Gerbils are born blind and naked, and rely entirely on their mother for the first ten days of life. A litter can include up to ten babies, with between four and six gerbils being average. And these babies must all be fed. During their initial two and a half weeks of life, they will receive the bulk of their nutrition through their mother, who should receive the same type of diet that she received while gestating.

The youngsters remain in the nest until they are approximately ten days old, but do not begin to eat solid food regularly until about 17 days after birth. They can be weaned at 21 days, but you must keep a sharp eye out for any babies that do not seem to be thriving as you may need to intervene by offering baby or puppy milk through an eye-dropper (a few drops at a time is all that would be necessary) to supplement the mother's nutrition. You must be sure to hold the pup upright so that it doesn't choke.