Me again!!

Question
QUESTION: Hi

I would like to know...
When the babys will come out of the bed...

We are going on holiday in 2 weeks and are getting someone to look after them. We will not be able to re home them until about 5 weeks form now.Is that to long and will the mom get fed up with the babys?

When will they be ready to leave the mom for good?
Thanks
ANSWER: Hi Ellie,

When the babies are exactly 2 weeks old (meaning at least 14 days old), you can begin to hold them for short periods of time.  When they are 3 weeks old, then they are fully weaned from their mother, and they can be put in separate cages (exception: the baby female you'll leave with the mother, and the baby male you'll place with the father).  To prevent early pregnancies, go ahead (once they are 3 weeks old) and separate them into 2 separate cages - one for the males and one for the females.  They should stay like this for another 2-3 weeks, then they can go to new homes.

Since you won't be home, you'll have to get someone to separate the babies into this new arrangement.  It's important that the babies leave their mother once they are 3 weeks old.  (Otherwise, they may fight.)  And, for now, be sure to scatter food around the cage, and lower the water bottle to where the babies can reach it.  The babies will soon start experimenting with the solid food, so it will need to be somewhere accessible to them.

If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask :)

Kelly


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

QUESTION: Hi
I just want ot say thankyou for all of your help!!!
You have bben Fab!
Just 1 last question...
You said to split them up incase of early pregnancies.
Can i leave all females with mom,and all males with dad or will they still fight. And should be taken from the mom straight away?Thank you soooo much bibi (For now!)
ANSWER: Hi Ellie,

You're welcome :)

Dwarf hamsters, although they are social, should really only be together in pairs.  There is a greater chance of fighting if you have more than 2 in a cage.  (That's why I recommended that you only keep one baby female with the mother, and one baby male with the father.)  So, you'll need 2 more cages once the babies are 3 weeks old - one for the baby males and one for the baby females.  Once you give them away, make sure to give them away in same-sex pairs.

If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask :)

Kelly

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

QUESTION: Hi
so sorry about all the questions  but the internet tells me absolutly nothing!!!
How do you tell female from meal. Because originally, we had our hammies off a friend and she said they were both female so babys were a bit of a shock! And when it came to splitting up mom and dad we couldnt tell the difference at all! Any hints on how to tell them apart??? To prevent any more surprise babies!?!?!?! Thanks

Answer
Hi Ellie,

On a male hamster, there is quite a bit of distance between his sexual organ and his anus.  On a female, the distance is much shorter.  Also, a male will have a bulging rear end because of his testicles.  Here's a link to a picture to show you exactly what I'm talking about:

http://www.hamsterhideout.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=10517

And, since you mentioned not being able to find much on the internet, here's a link to a great site I use all the time:

http://www.petwebsite.com/hamsters.asp

If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask :)

Kelly