Female Winter White Pregnant?

Question
QUESTION: My winter whites mated 16 days ago and I am wondering if my female winter white is pregnant. I am aware of the signs of pregnancy from other websites, but I don't think some of them applies to my hammy. She is definetly more aggressive as she is quick to bite anything that gets near her. She has gotten bigger, but it could be because she is growing up (she is about 3 months old). I can't really agree on visible nipples as I cannot identify them (covered by fur). On some websites, I read that pregnant hamsters become more active, others say they become energyless. Mine is definetly active. My male hamster has stop "doing it" with her so maybe that means something too. I have removed the male one from the cage so he does not bother her during her delivery. If she is not pregnant, I wish to put them together again. Can you tell wheter she is pregnant or not? Thank you.

ANSWER: Hi Andy

There is no definite answer to your question, I'm afraid.  The usual gestation period is 18-21 days, therefore until you pass the 21st day you won't know for sure.  Some hamsters give a number of signs of being pregnant - drinking more water, relocating the nest, raised nipples, slight aggression, but in all honesty most of the hamsters I have had who have been pregnant haven't shown that many signs - even up until the evening before going into labor they have been running around, climbing etc.  Sometimes you can see a bulge on the hamster's hips - if she stretches, look to see if a bulge remains.  If a hamster is just getting fat, then the bulge disappears when they stretch out.

I'm glad that you have taken the male out - dwarf hamsters will mate the day the female gives birth, hence the reason why some people end up getting overrun with hamsters.

Hamsters can also reabsorb/miscarry - they usually do this is they feel there won't be enough food or space for a litter, or if they feel threatened.  Don't over-feed her at this time - just her usual amount.  If a litter is born, increase this and make sure she has food scattered near her nest. It is also advisable to remove any small houses/tubes as it is much less stressful (for the owner) if the litter is born in the open or under a platform rather than in a confined space.  Also, if she has a wheel with spokes, then remove this.  When babies get to about 2 weeks they will be leaving the nest and once they have discovered the wheel they all want a run in it at the same time - wheels with drainage slits or spokes are dangerous for small hamsters as is the fluffy bedding (can get caught around their legs).  The best bedding to use is the shredded paper type.

I hope this helps you. Good luck with this.

Regards

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks for your detailed reply.
My hammy sleeps and stays most of the time under the wheel (large plastic). Should I remove the wheel or will she get frightened as her ceiling is removed?
Thank you again.

ANSWER: Hi Andy

I would think it is OK to leave it in.  The problem with them having babies in the small houses/tubes etc is that after a very short time they are overcrowded and the danger is that the babies are either getting squashed or get pushed out of the nest.  She will probably feel a lot more secure with the wheel over her - if she is in a wire cage rather than a tank if the wheel is a bit too close to the ground, perhaps you could raise it slightly.

Hope everything works out OK.

Regards

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Cherry (my female winter white) gave birth today!!
With the limited space to peek, I can only see 2 or 3, but I think there could be more. I know that I cannot touch them for a while, not even reposition the wheel a bit higher. On some websites, it says 2 weeks of isolation and some say its 4. How long do I have to wait to check out her pups? Also, I must separate the males and females 4 weeks later right? I don't think I can identify their relative closeness between the two holes (sexual and anal) at such young age. Are there any tips on figuring out their gender?

Thank you so much for your help.

Answer
Congratulations to Cherry!

Winter White litters can be small, so you may not have too many babies.  I never touch new born babies unless there is an emergency - i.e. if you see one out of the nest, then warm it up in your hands and put it back in the nest. If this does happen, make sure you place your hands over the other babies and the bedding etc. so that your scent is everywhere and you haven't just singled out one.

I wouldn't worry about the wheel - as they are in the open apart from this they should be fine.  

With regard to handling the babies, this varies from person to person and how tame the mother is.  Some mothers are very over protective and get scared if you try to touch the babies, others seem to be OK about it.  I rarely touch any of my babies until they are about 2 weeks old and leaving the nest.  Prior to this I do sometimes have a quick look in the nest - when the mum has moved away I normally get her out for a cuddle for a minute or two and then just have a quick look in the nest - but it is vital that the babies are tucked in deeply as their body temperature can drop rapidly over a matter of minutes if they are out of the nest.

I suggest you drop food close to the nest for Cherry.  You can even give her human baby food now (powdered creamy porridge is good - just mix a little with water).  This will give her extra nutrients and help her feed her young.  After a week if you carefully open up the nest you could drop in breadcrumbs, raw porridge oats and seeds as the babies will start to eat solid foods.

At around 10-14 days the babies will leave the nest.  I always take this as a cue to start handling them.  Cherry is likely to be in a panic initially as the babies start exploring and will probably be running around trying to get them back into the nest - this is normal.  After a day or two she will give up.  I usually help the mum gather up her young and put them back in the nest for her if this happens.  Try to handle them all the same amount and make a real fuss of Cherry too.  If the litter is small and they all look different, then it is easy - but if they all look the same or the litter is large, then the best thing is to transfer them into another container, handle each one before returning them to their cage.  This way you know you are not always handling the most confident.  They will be a bit jumpy at this age, so I recommend sitting down on the floor with the cage.  Foodwise - they can eat the baby food too for a few weeks, along with nuts, seeds, fresh vegetables (avoid lettuce as it can cause diarrhea), cheese, scrambled egg etc.

Regarding sexing them - this can be difficult.  They are very easy to sex when they are a day or two old because they have no fur and you can easily see rows of nipples on the females - however, there is a great risk handling them at this young age and also if they all end up with the same color fur you won't know which is which anyway a week later.  The best way to sex them is to examine Cherry and the dad first - have a look at them, then taking the babies, compare them.  I find dwarf hamsters are harder to sex than Syrians, probably because of their small size.  At 4 weeks some will be more developed that others, therefore if one is obviously male or female, then compare the others with this.  Once you have sexed them, double check and perhaps get another opinion.  It is better to be safe than sorry.  Here are a couple of sites that might help you sex them: http://www.hamsters-uk.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=68#winterwh
http://www.hamsters.co.uk/sexing_hamsters.htm

I hope you get on OK. Please get back to me if you have any other questions regarding this.

Regards