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Old 09-04-2013, 09:23 AM   #1
Chii mom
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Post Siblings living together??

Hi, everyone. My russian white had babies, unexpectedly but I'm keeping them all. Is it possible to put the boys in one big cage and leave the girls in with their mum? I purchased a cage for the boys in thinking that I could just separate the boys from the girls, is this possible or will it end in disaster?
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Old 09-04-2013, 09:32 AM   #2
dwarfessy
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Default Re: Siblings living together??

It could be possible and I know it has worked with some russian winter whites, especially siblings, however I would strongly suggest making sure you at least have spare temporary cages that could enable you to quickly separate the pairs should they start to fight. They will all need to be carefully watched for signs of fighting and checked regularly for injuries.
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Old 09-04-2013, 09:47 AM   #3
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Default Re: Siblings living together??

It may work, it may work for a while or it may not work at all; it really does just depend on the individuals and the setup you provide. How big are the cages? The more individuals sharing a cage, the bigger it needs to be so that they can all have their own space when they want it. If you've got 3 or more sharing, you really need at least 100x50cm but bigger is advisable. How many are sharing the cage? Even numbers tend to be the most stable groups as they will tend to pair up and then pick on the loner (trios are usually the least stable in my experience).

The cages should have no platforms or large houses with flat roofs that act like platforms as these encourage territorial disputes. If you choose to provide houses to sleep in, there should be be at least one house per hamster and every house should be the same and have at least two exits so that no one can get trapped. Providing bedding for them to creature an open nest is usually best idea. All the corners of the cage should be free as well so that so one can be cornered.

You should provide a water bottle, sand bath and wheel (all identical) per hamster and it is often better to scatter food rather than provide a dish. If you do provide dishes (and again you will need to provide these per hamster), make sure all the hamsters can fit in it at the same time.

Regardless of meeting the requirements, one or two may just need to be solitary by nature no matter what. You'll need to keep a keen eye on them for any signs of bullying and have spare cages/storage bins at the ready in case they do fall out. Often times they will just suddenly turn on each other without any noticeable build up (from your perspective) so you must be prepared to split them up at any given moment (they can do a lot of damage in a few moments so there is no time to waste if you see a fight)
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Old 09-04-2013, 01:23 PM   #4
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Default Re: Siblings living together??

I think they do best in pairs, then you can watch for any fighting easier then in groups and separate if needed quickly with out having to work out who is the dom one
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Old 09-04-2013, 04:04 PM   #5
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Default Re: Siblings living together??

As has been said it might be doable but you will need to be able to separate the hamsters quickly if needs be, they could all end up needing their own cages eventually.

We have a hybrid pair and they've been together since December, our hybrid trio have been since they were born last November. They're doing well but its not been entirely easy all the time and if you keep a group you will need to be very sure you're able to split them up as needed at short notice.
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Old 09-05-2013, 05:49 AM   #6
Chii mom
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Default Re: Siblings living together??

Also when do you guys suggest I separate the boys from the girls? They're 19 days old now.
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Old 09-05-2013, 06:18 AM   #7
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Default Re: Siblings living together??

4 weeks is the normal time to separate, sometimes a few days earlier with dwarfs if mum is fed up with them.
If mum seems very tired you could take all the pups or maybe leave just one daughter or you could leave the girls with her as long as the cage is big enough.
Boys must be removed as they will mate with mum or their sisters which is not good and could live as a group as long as you watch them for fighting or bullying.
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Old 09-05-2013, 11:28 AM   #8
Chii mom
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Default Re: Siblings living together??

She does seem very tired She sleeps A LOT! And she has tried lots of other places to sleep in her house but the babies always find her, poor thing! I'm going to give them a bit of boiled potato and some cubes of carrot. I've given Chii extra dried insects to keep up her energy levels too. She's a first time mum and she so so excellent at it! I totally left her alone to do her thing and she's done such a good job
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