 5-6 weeks. This probably is too early in most cases but if you live by the breeder you can always take them back if they get too upset. She took to Yoda the first day so I'm sure that helped she's my favorite they are both incredibly tame and go everywhere in my bra but I'm glad I got her early as long as she ate and stayed healthy I was happy. I
had never had a baby that small. Having her that early I think helped her think I was her mom more. She knows who her mommy is now.

I almost always sell my babies at 8 weeks. But I hvae let a few go at 7 weeks after seperating them from mom and dad and watching to see what they eat on their own. I in most cases say 8 weeks, but it dpends on the glider 7 weeks sometimes is ok too. JMO

i think rocket was 18 weeks old when we got him. he bonded to me great and the only problem we had was we thought he was a girl until he started getting a bald spot! maybe getting them a little younger can help the bonding process but too young can kill them.

I voted between 10-11 weeks.

Why sell them too young? Let mum do the hard work for the first 10 weeks. then you know your getting a healthy baby..Its called common sence.

I say 10-11 weeks as I got my first one that was only 8 weeks old and she runny poo from the day we brought her home and we lost her after 6 days. Took her to the vet and we just couldn't get it stopped. My 2 new girls were 8 and 11 weeks old and I almost lost the baby one again. Due to dehydration. Thanks to the vet and all the people on sugliider.com I have saved her and she is happy and healthy.
I am getting a rescue the first part of December and she will be right at 12 weeks old.
I just think 8 weeks is way too young. They still need to be with their mommy's.

I said 8 to 9 weeks but i also go by weight when i determine readiness. If they need to stay for an extra week to get up to the weight that i want then so be it . Over the yrs i have found that a very small light joey will need to stay longer with its mom then an larger more robust little one but none leave till at least 8 weeks and 50 to 55 gr.
Great poll
Barb

it is important to to give the glider up before he/she gets to atached

quote:

---

Originally posted by snowboard

it is important to to give the glider up before he/she gets to atached

---

You really need to quit posting before you make a total ass of yourself and the rest of us lose faith in the younger generation.

LOL!!!!!!!!!