[Emma]

Robos can produce litters as little as 3 weeks apart, I think it is usually longer (4-5 weeks) but I've heard plenty that have managed it in 3. The male will mate the female as soon as she gives birth, so if he was still there for the birth of the second litter, you may well have a third litter on the way too.



The main question is are the older litter eating by themselves? It sounds like your Mum is doing well feeding both litters. I have heard of two cases where the mum has killed the older litter when this has happened though.



If it was me, if I thought the older litter were eating enough, I think I'd take them away now, and make sure I fed them plenty of high-protein foods and that they were using the water bottle. I'm sure babyboos will answer here soon, she breeds robos herself so will be able to answer better. All the babies could be kept together for another 3 weeks, with Dad if you like, so you'd only need 1 extra enclosure for now. In another 3 weeks you'll have to separate boys & girls. Boys do have a tiny "button", it is further away than the female's slit is, but with robos being so small everything is quite close together! The easiest way is to compare different hamsters, put any you are unsure of in the "boys" group, and re-sex every day. It's less trouble to have one girl in with the boys, than one boy in with all the girls!



Poor Candace is desparately looking for a mate for her robo and over here in the UK we're swimming in them! Wherabouts are you Estelle, are you going to be keeping all of the babies?



How old were your original pair? I've always been told by breeders robos usually wait to mate until the spring after their birth, were these guys only born earlier this spring? Although I've heard more and more robos breaking the "rules" on breeding - bigger litter sizes, breeding in autumn/winter....maybe the UK robo population is getting more fertile.