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Old 12-14-2021, 01:55 PM  
Ria P
House of Hamsters
 
Join Date: Mar 2019
Location: Wiltshire, UK
Posts: 7,103
Smile Re: Gertie had babies!!

Gertie has her own thread called "Gertie".
After losing so many dwarf hybrids to illnesses i didn't want another dwarf as our own pet but my OH didn't want to be without a dwarf girl.
I agreed to get a pedigree dwarf from a reputable breeder hoping that better genetics will give a hamster a better chance of good health.
Gertie is a pure bred winter white and has had two litters. I wanted to offer a hamster retired from breeding a retirement home as a pet so had to wait for Gertie who was on pregnancy watch at the hamstery and then she was ready to move in with us.

She looked like an egg with ears and still does but i didn't know she came to me pregnant and neither did the breeder. Nature was playing tricks.
Gertie was in a settling in phase so i didn't handle her much because i didn't want to rush her. She's in our bedroom, i did not hear any squeaks but i noticed that she spent time under the platform. Didn't think anything of it because dwarfs are burrowers. Didn't do any cleaning either because she was still settling in. Maybe just as well because i would have found and disturbed the nest.

But, i feel ever so bad for only feeding her normal portions for one hamster because i had no idea that she was nursing five babies. I never skimp with food and feed more rather than less but still, i'm sure she could have done with more.

The babies were born into the wrong set up too with a wheel, sandbath, bridges etc when they should have been on one level. At least the Hamster Heaven is a low cage and Gertie's has a lot of Kaytee clean and cozy substrate.

The babies are already running around on the platform and over the bridges but i can't take everything out now as this would really upset Gertie. Gertie goes on top of her house and rests in her ceramic hide away from the babies sometimes. I think she's quite tired out. She's in there now while some of the babies are running around.

I hope that everything continues to go well with Gertie and the babies but this is an experience i would not want to repeat. It's quite stressful because i worry about the babies getting stuck somewhere but can't think where. They are so so small and very lively and inquisitive. Had i known i would have taken time of work. My OH is home though and on the other end of the phone to give me updates.

The babies are eating and drinking but still feeding from Gertie as well. They are due to go to the hamstery on the 28th. If Gertie gets fed up with them or exhausted and providing they are weaned then i may move them to a spare cage over Christmas. I have started to handle them and can already see their different personalities. Most are very wriggly and jump off my hand but there's one who will calmly sit on my hand for a while and let me stroke it. I say "it" because i don't know their gender yet.

Gertie seems to trust me with her babies. I'm really looking forward to get to know Gertie.

Last edited by Ria P; 12-14-2021 at 02:00 PM.
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