I don't know anything! Litter UK

[chesca_27]

Hamsters have a wide variety of healthy weights. I have heard that anywhere between 100g and 300g is healthy, provided they don't feel too skinny and the weight is relative to size. You do need to factor in what is in their pouches though.

Both sound to be good, healthy weights. Coco could just be a smaller Syrian than Poppy. Poppy could also naturally have a bigger build and be heavier if she is pregnant, but I have no idea how much she would gain. Again, Poppy may feel more solid because there is the possibility she is carrying pups. You only need to be concerned about Coco if he's losing weight or feels bony. Some extra seeds or chicken might help the weight, if he physically feels bony.

Yes I would clean out by the 6th Jan. Even better would be to clean her out on the 3rd/4th in case she gives birth early and just spot clean her cage on the 6th. Remove the wheel, level and anything else the pups could hurt themselves on. Make sure they can't climb on the house where she nests. A shoebox would work well. Don't use a plastic house though as they can easily overheat and die (pups can't control their body temperature very well).

Try to avoid disturbing her except to provide more nesting material, to feed her or to change her water. You can start handling pups once their eyes are open - around 12-16 days. You may see pups start to leave the nest at this stage, but do not handle them until you are sure their eyes are open. Please do not post any photos until their eyes are open as it is against forum rules because it may encourage less experienced owners with litters to disturb the nest for photos.

Feed her a bit extra hamster mix along with some high protein foods like plain boiled chicken or turkey and scrambled egg. She may enjoy some "porridge" (soak some plain oats in hot water and cool). I would feed daily vegetables as well. Coco can have some too, but not as much.

Boys and girls will need to be separated at 3-4 weeks. Mum can stay with the girls until they are rehomed, if she is happy enough. Pups can be rehomed from 5 weeks, but most wait until 6 weeks, as this ensures they are healthy and tame. It will also give you more time to find good homes. I got Jasper from my breeder at 6 and a half weeks.

You want an owner that is prepared to buy a big cage (80cm by 50cm), feed a good quality mix (Harry/Hazel Hamster) and will care for their hamster. They should have a big enough wheel (10-12 inches) that spins freely. It helps if they have previous experience with hamsters. Don't rehome them to someone who can't prove they have an adequate cage, diet and accessories.

I wish Poppy a safe delivery, if she is pregnant. I hope she has a healthy litter and a problem-free nursing period. I look forward to updates and pictures .

[souffle]

Male Syrians are nearly always smaller than females and Coco is within a normal range for a pet shop hamster. He will likely grow a little more as he matures up to about 6 months of age. Poppy is also a decent size. They don't tend to gain wait at all until around 12 days at which point you don't really want to be handling too much in case of pregnancy. It shows over the hips as bulges and also often you see the nipple lines as well are enlargement of the mammary glands especially under the armpits like water wings! Behavior may change to frantic nesting or trying to escape like crazy so ensure her cage is very secure. If Coco got in there somehow it is not a secure unit and her or her pups could easily get out. Some hamsters do not show at all with a small litter. With gestation so short they very seldom give birth early so I think 6th will be fine. You will not be able to clean out again for at least 19-20days afer this. Try and post a pic of your proposed nursery cage. How long do you think they were together?

[Pebbles82]

That's a good point! How on earth did Coco get into Poppy's cage! If you're not sure, and post a photo of Poppy's cage too then maybe we can spot where.

[Vipin]

Hello.Thank you! So, it will be OK to change her to a completely different cage? Because her cage is definitely not suitable for her and puppies. So, I will have to move her to a brand new cage. I will try to take a picture on how we found him inside and the part he went in through. Photos are not brilliant, cannot keep them nice and steady.

[souffle]

Yes it will be fine to move her but you need to do it very soon. Moderator Leedsgurl currently has a litter of 12 days old fathered by our male Rupert. Keep a watch on her thread and maybe ask for a pic of her set up 31 Days of January 2017
If you are getting a new cage I would choose either a Duna Multy Cage Duna Multy or a large deep bin like the Ikea Samla (biggest one) SAMLA Box Transparent 78x56x43 cm/130 l - IKEA - this is what we would use for a litter.

[Vipin]

Hope this will work. Here's a link to the album

https://goo.gl/photos/EgZixRALGmyTo85v6

[souffle]

OK I had a look at the album. They are both very cute however there is a further concern now with a litter from this pair. No point really in worrying about it if the deed is done and pups on the way but you do need to be aware. Both Coco and Poppy appear to be Golden banded or possibly Umbrous golden banded. The problem with mating two banded hamsters is that the bands are hiding the possibility that they have the White belly gene (Wh) If a pup gets two copies of that gene one from each parent then it will be quite disabled as they are eyeless white hamsters hence blind and they also tend to have other issues such as no teeth and possibly heart problems. I think you need to cross that bridge if it comes to that. Hopefully they do not both carry it.
Both cages are on the small side and the one is definitly too small for her to have a litter in. The smaller cage is not big enough for mum and litter. If you can get to Ikea I'd go for a £10 samla bin. She may be a bit put out at first. You couldn't remove the wheel in that pink cage without leaving a big hole. It isn't a safe design and I would suggest contacting the manufacturer. What if she got stuck in the gap!!?
Some people are going to express their opinions on these cages but you need to assess how much out time your hamsters have and their size and lifestyle for yourself. Coco sounds ok even though the cage is small he has a lot of free time roaming and he is small in my opinion.

[Vipin]

Hello! Thank you so much. It is worrying if we have problems with the litter, poor things. To be honest Coco is so gentle and nice and well behave, that he normally sleeps most of the day and we hardly hear him at night time. I used to work from home right until now (unfortunately, I was made redundant and finished 23.12). Luckily, I have a new job to start in Feb but it's not from home that means I will be away most of the day. However, when working from home I always used to go and check him and he's always all cozy and sleeping. He wakes up by 6 pm, so at that point we are ready to deal with him. We take him out to clean his cage, change his water and food and in that time he exercise on his ball for 10 minutes and then roam freely until 9 when my daughter goes to bed. If I have time, I stay with him out a bit longer until 11. In the morning, he wakes up when my daughter wakes up, so we allow him out for maybe an hour. I think that is a good amount of time out and he stays in his cage when no one around and normally when he just want to sleep. Poppy is a work in progress, as I mentioned, I don't know her background but we are trying to put her on the same routine. She is more awake than Coco. With Coco we do noise and talk, etc but if he's not ready to wake up, he doesn't . So, as you said, it's what it works with our family routine and house space ). On the possible pregnancy, I forgot to answer one of your questions...I don't think they had more than 5 minutes together, as I was checking constantly... but he was inside...so I don't know. On Poppy's cage: I am not happy with the purchase after all. I thought that would be a good one but it's not. However, it cost me quite a bit so I will keep the cage for a while. If she is inside the cage and using the wheel, the space between the bottom of the wheel and the top of the cage (space that Coco used) is big, so she cannot really climb and reach that top space. It is different if coming from the top, like Coco did. So, I don't think she can get trap when inside the cage, if that makes sense. The cage is bigger than Coco's because I realize she's a bit more active at night time, so she definitely needed a big wheel inside. But as Coco, she spend few good hours outside with my son and them with me. From the beginning she has been very hipper, so I couldn't tell if she has a change in her behavior. She's funny because she just go around you or around things like a cat, rubbing against us or things, she does other things which for us are new because Coco is just so gentle. Thanks so much for all your help. I will keep you guys posted on any developments and further advice. Thanks!

[chesca_27]

Both cages are on the small side. Poppy's cage is not suitable for her to have a litter in as the wheel will need to be removed in case the pups hurt themselves. This would leave a massive gap in the cage which any hamster can easily escape from. You may be able to get a refund if you say to them that it is too small and dangerous for a hamster. A Duna Multy would be a good upgrade investment to help her get used to more space. Also, the bars are only on top so pups can't climb up them and it leaves enough space for a good amount of substrate for a nest. I would go with the Duna Multy.

The IKEA Samla bins would be good for separating pups but if Poppy was to have her pups in there, you would need to sort ventilation out quickly. Pups wouldn't need to go in there for a few weeks, giving you more time.

If possible, I would upgrade Coco's cage as he may enjoy more space, even if he's not that active, he may become more active. His flying saucer looks a bit small for him - I would use that red silent spinner instead as that will be big enough.

[Vipin]

Hello
Is the 11 and no puppies...shall I assume that she is not pregnant then? Also, do they still go in heat even if pregnant? Because she has been in heat. Two days ago she was...well, she was with the normal marking , strong smell. Thanks!