Unwanted hamster babies.

Question
This is my first time caring for hamsters. I've found much helpful information online and have maintained my hamsters' diet and hygienic levels.

I was surprised to find babies in and outside of my hamster cage this morning. I have already put the father in a separate cage, given the mother extra food and torn up tissue paper, and have tried to leave her alone as much as possible.

My problem: we touched 2 babies with our bare fingers. They were crawling out of their nest and falling from the second floor level of the cage. I was very disheartened to find out that this is the worse thing to do.

The mother has isolated and shunned 2 babies. I'm now sure that these 2 babies are the 2 which we've briefly touched so they wouldn't fall. I've moved the hamster house, which is the nest, to the ground level so the babies wouldn't fall out. The mother has seemed to be fine with the change and has adjusted herself seemingly well. This is her first litter and has shown only a few signs of nervousness.

I want to know if there is any way I can help these two isolated babies. I'm not sure if they'll survive a night without their mother's care. Does a mother eat the entire baby when she kills them? If she doesn't, do I leave the carcass in her nest until the mandatory first 2 weeks are over? What's the best way to dispose of dead hamsters?

I've tried finding information to answer my questions, but to no avail. Thank you so much for your time.

Cheers,

Cha

Answer
Hello Cha,
Very sorry to hear this. Unfortunately, there's not much you can do. I had a hamster who had a litter of 5, three of which were very underdeveloped and deformed. Almost like a maternal instinct, she knew the three were never going to survive anyway, and she did eat them. Somehow, I never found any sign of the three pups, and they never left the cage. If you find carcasses in the nest, just leave it until you can clean the cage. If there are carcasses elsewhere in the cage, use some type of utensil, like a plastic spoon, to dispose of them without disturbing the nest.

Best of Luck,
Devin