Author Topic: Always Nesting  (Read 1157 times)

jcoombes2002

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Always Nesting
« on: January 10, 2008, 09:57:32 AM »
We have now had Zippy for about 7 months now and all he still does is hide. He does come out now and again but he is nothing like her, now we can compare them they are completely different. She is the nutter you can watch all the time, but he isnt as soon as he comes out he hides behind our sofa. Before we had him done he used to rattle the cage to come out and climb on us to get out, but now he doesnt even want to come out of his nest. I just hope that he gets on with squeak as as soon as they get close she like pushes him away, we are not sure if this is ok behavious or not so wanted to double check.

Nate

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Re: Always Nesting
« Reply #1 on: January 10, 2008, 11:07:58 AM »
I have a similar problem with one of mine, he was being picked on by some of the other males. I moved him in to own aviary, which he seems relived at. He spent so much time in his nest box that once I even had to open it to check he was still alive. He's about the same age as squeak, he comes out a bit more now, but apart from eating he just sits near the top of the cage watching the others mostly. He can be handled, but will often move back in to his nest when I put fresh food in. I still can't work out chipmunks and how they behave. Most of mine are like your zippy, but a couple are very quite, but tucker is the most quite. I'm sure he is less stressed having an aviary to himself, but I don't think you should split yours up. I have groups that have always been together since birth, and throughout the day they will have sqaubles, but despite the odd argument they always end up in the same nest box together at night, even though they have a choice. I'm thinking about introducing one of the quieter females to tuckers aviary soon, in the hope it will make his life more interesting, I don't think he is getting enough excersise. I've even left the door of his aviary open to see if he wants to come out, but he's not interested yet. He hasn't got a wheel in his home yet, so I'll try that. Even though mine have loads of space to run around most chipmunks are almost obsessive about running on the wheels. I've found the best type of wheel is a Wobest size senior, which I get from here http://www.petplanet.co.uk/product.asp?dept_id=65&pf_id=2615  This type of wheel is one of the rare ones which can't chop off their tails as their running. The other thing I'm going to try for Tucker is to make his home even more interesting by putting in more tunnels and tubes. Although that will mean I will probably see less of him it might help his confidence.

I don't know what your nesting arrangement is for squeak and zippy. I try to ensure mine can have one each, I also read once that their nest boxes should all be on the same level, something about dominance if one is higher than the other.

One thing to add, to begin with I always thought mine would be missing their parents when young, so could they be sad at being split up. I've learnt after several litters that once they have been weaned, their mother will have hardly anything to do with them. Most will even move to a different nest box, it's not what I expected at all. I've even found that brothers and sisters have needed to be split up as they get older because of fighting. I will never be able to work out who is going to get on with who, and it seems to change over time.

jcoombes2002

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Re: Always Nesting
« Reply #2 on: January 10, 2008, 11:20:08 AM »
Both zippy and squeak have nest boxes on the same level which is at the bottom, however Zippy stays in his all the time and Squeak stays at the top either in the sock on in the digging tower we have put up there. I just cant seem to work them out either. There are loads of branches and tubes and things but Zippy doesnt want to know but Squeak loves it, also we had a wheel but took it out as neither of them wanted to know. I am glad it is just not ours that nests all the time, we have to keep them together due to the fact that my partner and I have no room to put another cage as the cage we have at the moment is 6". Squeak loves to run around the whole thing, and Zippy never come out unless we pick him up to let him run around the front room - which he doesnt do anymore anyway just hides!

Nate

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Re: Always Nesting
« Reply #3 on: January 10, 2008, 12:22:39 PM »
Yep, I just can't work them out, I bought two wheels, and for the first year all they did was give them occasional sniff as they passed by. Then all of sudden they started using them, now I have four wheels, and there is always one spinning around. Glad you have a digging tower, from all you say I think zippy sounds quite content in his aviary for now. I don't think he will ever become like squeak but as you're able to handle him, he could end up being quite happy to sit on your shoulder for ages. Even the shy ones I find end up being really lovable, so for now I regard tucker as my special needs chipmunk.