newborns

Question
What do you do with them right after birth?will mom eat them?do they need their own cage?

Answer
Hi Brenda

the mum only kills/eats her newborns if she is frightened, if they are ill or if there isn't enough food/water.

So, to make sure everything is OK, make sure mum has plenty of food - you can increase her food by giving her some human baby food - the dried variety is best - if you mix a small amount with water and put it in a dish for her - this will make sure she has enough nourishment to feed her babies.

Don't touch her babies at this young age - if you do accidentally, you must gently put your scent on all of them so that you haven't singled out just one of them.  When they are about 2 weeks, they will start leaving the nest and you will be able to gently handle them then, but when they are newborns, just a few minutes out of the nest can cause them to die as their body temperature drops rapidly.

Don't worry about cleaning out the cage at the moment - the mum needs to feel safe - so if there are any corners that are particularly smelly - just remove the soiled woodchippings and replace those rather than the whole nest.  If you see any of the newborns out of the nest in that they have dropped off the mum, gently pick them up and put them straight back into the nest.

You don't have to worry about sexing them and separating them until they are 4 weeks old.  How many babies have you got?  Are they Syrian or russian dwarf?

Please let me know and I'll advise you on the next stage.

Regards