Degus require a large cage/enclosure and many marketed as suitable simply are not big enough. Ideally, we would like to see degus housed in large DIY enclosures with at least 1mx1mx1.5m space. German rodent care is miles ahead of us and many German sites have great info on building a suitable set-up – here are some useful sites:
http://www.diebrain.de/ch-gehege.html

The absolute minimum cage size we will accept is the Liberta Explorer (or cages of the same size). The Savic Royal Suite 95 and Critter Nation Double are also acceptable for degus, but the plastic shelves will need to be covered with fleece (or replaced with metal/wooden shelves) and regularly checked for any signs of chewing.

Hay

Hay should make up the majority of degus’ diets and must always be available. We feed a mixture of meadow hay and timothy hay, with the occasional addition of oat grass hay and readigrass or graze-on (dried grass). If your degu doesn’t eat much hay, try different types, and mix in some forage or pellets to entice them.

Forage

Alongside hay, we feed a daily handful of dried or fresh forage (leaves, herbs, flowers, roots, bark, branches). 

Our dried forage mix typically consists of:
Leaves – Plantain, Apple, Echinacea, Raspberry, Nettle, Dandelion, Hazelnut
Roots – Chicory or Dandelion
Bark – Willow or Birch
Flowers – Marigold, Rose, Cornflower, Chamomile, Mallow

In the spring & summer months, we collect fresh leaves and branches such as plantain, dandelion, yarrow, clover, willow, hazel, hawthorn and birch for the degus to enjoy.

Pellets

Pellets should only form a small part of the diet and should be viewed as a supplement, rather than a main food. Too many pellets can lead to obesity and serious dental issues as the degu fills up on these, neglecting the all-important hay. We feed only around 1 tablespoon of pellets per day, alongside a mixture of forage (with hay available 24/7). Pellets containing grains and cereals should be avoided – grass/hay based pellets are best (not alfalfa!)

Recommended Sites for Degu Food

The Hay Shed – hay & forage
Nature’s Own Pets – hay & forage

We house degus on kiln dried, dust extracted woodshavings such as Snowflake Supreme. Other safe options include hemp or aspen shavings.

It is important to make your degu’s enclosure interesting and enriching – space is great but it must be filled with things to do!

You should include:
– At least one hide
– Ledges/platforms
– Sand bath
– Tunnels
– Bridges
– Branches
– Metal wheel, at least 16 inches diameter
– Fleece hammocks

Degus are excellent chewers so don’t include anything plastic – wood, cermaic and metal items are safest.

Coming Soon!