Hamster labor

Question
Hello,
I went to the hamster store and found a VERY pregnant hamster so I worked out a deal with the store owners that I'm going to raise the babies. That was yesterday, this morning I found her extremely mean and biting and itching her back and privates I need to know how you can tell a hammie is having hammie contractions and going into labor.  Any information would be helpful, thanks a lot!

Answer
Hi

I've only witnessed labor once - most times the babies have been born in the middle of the night.  The one time I watched (or at least tried to watch) the birth, the hamster was very strange - she kept making odd noises, archng her back as though she was having a contraction, very fidgety.

The difficulty you have (and indeed I have when I take in pregnant hamsters) is that you obviously haven't had time to get her used to you, hence the reason why she could be behaving aggressively towards you.  I would suggest you make sure her cage is in a relatively quiet location and leave her to get on with it.  Most times labor is straightforward - it is only occasionaly that there are complications and a vet needs to be consulted.

When the babies have been born, mix up some human baby food (the powdered variety is best - something like 'creamy porridge oats' or similar).  Put a small dish of this in the cage for the mum and it will help give her plenty of nutrients for feeding her young.  In a couple of weeks time her babies can eat this too.

Good luck with this.  Please let me know how you get on.

Regards