PDA

View Full Version : Thorny's Litter born 6th April


agatecrystal
04-02-2008, 01:16 PM
My first litter is due on the 6th april to my first female hamster Thorny.
Thorny is a shorthaired PEW and the dad Marley is a longhaired dark golden and white so looking forward to getting some nice colours!
Really excited now cant wait till they're born although they cant be handled for 2 weeks lol. I'll make sure to post some piccies once they're eyes are open!
Well, it's four days to go and Thorny is looking pretty rounded now. In the past week she has put on 2g a day. I weighed her last night and then again this morning and shes put on 5g since last night!
I thought I'd create this topic so that I can keep you all updated on her and the litter's progress so watch out for updates in the next few days!

cloptonite
04-02-2008, 02:19 PM
How exciting, more babies!!
Good luck with them , hope all goes well and look forward to seeing the little one's!!
Do you know what colours to expect?

Holly
04-02-2008, 02:20 PM
Oooh just 2 days and 1 day after my litters are due :wink:

It will be nice to talk babies with someone who's got them the same age (oops I sound like I used to at mum and toddler group :oops: :P ).

agatecrystal
04-02-2008, 03:43 PM
Oooh just 2 days and 1 day after my litters are due :wink:

It will be nice to talk babies with someone who's got them the same age (oops I sound like I used to at mum and toddler group :oops: :P ).

Aww how many litters are you expecting?

Holly
04-02-2008, 03:48 PM
Just the two (I think that will be enough!)

I really sound like a proud mum to be now :shock:

agatecrystal
04-02-2008, 03:56 PM
Just the two (I think that will be enough!)

I really sound like a proud mum to be now :shock:

Hopfully I'll sound like a proud mum in a few days!

Basia
04-02-2008, 04:30 PM
Hope all goes well with Thorny's litter. Looking forward to regular updates.
8)

Spuds Mum
04-03-2008, 12:33 AM
Keep us updated on how Thorny does! good luck :D

agatecrystal
04-04-2008, 12:56 PM
will do. Its only 2 days to go and I cant wait! can feel a few pups inside too!

agatecrystal
04-06-2008, 10:04 AM
Thorny is giving birth as I write this... but she is eating the babies.

souffle
04-06-2008, 10:08 AM
She may be eating the afterbirth not the pups. Leave the room, shut the blinds so she is in darkness, keep everyone quiet, cover her with a blanket and cross your fingers. I hope all goes well.

Holly
04-06-2008, 10:10 AM
Oh no.

Put a towel over the cage and leave her completely alone in the dark. The babies she seems to be eating might already be dead or have something wrong with them - or she might just be cutting the cords and cleaning them or pouching them to move them. Either way do not stay to find out. Leave her completely alone.

I'm keeping everything crossed for you and her.

agatecrystal
04-06-2008, 10:35 AM
Thanks for your help... I already shut the window and blinds and turned the room light and fish tank light off so she was in darkness. I have now taken your advice and covered her with a blanket..... does this have to stay on permenantly?
I had gone to the bathroom earlier and when I came back in she was eating one im pretty sure she was deffinetly eating it but I may be wrong. I'll soon learn whats normal and what not with more experience. Last time I went in she came out of the nest and there was 1 tiny pup in there and it squealed a couple of times. This is only one and she has been birthing since about quarter to 6, is this normal? She deffinetly has a fair good size litter since she looked like a snowball lol so I'm just keeping my fingers crossed.

Holly
04-06-2008, 10:40 AM
If she's still having them then others might be hidden under bedding but that one might not have been moved yet. I hope what you saw was just her eating the afterbirth but if she was eating a baby it may well have been born dead or deformed.

I'd leave her alone for a few hours, leave the towel on, as long as some air is getting in - maybe leave it on the side the nest is - but don't disturb her.

It's more normal NOT to see babies at this stage as they usually hide them - it's been two days and I haven't even had a glimpse of Molly's yet, I'm assuming Smarts has left her nest open becasue she's incredibly tame and was born here but most mum's cover the babies at this stage. There may well be others that Thorny has hidden.

Good luck, I so hope they are alright.

Basia
04-06-2008, 10:45 AM
She may have been eating the bag which surrounds it or, as souffle says, the afterbirth. I hope so.
She will hide the pups as soon as they are born so you may have seen one that had just been born.
I hope that all is well - *hugs*

souffle
04-06-2008, 10:46 AM
I would leave the cover on at least 24hrs and not even feed her today. Leave her quiet. She will have plenty food in store. They can give birth for a few hours with rests. I think she may have been opening the sac and eating the afterbirth possibly. It may have been the first pup and the others will now be OK now she has the hang of it. A mother may accidentally kill the odd pup if she is a first time mum and it is normal to eat it or as Holly says if it was dead of not right in her opinion. You have one live pup so I think she will be OK with them. Fingers crossed and bide your time for two weeks if need be :lol:

Holly
04-06-2008, 10:49 AM
Fingers crossed and bide your time for two weeks if need be :lol:

Exactly - I didn't see my first litter for 10 days and she raised eleven beautifully. Try not to worry if you don't see anything and don't even try to look, they may well be there!
Good luck.

agatecrystal
04-07-2008, 05:29 AM
She kept leaving the nest open last night and there were onli two :( then a couple of hours later two turned into one :(

souffle
04-07-2008, 05:38 AM
Sorry to hear that. It happens and it is natures way. Mother always knows best and there is nothing you can do for such little ones. Keep giving her very strict peace and quiet and I hope she keeps the last pup though it is possible there are some still buried in the bedding.

Holly
04-07-2008, 06:02 AM
I'm so sorry :(

As souffle says it is nature's way and sometimes it just happens for no reason that we can see. I'm keeping everything crossed for the little one who remains.

Basia
04-07-2008, 06:37 AM
Oh I'm so sorry. :cry:
I hope she rears at least the pup you have seen for you.

Spuds Mum
04-07-2008, 09:34 AM
So sorry to hear this :( It is such a shame, but natures way of course. Hope everything goes well for the last little guy. Fingers crossed x

agatecrystal
04-07-2008, 10:11 AM
Thanks everyone for your good thoughts. i know its nature's way and I trust Thornys judgement completely, she knows whats best.
I havnt got much hope for the one little one but.I'm just chuft to bits thats shes still gt at least 1 a day later. If this one survives, theres no way he/shes going to a new home! lol.
Im pretty 90% sure that there is just that one. I know they can be hid underneath the bedding and everything, but the few times that she has come out of the nest, she doesn't cover them and you can see the patch where she sits to suckle it, and there is always just 1 there.
I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

cloptonite
04-07-2008, 10:16 AM
Sorry to hear of the other pups :(

Let's hope the remaining baby makes it :)
Keeping everything crossed for you, mum and baby.On the bright side, that will be one porker of a baby if all goes well :shock:

agatecrystal
04-07-2008, 10:29 AM
On the bright side, that will be one porker of a baby if all goes well :shock:

I hope so! lol.

agatecrystal
04-08-2008, 04:22 AM
Was worried all day and when I cam home saw a little baby but it didnt move or sqeak when she left it uncovered in the nest.
She piled the nest a bit too HIGH so had to remove some of the bedding.
She cam out of thee nest for bowt 45 mins so I got worried and cleared my wardrobe out and out her in there to HOPEFULLY raise the baby/s in peace. Not too long after, I heard a tiny little cry and my heart melted im so happy he is still alryt although i havnt seen or heard anything this morn. :D

cloptonite
04-08-2008, 05:44 AM
Oh bless it's little heart!!
That's got to be a good sign
Am rooting for him/her. xx

Basia
04-08-2008, 05:52 AM
Well its sounds like he is doing ok. Fingers crossed he thrives and grows into a huge hamster. :)

Spuds Mum
04-08-2008, 09:17 AM
Hope everything goes well and s/he grows into a very special little one! :D

Holly
04-08-2008, 03:15 PM
Oh bless him, my heart was in my mouth reading that, I've got everything crossed for the little guy.

agatecrystal
04-09-2008, 03:11 AM
Got my fingers crossed too! Heard a little squeak last night but still nufyn in the nest... must be a good mummy :D

Lolo
04-09-2008, 06:55 AM
Hope all is well.

agatecrystal
04-09-2008, 12:36 PM
Still cant see anything but she did cover her nest up earlier and it is still quite high so im assuming it wouldnt still be high if there were not any babies?

Holly
04-09-2008, 01:33 PM
It sounds like she's still got a nest - is she still in there most of the time?

agatecrystal
04-10-2008, 12:50 AM
It sounds like she's still got a nest - is she still in there most of the time?
She comes out for about 20 minutes at a time but generally, yes.

Holly
04-11-2008, 08:25 AM
Any sounds from the little guy today? I've got everything crossed for him.

agatecrystal
04-11-2008, 10:03 AM
No not heard anything but I generally want to leav her alone apart from feeding her. Plus with a fish tank with a loud filter in the room its kinda hard to hear when shes in the wardrobe lol.

Holly
04-11-2008, 10:49 AM
Well you are doing everything you can, keeping it all crossed for you still.

agatecrystal
04-13-2008, 11:46 AM
Feel bad on Thorny at the moment. When I open the door shes straight up climbing the bars wanting to come out for attention.
When I checked on her this morn, she cam out and left the nest open with nothing in there. But a few mins later she went around the sides of the nest kicking stuff up to cover it and I'm pretty sure I heard a slight grumble coming from it.
If there is something in there I will hopefully see from it in the next few days. :D

agatecrystal
04-14-2008, 06:32 AM
Had to clean Thorny out last night as there was absoloutely nothing in there :( better luck next time I guess.

souffle
04-14-2008, 07:41 AM
Aww what a pity agatecrystal. What will be will be though and I hope you are not too disappointed. You can always try again one more time when she is fully fit. As long as Thorny is well at least you have that to be happy about. Maybe now she has had the experience she will do fine next time. :(

Spuds Mum
04-14-2008, 09:24 AM
Oh I am sorry to hear that agatecrystal. poor little Thorny, and poor you :cry: you did everything you could, and I guess it just wasnt meant to be this time.

*hugs*

cloptonite
04-14-2008, 09:36 AM
Sorry to hear this sad news :(

Basia
04-14-2008, 03:58 PM
I'm so sorry Thorny hasn't got any babies this time. Hopefully things will go better for you next time, it must be really disappointing for you though. :(