HELP: Hamsters

Subject: HELP: Hamsters Fri Apr 10, 2009 3:50 pm

As some of you might know (or seen the pics)
A couple of weeks ago one of my 3 male russian hamsters had baby's.
Anyway they are doing great and have been cleaning them all out daily etc.

About half an hour ago went to clean them out as usual and male number 2 has just had baby's (don't know if they will survive though as i moved them all out before i saw the babies in the nest)

Have put them all back, but now need advise from someone in the know (none of the sites are very helpfull) Didn't clean the cage out, but still need to handle babies from other litter. Do i risk messing with them all or try and work out who is mummy number1 and move her and her babies out.

I know know for definate who daddy is but don't know weather to leave him be for now or also move him out (he does help rear them though as he did with the first 2)

Any advise welcome as i though i had 3 males (they are 9 months old so thought they were definatly male.Lol)

Admin

I'm so sorry but I dont have any ideas for you. I didn't want to leave this unanswered.

I read somewhere that the males will kill the young males - this of course could be ridiculously wrong though.
If it were me, I'd leave them in the cage without dad and watch them settle - you should then be able to see which mum belongs to which baby (hopefully) and move as you wish.

However, I am NOT in the know so do feel free to completely ignore me Smile

I won't be ofended.

AND Good Luck

with all these tiny hammys.

Admin

I found this for you

Breeding Considerations
The sex of adult hamsters is easy to determine. Males have very large, prominent testicles. In fact, owners unaccustomed to seeing them are often astonished at these anatomic peculiarities.
Male golden hamsters should be first bred when they are 14 weeks old. Females should be first bred when they are 10 weeks old. As the time of copulation approaches, thin, stringy, cobweb-like mucus exits the female's vulva. The female is then placed into the male's cage about one hour before dark. The pair must then be carefully observed for mating activity and/or fighting. Females can be very aggressive to males in this situation and can harm them. The male should be removed at once if there is fighting. Because fighting is so likely, aggressive males are best hand-mated. In these situations, they are better able to defend themselves and "hold their ground." The male should be removed after mating.

Pregnancy last only 15½-16 days. Before delivery, the female becomes restless and usually discharges a small amount of blood from her vulva. Litters usually range from 5 to 10 pups. The pups are born hairless, with ears and eyes closed. They do, however, have their front teeth (the incisors) at birth.

Female hamsters with young must be provided with abundant nesting and bedding materials, and plenty of food and water. They must not be disturbed in any way. The young should not be touched or handled until they are at least 7 days old, the nest should not be disturbed, and the cage should not be cleaned during this period. Failure to heed these cautions (especially with females nursing their first litters) most often results in cannibalism of the young.

Observant owners may note an interesting maternal rearing activity, especially if the female with young is excited or disturbed. She will stuff pups into her cheek pouches and deposit them into the nest a short time later when she believes the danger has passed. Occasionally, pups suffocate as a result, especially during lengthy periods of disturbance.

Young hamsters usually begin eating solid food at 7-10 days of age but are usually weaned at about 3 weeks of age. Solid, pelleted food must be soaked to soften it and be placed on or near floor level of the enclosure for easy access by the weanlings. As mentioned above, sipper tubes must be positioned low enough so that the smallest pups can reach them. Some pups will not be strong enough to extract water from sipper tubes, so owners must be vigilant for this potential problem and provide an alternative water source for them.

Courtesy of http://www.caringtogether.com/exotics/hamsters2.html

Admin

Try this too http://au.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20071202164623AAYlB0O

Subject: Re: HELP: Hamsters Fri Apr 10, 2009 4:03 pm

thanks. Yes the males can kill the babies, but normally don't in russian hamsters. As within the group mums and dads all help look after the young (mum's will often put babies in same nest if born around the same time)

Just don't know where i stand having older babies with them aswell. plus mum number 1 is likely to be pregnant again now aswell (can't tell as they don't really get fat- well mine haven't anyway. lol)

and to think i thought i was safe with 3 males. lmao

Admin

Oh - I dont know. I've gone through loads of links and websites but your right they dont seem to make sense.

I woud take dad out though if you think mum1 maybe pregnant again already as he may get mum2 pregnant again.

Subject: Re: HELP: Hamsters Fri Apr 10, 2009 4:05 pm

i'll need more than look when the kids wake up and find out, i've already told them they can keep the first 2 babies. got knows what i'm gonna say when they find out we have new babies aswell .lol

Admin

You're gonna be stuck with 50 hammy's now aren't you Wink

I'll keep an eye out and if I find anything that may help I'll link it for you.

Subject: Re: HELP: Hamsters Fri Apr 10, 2009 4:12 pm

thanks. I've been threw them all myself but another set of eye's looking might help.
She could be pregnant again already as they mate again after having the babies to make mum feel better. lol nice

can't move him until tomorrow incase she is still birthing, but he won't be happy with me as he's always been with them. (hoping one of the older babies is a male so he can have a friend with him)

depending if i have anymore litters i will need to start finding homes for them in groups as i don't have enough room for millions of cages (didn't want babies. lol)

Admin

I'm sorry, I don't really know much about hamsters either. Ahuh

I hope everything goes ok with them though and hopefully if it's not too late someone will be along with some more good advice for you in the morning! Crossed

Let us know if we can do anything else to help though in the meantime. Group Hug

Subject: Re: HELP: Hamsters Sat Apr 11, 2009 2:18 am

thanks vicky.

I'm just glad i spotted them before cleaning the bedding, as my eye sight in the one eye is getting worse so it's a miricale i saw the little pink things.

Moving dad out later today, then sexing the older babies to see if there's a male friend for dad. Then hopefully no more babies (well maybe one more littler if mum number 1 is pregnant already)

I'll be glad when there all sexed properly and i don't have to worry about finding pink things every time i clean the cage. lol

Admin

Hows the Hammies? Any more babies!! lol!

Subject: Re: HELP: Hamsters Sun Apr 12, 2009 3:22 pm

unfortunatly it looks like moving dad out has upset the group and the baby's are no longer.
And now the 2 older baby's arn't moving out the nest. used to come out to play a few times a day.

I really don't know what to do now. i know they can't keep getting pregnant, but mum's are really stressed so don't know weather i should put dad back in or not.

I know in the wild they breed back to back until females become infertile at around 12 months old (mine are 8 months old) Don't know weather to leave them be until thats happens or not (would keep and seperate the baby's into groups so i wouldn't have unwanted ones)

I just feel so bad and don't know what to do for the best

Admin

Sorry hun but I dont know what to suggest. Sad

I really wish I was more knowledgeable. Have you tried ringing a hamster rescue and asking their advice?

Subject: Re: HELP: Hamsters Sun Apr 12, 2009 3:28 pm

didn't really think about that. Don't even know of a hamster rescue. (sorry also got a lot on with health problems at the moment aswell)

If i can stay on long enough i will see if i can find a rescue to ring tomorrow. Going to leave dad seperate for tonight but need to do something tomorrow as one of the baby's is being picked on and not being allowed by the food bowl (feeding it by hand for now) but i think there still to young to seperate from mum for another weeek

Admin

http://www.hamsterrescue.org.uk/

Admin

http://www.animalrescuers.co.uk/html/rabferr.html

Subject: Re: HELP: Hamsters Sun Apr 12, 2009 3:36 pm

thanks jenny. Will email them tomorrow and see what advice that can give me

Admin

No worries,

let us know how you get on and erm....... Pictures Please

Subject: Re: HELP: Hamsters Mon Apr 13, 2009 4:19 am

Have spoken to a lovely lady called wendt this morning and the news is.....

I have to seperate all the adults into cages on there own (and may have to do same when babies are old enough) need to go back on freecycle as see what cages i can get.

looks like mum number one may have killed the second litter to make room for her next litter and this is why she's picking on her babies (trying to kick them out the nest)

To anyone that needs to sex hamsters aswell i've just found out that only females have nipples (didn't know this and always sexed by there genitals)

mum number 2 could also be pregnant again aswell as even though dad was moved while she was still birthing he could of had his way with her in between her giving birth (poor thing)

will post so more pics later as i need to take more to send to wendy to find out which species of dwarf hamsters i've got. lol

Admin

Glad you managed to get some good advice. Smile

Freecycle comes through for you! I'll go and put a couple of ads on my local ones as well. How many are you looking for?

Subject: Re: HELP: Hamsters Mon Apr 13, 2009 1:04 pm

at the moment i'm going to need at least another 3. But depending how many babies she has next and if they survive gods know. lol

Admin

Well let us know as Im pretty sure I still have my old gerbil plastic run (with the tubes) as a worse case scenario - in the attic though.
Would say i'll post freecycle too but Vicky is the same as my local.

Glad you got some good advice.

Subject: Re: HELP: Hamsters Mon Apr 13, 2009 2:32 pm

thanks ladies.

Depending how many i end up with i may have to see if anyone on here would like to take one in. Otherwise will end up spending all day every day just cleaning hamsters out. lol.

Won't just give them away in the paper though will happily keep them all as it's my fault i've ended up in this mess in the first place.

And so much for all the books and sites that say they will live happily together in groups (this only happens accosionally apparently) and the males are the more socialable ones in the hamster world

Subject: Re: HELP: Hamsters Sat May 02, 2009 12:39 pm

just to let you all know mum finally gave birth sometime in the last couple of days.
There are at least 6 babies (if they don't kill these ones)
will try and get some pics of the tiny monsters for you to see as soon as safe enough to do.

lets hope thats an end to the babies now dad has been moved out. lol