Hamster babies?

Question
Hey,
   Ok, so I got a new hamster (Ronnie) about 2 weeks ago from a petstore. When I got her I thought she was a boy, but a week ago I learned otherwise, she had 6  or 7 babies (I count but they're always piled up on top of eachother). She seems
to be fairly young. I know the higher posed risks that come with a younger mom. But I was wondering when the babies are at a low risk for cannibalism?

    Also, I 've been feeding Ronnie cucumbers, apples, grapes,celery, spinach,red peppers and carrots. I've also added oats, wheat germ and these hamster croissant crumbs. I usually choose three of the veg. and fruits daily. And I give her the oats, wheat germ and croissant crumbs daily. Also, 2 tbsp of 1%
milk for extra protein she needs. This is all added to her hamster food, which I've incresed due to her hunger and need to hoard food for the babies. Is there anything I could add to her diet? I know a hard-boiled egg, but do you feed her the yolk? And, am I giving her too much milk? Should I choose soy milk over cows milk?

    When should I start leaving food out for the babies? I've read several sites, but they all say different things.Does the mom teach the babies how to drink out of the water bottle and should I add a extra bottle? And, when should I add the hamster wheel back into the cage? Thanks for taking the time to read
my question(:

Answer
Hi Miranda

Glad to hear you are getting on OK.

Regarding the possible eyeless white - this is a defective gene that sometimes appears when people try to a pure white hamster.  I've had several eyeless whites and they have all gone onto live a full life.  The fact that Syrians have dreadful eyesight anyway means that they don't rely too much on it.  The key thing is to let the hamster know you are around as you can startle it.  Often eyeless whites are deaf too, so you need to be a bit careful as you approach them.  I usually tap the side of the cage or bars to let them know I'm there.  Generally I have found eyeless whites to be incredibly friendly hamsters and I love keeping them.  Also, when you clean the hamster out, it is worth putting the nest etc back in the same place so  it doesn't get confused.  I tend to keep eyeless whites in single storey cages rather than tubular/multi level ones but they love running in their wheels, and also coming out for a run in an exercise ball.

It is important to keep a close watch on their eyes, as sometimes the lids can go a bit crusty or have pus, but if they do, gently wipe with warm water to clean.

Good luck with this - hope they are all OK.

Regards
Sheila

Hi Miranda

Sorry to hear you had an unexpected litter appear!  Unfortunately I often hear this happening.

The first two weeks are the most important as they totally rely on mum for food and warmth.  After this, they start leaving the nest and the likelihood of them being abandoned/cannabalised is much less.  In fact I've never known any to die as a result of this after this age.  The only reasons why the mum sometimes kills them are because: firstly, the mum is scared and feels threatened, secondly either one of the babies is ill, or the mum is and she can't feed them, thirdly if there isn't enough space or food for them.  

During the first two weeks I advise not to handle the babies or even go too close to the nest unless there is an emergency and you find a baby left out in the cold.  In which case you warm the baby gently in your hands before placing it back in the nest.  Also, you then gently place your hand on all the babies as you never want to single out just one with your scent.

Foodwise, I tend not to give milk at all.  This isn't necessary unless the mum isn't feeding them properly, and then you can get a special powdered milk from the vet that is specially designed for orphaned animals and is easier to digest than cows milk.  I find the best thing is to buy a packet or two of baby food - such as creamy porridge oats or similar, and mix a little with water. This will give mum extra nutrients.  If you put it in a low enough dish/lid, when the babies are about 2 weeks old and leaving the nest they will be able to eat it too.  From about the age of 1 week, the babies will eat solids and you can drop seeds, small pieces of nut, raw porridge oats, breadcrumbs close to the nest for them.  Make sure mum has plenty of food close by.

A small amount of vegetables is good for the babies as they get a bit older, but avoid giving lettuce as this can give them diarrhoea.

Once the babies start leaving the nest you can begin handling them for a few seconds at a time.  They will be very jumpy so it is always best to sit down to do this in case they fly out of your hands.  Try to handle them all the same amount of time and always make a fuss of mum.  Don't keep her away from her babies for very long - just a few minutes at a time.   Regarding the water bottle, they must be able to reach this.  You may have to fit a second bottle for them lower than the one for mum so that they can reach it. They will figure out how to drink from it themselves, but if you also give some baby food, this will give them moisture too.  make sure the water bottle doesn't leak at all or drip into their bedding.  

In terms of cleaning out the cage - I never do this for the first 2-3 weeks - just remove any soiled or damp/smelly corners.  Once the babies are about 3 weeks you will need to clean them out daily probably, but I never disinfect the cage unless they are ill, and I always try to return some of their bedding if it is dry and not too soiled - this is so that they don't get worried if there is no smell of theirs anywhere.

What type of wheel do you have?  it needs to be a solid wheel and not one with bars or a slit otherwise babies can get caught in them. When the babies are getting close to 3 weeks old they will try to run in a wheel and it is worth trying to fit a few wheels so that there is no fighting.  Just make sure the babies don't get stuck around the wheel or hurt by it - for some reason the mum often moves the nest under the wheel - if it is a bit tight, move the wheel further along the cage.

At 4 weeks you must sex and separate out the boys.  I'm assuming these are Syrian hamsters - if so, the girls can stay with mum for another 2 weeks providing she is Ok with them - sometimes the mum can become tired if they pester her all the time and at 4 weeks I would remove mum if this is the case.  By the time the hamsters are getting close to 6 weeks they will start fighting and will all need a cage of their own.  If these are dwarf hamsters, then the boys can live together permanently, and the girls can stay with mum, however, there is never any guarantee that they won't fight - if fighting turns from minor squabbles to constant fighting, bullying, or one always being picked on or sleeping/eating alone, then you do need to either identify the bully and remove them, or remove the one being picked on if several are ganging up on them.

Have you told the pet shop that you have a litter?  Often if they sell a pregnant hamster they will either offer to rehome any babies once they are 5-6 weeks old, or they will at least offer one or two cages.

I hope this helps you and you get on OK.

Regards
Sheila