Gerbils grow fast, and when they are 10 days old they will try to crawl out of their nest, but their eyes will only open around 17 days. At this age they will also start to nibble at the food. When they are about 24 days old they won't drink milk any more. It is best to keep young gerbils with their parents until they are 6 weeks old. Sometimes the parents eat their young, this is not because they are hungry or stressed.
Gerbils follow their instinct and keep their nest clean by eating dead or sick pups.
Please note that the material on these webpages is covered by copyright law. If you wish to use any pictures etc.