Roborovski Mother?

Question
QUESTION: Dear Dawn,
I'm really worried about my Roborovski Hamster Mother who had her first litter of five pups but ate four of them. The survivor is now just 3 weeks old, and looks like the mother shrunk in size. We are beginning to feed him milk-soaked breadcrusts, porridge oats, cucumber, chicken, boiled egg and plenty of hamster mix. He has no chance of reaching the water bottle, so we give him greens (how much greens do they need? Is cabbage best?)
The mother has been acting very strange, when I opened the cage she stayed in the nesting box while her baby was found sleeping in a completely different place. She wouldn't come out of the nesting box for over 20 minutes while her baby ran around the cage.
Today she scurried into a tunnel at half past two and didn't move or make a sound (I'm not joking, she stayed planted in exactly the same spot) with her eyes wide open. She was still in the same state and hadn't so much as turned around at 8 o'clock that evening. I have no idea where the baby is or if he's OK.
Actually, since I can't see much of the hamster in the tunnel I am very strongly wondering if it is the baby I can see, although I would imagine him to be a lot more active and not just sit in the same place for 6 hours without sleeping.
If the baby survives at what age should I put the wheel in? We have a gerbil wheel that attaches to the side of the cage (it's not being used) and a flat wheel that goes on the ground and the hamsters use it in the same way as
a treadmill - except they fall off if they go too fast.
The baby was moving around a lot today. When can I start training him, sexing him and picking him up?

Thank you!
BECKY (again).

ps: I was told I had done too many follow-ups!

ANSWER: Who said too many follow ups? I NEVER mind any questions or return inquires that is why I signed up. If it becomes an issue with the web group we can work something out like email to email.

Q)How much greens do they need?

A)Small quantities of fresh fruits of vegetables is recommended with hamster food and bread. At three weeks he will not need any more milk and milk can cause diarrhea if given beyond 18-21 days. Most mothers stop the milk process at this time. This may explain why she is not bothering to do much with him any more.

Q) Is cabbage best?

A)Since he cannot reach the water bottle you can give him anything that is mainly water to help make sure that he doesnt dehydrate. Things like watermelon, cabbage, lettuce, celery, ect. You can also give him a small lid(like from baby food) with a few drops of water so he can drink, but wont risk drowning at this time.

Q)What age should I put in the wheel?

A)At this time you can place the wheel in the cage. It is not only for fun but for exercise and studies have shown that hamsters w/o wheels can become paralyzed of have a shorter life. Make sure that the wheel is 8" in size and that they cant get their feet caught in the wheel, this can cause breaking.

Q)Training him?

A)It is easier to train a hamster when they are between 4-7 weeks of age.It is always easier to train an animal at a young age.

Q)Sexing?

A)It should be easy to tale the sex at this time. Females will have
nipples and males will not. Here is a great diagram with description that will guide you.
http://www.hamsterific.com/HamsterUniversity/SexingHamsters.html

Q)Picking him up?

A)This is a tricky question. Everyone says or thinks different. But at his age, 3 wks,you should be able to pick him up now. The normal age is between 2-3 wks. Now that he is going to be weaned you can begin to get him use to you and your family.

I hope that this helps. I found these websites to further your search. Thanks for taking time to use all experts and ask any questions anytime :)


http://www.hammysworld.com/index.php?p=feedingbabyhamsters

http://www.hamsteragility.com/?id=178

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

QUESTION: Dear Dawn,
The baby is now three weeks old ... we have a GIRL!
She was eating from foodbowl and I ... picked her up in my hands. This is magical, I love every moment of raising her. My family's going through a naming dilemma, I named Tim on impulse and my Mum named Topsy as a bit of a joke. The rest of the pets ... well, a name was just obvious. She's special, though, she needs a fantastic name. But what? I'm thinking Tupney, but Dad doesn't like it, he wants to name her after her origin - he calls the parents Vlad and Rasputin - since you've been there from the beginning, do you have any suggestions?

Do you have any training tips as such?

Any ideas of new toys and games?

We use lego and flower pots and egg boxes and toilet rolls. I also heard that hamsters love peanut butter, is this true???

So, the big question is: Will we still be able to have another litter in six weeks time? We'd have to move the baby into a separate cage while the parents ... were busy. Is all that too traumatic and complicated? Would the daughter live with the mother after she'd given birth and was raising the pups?

Thank you again and again!
BECKY

Answer
Girl well with with the parents being Vlad and Rasputin how does either of these sound...
-Rapunzel
-Alexandra (Rasputin's wife's name)
-Elizabeth( his grandmother in law, grand mother to Alexandra)
-AELLA meaning warrior in Greek

Training tips:
Hamster eating from your hand:
Put some food next to your hand and let your hamster come and eat the food. Then, put the food on your hand and your hamster should come and eat out of your hand. This will let your hamster get used to you. Stroke her back while it is eating.Hamsters don't have many things you can train with like cats or dogs. Once they get to going into your hand then you can hide treats in your pocket or lap and let her find them as a game together.

http://critterscoop.com/blog/blog5.php/2009/02/21/taming-hamsters-in-7-easy-step

New Toys:
Hamsters love to play and chew on things. Don't worry if you see something chewed on that is normal. I see you tried toilet rolls now you can try these things that come right from your home and don't cost you money.
-Empty plastic containers like from yogurt, butter, frosting. Place it on its side of cut a hole in it for her to make a home with.
-Nuts like large walnuts in the shell. They like the challenge and will play with the shells after wards. It will take them some time to get it open or chew through but that's the fun :)
-sisal twine(look in Wal-mart where they sell screws) and twist them together and make bridges or ropes to climb. Just Google sisal twine and you can see a picture of what I am talking about.
-Popsicle sticks are great for building things or letting them play and chew on.

Peanut butter
-In small amounts is not harmful, but don't its use too much because peanut butter is very oily. Hamsters can't process fat very well, which may lead to stomach problems, such as diarrhea.It is good to give a cracker with a dab on it as a treat once a week. Just pay attention to her getting chunky :)They also like trail mix with fruits and even chocolate chips. It isn't harmful to them like cats/dogs just watch amounts you give.

Hamsters mating
-I always suggest give the mom time to get back in shape. Maybe 6 weeks so she is not back to back pregnant. However you decide to breed you should have another litter in about 16 days and they come into heat every 4-5 days. Just remember to give her 14 days before cleaning or touching the babies or cage.

I don't think that seeing them mate will matter but he will mate with mom if you don't separate them. So it is your choice on separating them or not.

Hope this helps and cant wait to hear from you soon :)