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Old 05-20-2022, 02:40 PM  
Pebbles82
Hamster Antics
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 23,533
Default Re: My Syrian Hamster Had Babies!

One thing that makes the Mother cull the babies is any kind of disturbance, and that includes standing near the cage and peering in! So just put food and water out once a day, stay well away, and don't change or clean anything. Until you see the babies start to emerge from the house on their own.

It's the Mother's instinct to cull them if she feels they are under threat and any scent in the cage or someone too nearby, could do that. Maybe put the food and water out, quietly at set time of day. Wash your hands first.

Others will know more about feeding, but basically you want to put more hamster food out than usual, plus veggies and extras. Hard boiled egg is fine for protein, as are nuts. I wouldn't worry about millet.

So to answer your questions. Don't go near the cage at all, except once a day to put food and water out.

You're feeding the Mother extra so she can feed the babies. When the babies need food the Mother will take it to them. When the babies emerge from the nest on their own they will start feeding from the dish on their own, along with the Mother. Just keep putting plenty of hamster mix out - maybe a larger level dish like a saucer rather than a regular food bowl. Plus a bit of fresh veg and a few extras. If you use a good hamster mix you shouldn't need to supplement protein that much. A good hamster mix should have at least 18% to 20% protein in and be a muesli type mix. Tiny Friends Hazel or Harry Hamster is fine at this stage as it has the correct protein levels. Supplementing with hard boiled egg, freeze dried mealworms or nuts is good too (most like shelled walnut or brazil nut or half a plain cashew nut).

So you need to stop checking on them once a day! Or she might cull them.

I agree about the comments about breeding. You need to know the genetics of the hamsters for safe breeding and to avoid genetic inherited abnormalities in general.
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