How can I tell how old my hamster is

Question
I purchased my hamster a few weeks ago. I found out this morning, we have baby hamsters. They have hair but they haven't opened their eyes yet. How can I determine how old they are? Also how can I tell what sex they are while they are so small? When can they be handled?
                                   Thanks
                                   Dottie

Answer
Hi Dottie

I bet that was a surprise when you found a nest of babies!  The fact that they have fur indicates that they are at least a week old as they are born bald.  At around 12-14 days they will start leaving the nest.  At around 13-15 their eyes usually open - so this will give you a rough guide on their age.  It is a good idea to give the mum some extra food right now so that she gets plenty of nourishment - I usually buy a packet of powdered baby food and mix a little with water.  If you put it in a low dish (or jam jar lid) the babies can eat this too when they start to leave the nest.  Drop plenty of food close to the nest for the mum so that she doesn't have to go and find any.  The babies can eat the standard dry hamster mix, along with some fresh vegetables (avoid lettuce as this can cause diarrhea).  They can also have a little cheese, scrambled egg, nuts, and seeds.  When the babies start to leave the nest it is important that they can reach a water bottle.  If necessary you will need to get a second one in the cage and position it nearer to the ground.  If the cage they are in is tubular rather than wire, then it would be advisable to block off any tubes right now so that none of the babies get stuck on another level or inside a tube.

Also, it is a good idea to remove any wheel that has a drainage slit or bars - you should only really have the solid wheels otherwise babies can injure themselves.  If you can fit a few wheels then that is best as this will avoid fighting.  You should be using the paper bedding (not the fluffy sort).  If you are using the fluffy sort please get back in touch and I will advise you how to swap it over.

Don't clean the cage out until the babies have started leaving the nest at the earliest - if necessary just scoop out any corners that smell, and re-cover with woodchip. Changing the bedding at this stage can worry the mum.  Once the babies start leaving the nest then this is a safe time to start handling them - just for a few minutes at a time.  They need to get back to their mum.  Also make a real fuss of the mum so she doesn't feel left out. As the babies grow you can handle them more so that they become tame.

Depending on the size and color of the litter I tend to find that it is best to transfer the whole litter over to a carry cage.  Then I pick them up one at a time before returning them to their cage.  This way you get to handle all of them rather than only ever picking up the same ones.  At this age they will be very jumpy so it is best to sit down when handling them otherwise they can fly out of your hands.  They also have a bit of a habit of peeing on you!  Some cry if they are frightened but it is important to persevere with them so that they can see that it is safe.

At 4 weeks of age you will need to sex and separate out the boys.  As you don't know for sure when they were born I would guess that the first day you see one leaving the nest - count this as day 12.  If you're not sure and think you might have missed this, then as soon as you see their eyes open assume this is day 14.  This may not be totally accurate but will give you a rough idea.  The best way of sexing them is to have a look at the mum - you will see two openings.  On a female they are closer than on a male.  Sometimes you can see nipples on a female but with babies this can be difficult.  Also, some boys might be better developed than others at this age and you might be able to see their testicles. There are lots of books and websites that have information on sexing hamsters.  There are some videos on u-tube that might help you as well.

You haven't said what type of hamsters these are.  If they are Syrian they will all need a cage of their own at 6 weeks - at this time they can be re-homed.  If they are dwarf hamsters then the boys can stay with dad and the girls stay with mum providing they don't fight.  

If you haven't already done so it would be a good idea to let the pet shop know what has happened.  They may agree to re-home the litter for you, or at the very least they might offer you a cage or two to help.  Most pet shops claim they can't guarantee the sex of a hamster, but some are very accommodating if something like this happens as they don't want to damage their reputation.

I hope you get on OK.  Please get back in touch if you have any other questions.
Regards
Sheila