Baby, Dwarf Hamsters!!!

Question
My baby hamsters are about 3 weeks old and almost weaned. I want to put the boys in with the dad, and leave the girls with the mom, but I am afraid the dad will eat them, also I don't know which ones are boys or girls, how do you tell???


Answer
McKenna, baby dwarf hamsters are extremely difficult to sex by the untrained eye.  Since their genitals are not developed enough to tell the difference.  I would not recommend you put any babies in with the father because since the babies will be so young they might be viewed as snacks to the father.

I would place them in their own personal enclosure.  

When you introduce a younger hamster into an older hamster's home, they will be viewed upon as trespassers and the older hamster will surely try to make it clear to the young hamsters who is Boss of that particular enclosure, for this  reason it is not a good idea.   If you want to avoid hamsters fighting over dominance then you have to introduce them all into a fresh clean environment all at the same time, this way there is no "I was here first" and it will help them get along better, until you can find homes for them.

Back to telling the different genders apart.  I am nowhere near you so  I can't give you a demonstration so that you will be 100% sure you have the correct sex determined, I recommend you look up images or websites that will show you examples of the dwarf hamster's genitalia.  Here is one detailed page http://www.hamsterific.com/HamsterUniversity/SexingHamsters.html

Baby hamsters will also be very finicky when you are trying to turn them upside down to check.  Another way to get a good look is to press the little hamster against the glass of the terrarium or housing (being not too rough) and examine the area.    This way they will have a harder time squirming away.  Good luck!