Extra Protein and Other Stuff for a pregnant hammy?

[Holly]

I'm aware that pregnant females need extra protein - basically what I'd like to know is what I can give and how much? Is there anything else that's good apart from scrambled/boiled egg, extra nuts and a little cooked chicken? This is what I've started giving Caramel along with her usual Harry Hamster mix - but only in tiny amounts.... so how much and how often should she be getting extras (she gets a small amount of a single fresh veg every day as well - like broccoli, red pepper, carrot, courgette etc)?

Is Greek yogurt a good protein source? I know that I need to get kitten milk for the babies - should I be giving it to Caramel now as well?

Many thanks for the advice (I think this is scarier than being pregnant myself!!!).

[Basia]

Berry (and the others come to that) like porridge, tofu, cooked vegetables, baby food, kitten biscuits, pasta, rice to name a few. Not all protein I know but all gratefully received.

[souffle]

Instead of kitten milk I would by a tub of Lactol kitten/puppy substitute feed. It is a powder like baby formula available from most pet shops. The small tin is about £5. We make a porridge for mum and babies using 2 teaspoons readybrek, 1 teaspoon wheatgem, half a teaspoon lactol - mix to a paste with boiling water and cool. Serve on a platter with a rosebud!
We also give tofu (uncooked). Buy a slab and cut into tiny cubes and freeze. defrost on demand.
Purina kitten biscuits or a free sample of kitten biscuits from the pet shop. We soak for tinies then give hard for older hams and mums.
All sorts of veg and fruit for mums and babies. Tiny cubes of cheese. Some people give dried mealworms. Baby food. They like the tiny spaghetti hoops with sausage! Baby rice and any baby food like chicken and pasta etc.
I sure she will be plump as a pudding on that diet.

[Spuds Mum]

Gosh I would have given my ideas but Souffle has covered just about everything :lol: My hamsters do also like a little bit of yoghurt but of course we are careful about the flavoured 'sweet' yoghurts and don't give those. Mine also like minced chicken and mash with gravy. We also like to make a sort of 'rice pudding' using boiled rice and lactol (sometimes we put a few raisins in - just call me Jamie Oliver :x :x :x )

[Holly]

Brilliant ideas - thanks :)

Just one more thing - how much of these extras should she be getting now, as her (hopefully!) pregnancy goes on, and when she's got the litter?

[Spuds Mum]

we just give a couple of teaspoons Holly, though I'm not sure whether the experts would say thats too much or little! We remove any uneaten extras before they spoil of course

[Holly]

Well she's used to being fed each evening after she's been out (all our hams head straight for their "extras" food dish as soon as we put them back!) so I'll give her the supplementary items then and remove what's left a little later.

[Spuds Mum]

I do something similar - they get treat/extras before I go to bed then I remove any uneaten bits when I get up the next morning (cause of course I have loads of time whilst getting Rosie sorted for school and me to work :roll: )
Has the dreaded deed been done yet Holly *excited question*?

[Holly]

Has the dreaded deed been done yet Holly *excited question*?

Oh yes - it's fingers crossed now!

[Spuds Mum]

Yay way to go Paws and Caramel!!!:oops: :lol:

[babyboos]

Oh how exciting... Fingers crossed

[Holly]

I've finally managed to track down some Lactol so I'll try my hand at Lactol rice pudding tonight - eat your heart out Gordon Ramsey :wink: ).

[Spuds Mum]

I've finally managed to track down some Lactol so I'll try my hand at Lactol rice pudding tonight - eat your heart out Gordon Ramsey :wink: ).
That's what we need - a hamster 'masterchef' competition :lol: (PS my human child has to make do with tuna pasta or quick and easy meals)
:oops:
PS hope your language isn't as colourful as ~Gordon's - at least not in front of Will! :D

[Holly]

PS hope your language isn't as colourful as ~Gordon's - at least not in front of Will! :D

Well - it might be....if someone doesn't tell me how to make the stuff up and how much I need - all the instructions are for cats, dogs, kittens and puppies!!!! Help!

[Spuds Mum]

I usually put about half a teaspoon and add warm water to make sort of half a cup. If it looks the colour of normal milk I think it is ok. But again Souffle will have more experience. Mine have never had any problems though with this very scientific :shock: approach!
Now back to the kitchen quick :P

[Holly]

Thank you, I shall do it like that then :wink:

A bit of culinary flair that's all that's needed, I'm sure :P

[souffle]

If we are making it up as milk we use about a teaspoon to a small cup but then we usually don't do that as we make the porridge with two teaspoons ready brek, 1 teaspoon wheatgerm and half a teaspoon lactol, mix with boiling water and cool.

[Basia]

This is slightly off the original topic but not enough to start a new thread I hope. :?
Berry's babies are 10 days old now and she is looking a bit worse for wear. She is still carrying some fat but her fur is really raggy and dull.
When she first had the babies, she didn't seem to eat any extra at all but she is ravenous all the time now. I am giving her chicken, baby food, porridge, bread and milk, lots of seeds, including sunflower and linseed. Is there anything else I can give her which will give her a boost? Obviously the babies are getting big now and demanding loads of milk from her.

[souffle]

I think you are giving her plenty Basia and it is just part and parcel of raising a litter, the loss of condition in mum. With all the babies climbing on her and nudging and suckling they get little time to groom and sleep I think. I am sure that when the babies are weaned she will regain her former glow and get a well deserved rest.

[Basia]

Thank you souffle - reassuring as ever. :D
She will be getting lots of tlc when her maternal duties are over.

[Spuds Mum]

Bramble was sooo tired when nursing Basia and really seemed relieved when she was separated from her babies. But she seemed to bounce back quickly afterwards. I'm sure Berry will really enjoy the tlc you have planned for her, she sounds like she certainly deserves it

[babyboos]

Keep giving her nice nutritious treats like that once the babies are weaned and she will be lovley and healthily plump again in no time. Break a cod liver oil capsule over her dry mix too to help her coat.

[Basia]

Thanks for your replies. I will definitely feed her up and try the codliver oil.
I always have porridge for breakfast so I give her some every morning. This morning the babies got the scent of it and they all came running out from under the shelf. It was so funny she was rounding them up and unceremoniously dumping them back in the nest under the shelf and they were coming straight back out again. It's a wonder I got to work at all today, I was so fascinated. It is the first time they have come out to my knowledge.

[Spuds Mum]

awww happy watching Basia, sounds lovely :D There will be no stopping them now!
Berry will go probably go mad rounding them up for a day or two before totally giving up! :wink: and letting them do whatever they want - a bit like me when mine reached teenage years :shock: or at least they did what they wanted whether I had given up or not! :evil:
But its comforting to see that children of all species get to the stage where they just ignore their parents! :roll:
Do they still all look shiny or can you tell any differences in their coats?
I think we will be mating Princess in the next couple of weeks - so if you post any pictures at some stage I shall show her them to let her know exactly what's required! :lol:

[Basia]

That was quick spud's mum. I am at work, on my lunch break, although I often sneak a quick look a the forum if I am not too busy when it isn't my lunch break!
I am still not sure exactly how many babies are there, I think there may only be 9 now, 3 sables, 3 creams and 3 roans. One of the roans has lovely even markings so I am watching that one carefully though I suspect it is a female. I think I have cream and sable satins, not so sure about the roans, but they are all quite shiny so it is difficult to tell. Some of them have really broad heads compared to the others and they are quite large now. They are running poor Berry ragged.
I know what you mean about teenagers, if you follow the link to my 17 year old son's websites from mine, you will see what I have to contend with. :evil:
I have been a frequent visitor to your website the last few weeks looking at all your baby photos. I love Princess, I am so looking forward to seeing her babies. Don't know how you parted with her sable roan baby though, she is gorgeous.

[Spuds Mum]

Oh don't Basia - we really regretted it after and as we look at the photos we regret it more and more as she was gorgeous - good markings, really good sized and so friendly. But I am sure she is happy with a new home and is being looked after well.
mmm I'll see your 17 year old (who's looks a lovely young man!) and raise you....
1 24 year old son (yes I survived it - and you can see a link to his band from our site too) - came out the other side stronger and he turned out lovely in the end
1 19 yr old daughter - (still has her moments I can tell you - but getting better)
1 `13 yr old daughter (oh no - gonna have to do it all again!!! :shock: )

sometimes I wish I'd stuck to hamsters :wink:

[Basia]

Oh don't Basia - we really regretted it after and as we look at the photos we regret it more and more as she was gorgeous - good markings, really good sized and so friendly. But I am sure she is happy with a new home and is being looked after well.
mmm I'll see your 17 year old (who's looks a lovely young man!) and raise you....
1 24 year old son (yes I survived it - and you can see a link to his band from our site too) - came out the other side stronger and he turned out lovely in the end
1 19 yr old daughter - (still has her moments I can tell you - but getting better)
1 `13 yr old daughter (oh no - gonna have to do it all again!!! :shock: )

sometimes I wish I'd stuck to hamsters :wink:

He he, I know there is light at the end of the tunnel, my twins are 27 in January. Your family sound lovely. You and I must be a similar age?
I'm sure Princess will have an even nicer baby this time.

[Spuds Mum]

He he, I know there is light at the end of the tunnel, my twins are 27 in January. Your family sound lovely. You and I must be a similar age?
I guess so ladies of a certain age :shock: but I wont tell if you don't :wink:

[Holly]

I always have porridge for breakfast so I give her some every morning. This morning the babies got the scent of it and they all came running out from under the shelf. It was so funny she was rounding them up and unceremoniously dumping them back in the nest under the shelf and they were coming straight back out again. It's a wonder I got to work at all today, I was so fascinated. It is the first time they have come out to my knowledge.

Aww, how cute - I bet they are out all the time now :wink:

How's she looking now? Caramel looks a bit thinner but otherwise ok really - she's a few days behind Berry so I expect they aren't making the same demands on her as yet.

[Basia]

She looks better than she did when I originally posted. The babies are starting to eat solids so that might be helping. I have also been sprinkling her a bit of dried porridge and extra linseeds and her coat has a shine to it again. I'm definitely going to give her some codliver oil when the babies are weaned.