Minimars are here!

[Holly]

Minnie's just come out for porrige and her little guys are in the nest! I can't see many (I saw four or five little wrigglers!) but the sides are all banked up so that doesn't mean much, I guess.

She definitely hadn't had them at 1.30am as I checked on her but she seemed very agitated so I guess she had them soon after that.

Yay! More babies (gulp!)! :wink:

[Bunsey]

yey!!! congratulations Holly and minnie :D

[Basia]

Congratulations Minnie (and Holly). I have been thinking about her yesterday. :P

We have our Pudding-pups here too, she had them at 11.30 pm last night, no idea how many yet. :D

Chunky has 3 lots of grandchildren now! No wonder he's looking grey....

[Holly]

Many congrats to you and Pudds as well, Basia :)

Cousins born the same night! :wink:

[Tammy22]

Oh Congratualtions Minnie and Holly! :)

Can't wait for updates!!

Tammy x

[Lolo]

:lol: :lol: :lol:

That is great news !!!good to hear mums are are doing well just popped on to see if there was any news

Congratulations :P

Congratulations Minnie, Mars, Holly and Will! :D Half-brother to the new babies Montezuma sends his love (and some rice pudding!)
xx

[souffle]

Congratulations Minnie and Pudding (and all their families)
Don't know how many grandchildren Pawsy has now. Quite a few I imagine but he is certainly feeling the strain and wondering how he will afford all the birthday presents :wink: He has decided just to remain in bed and ignore them. Looking forward to the big 'eye openeing' pictures :wink:

[Bunsey]

brilliant Basia! a double unveiling in a couple weeks? :D

[Yaffle]

yay babies - welcome to the world minimars x

[Holly]

Thanks guys, Minnie seems to be an attentive mum - I've not seen her off the nest since this morning (though I'm leaving her alone and making no attempts to spy the pups. It was strange to think, when I got the Smarterones and Martesers out for a play earlier, that there are now more tiddlers here!

[agatecrystal]

Congrats everyone, I'd been excitedly waiting for you to post that the minimars were born!

[Spuds Mum]

Congratulations to Holly and Will, and also Basia plus Mums of course! :D

hope everything goes calmly, and can't wait to hear more! :D

[Holly]

Well I've seen the little ones this afternoon - Minnie was at the cage side begging me to let her out, I felt it was a bit soon so gave her a dog biccy instead and she went off to the far corner with it, leaving the nest banked up but open!

I think it's a fairly small litter - just 5-7 babies, I think and that's really all I saw when I got a glimpse yesterday morning too. They all look nice and wriggly and Minnie's with them all the time except for brief forays for food.

I hope, this time, I've got the right colours/sexes for everyone - I'm glad I haven't pre-booked lots of babies 'cos it doesn't look like we've got that many. I want a SH Cream or Sable, non-satin either sex and Will's not sure. I also need a Cream and Sable female and, hopefully, a Cream Satin either sex for other people! At the end of the day, I obviously want them to be healthy and a smaller litter should be a bit easier on Minnie.

I've been up all last night with dairrhoea and vomiting so I'm keeping my distance from all the hams tonight - can't even get the big babies out :(

[Spuds Mum]

Great news that the minimars seem healthy and well, and that Mum is also doing well.

But sorry to hear that you aren't doing so well. Poor you! First Will with his head, and now you with what sounds like a horrid bug! :( Take it easy Holly, and get well soon xx

[Holly]

Thanks - when the tummy ache started I was in agony and thought I might have to ring 999 - oh the joy, to be taken to one's place of work when you are ill :roll:

Luckily (ha! :? ) the d & v soon started and there was no way I was going anywhere then. :oops:

I'm now paranoid about making the hams ill :(

[Matty Day]

i know what you mean wenever im ill ievacute my room were the hamsters are kept and go and sleep on the sofa

[Holly]

Minnie is begging to come out again. I've just fed her (wearing disposable gloves :? ) a roast chicken dinner (courtesy of my mum!) and that's taken her mind off coming out for now.

At what stage could I let her out for a few minutes?

[souffle]

I wouldn't Holly. The babies need tended and kept warm constantly at this point. If you let her out now she might keep begging and want out all the time. You don't want her forgetting about the sprogs for too long :lol: Try and not look at her then you won't be tempted. :wink:

[Bunsey]

oh that's awful Holly. i hope you get better soon. my dad was off work with the same thing today. When we get prescriptions in we're like oh that's so and so. how embarassing!

[Mollz]

Aww, sorry to hear that you are feeling so poorly, I hope you are better now.

How is everything going with the minimars?

[Holly]

I feel much better today thanks you - just a bit of backache but I'm eating again.

The Minimars seem to be doing fine, I saw them briefly this morning again when Minnie came out to feed, she's got them all covered tonight. I'm pretty sure now it's a small litter - right from the start I've only been able to count five, maybe six, and they are absolutely HUGE babies compared to Smartie's at 2 days old. I did say I hoped it wouldn't be a big litter! :wink:

[agatecrystal]

Glad the litter are doing well Holly. Keep us updated :)

[Holly]

I got my first proper look at the Minimars last night as I finally gave in and let a desperate Minnie go for a little run - there are definitely just five of the HUGEST babies I've ever seen. I don't know if that's all she had or if more were born and died but five's all I've ever been able to spy since they were newborn so I don't know (and definitely prefer it that way).

Rather excitingly, though I couldn't believe it at first, I think we've got a Mink in there, as well as two Creams and two Sables. I know Mars probably carries REC after Smartie's litter (he's her brother) but I didn't think Minnie did - it turns out her father's brother was a Mink so she could do also! I saw the eyes of one of the Creams but not the other so we could even have a REC in there too! :wink:

They seem to be doing well, Minnie is a good mum - she has a beautiful nest and rarely leaves them - except when I open the door to feed her, then she's out like a shot begging to come out! As I said they seem huge - about four times the size of Smartie's babies who were absolute tiddlers at this age, bless them.

[Basia]

It would be lovely if you got Mink and REC - make up a little bit for last time.
I saw Minnie's grandad and although it just says LH Cream on Chunky's papers that came with him I believe he was a REC. Chunky had a lovely little mink brother who was the first one that caught my eye in the litter but Mark didn't want one with red eyes...

[Bunsey]

they're not very red though are they, the minks. more of a ruby colour. in some lights they look black. like cinnies.

[Basia]

No I don't think they look very red but I quite like red eyes anyway.
This one stood out a bit because he was the only mink with loads of sable and sable-roan brothers. His eyes were quite ruby. He was really lovely and very quiet too.
Anyway it does help explain where a mink minimar might have come from.

[Holly]

Anyway it does help explain where a mink minimar might have come from.

Indeed it does, and I'm delighted to have such an unexpected bambino in my litter - not half as delighted as Will though, he's over the moon. I've tried telling him he's better to keep a standard colour so he can enter Junior with it but he's not interested, he loves Minks and was devastated when his favourite Mink Smarterone didn't make it.

Depending on what sexes the babies are I think they all have homes already :shock:

[agatecrystal]

Glad they are doing so well Holly. At a day old, I've noticed two of Satine's are considerably bigger than the rest, and i'm 90% sure i can see some dark pigment coming through on a couple of them.

[Matty Day]

Anyway it does help explain where a mink minimar might have come from.

Indeed it does, and I'm delighted to have such an unexpected bambino in my litter - not half as delighted as Will though, he's over the moon. I've tried telling him he's better to keep a standard colour so he can enter Junior with it but he's not interested, he loves Minks and was devastated when his favourite Mink Smarterone didn't make it.

Depending on what sexes the babies are I think they all have homes already :shock:

somtimes its better to go with what you like. than whats best for the show bench and non standard could be an easier class than say cream :x

[Bunsey]

i'd love a mink depending on how red the eyes are cos i love the coat colour. not if the eyes are demonised though. but i don't think they are.

[Yaffle]

I love all red-eyed varities, I'd like a mink one day but no room at the inn for now!

[Holly]

I love the red-eyed varieties too, I can't get over how different Creme Egg is to his Black-Eyed brother! I also really like the reddish tinge that Roans have in their eyes.

[agatecrystal]

How are the little ones doing Holly?

[Holly]

They seem to be doing really well, they are now just over a week old and in a few minutes I'm going to feed Minnie - if she wants to come out and the nest is open, I'll snap a piccy for my website :)

[Holly]

Well Minnie did want out for a run and she did leave the nest open for me to have a peek in - so I've taken a couple of quick zoom lens snaps and posted them on my site, if anyone fancies a look!

There's definitely a Mink in there as well as 2 Creams and 2 Sables :wink:

[Bunsey]

oh i love the mink colour coats :D

[Louby]

They are really beautiful Holly! :D

[Spuds Mum]

I cant tell with the sables, but dont you think those minks and creams look satin? I've never seen a mink satin before - I bet that would be even more stunning than normal if it were the case :x

They look wonderfully round and healthy - Ive decided Im going to tell my girls to only give birth to 5 babies in the future - its obviously the magic number for getting a huge healthy litter :D

[Yaffle]

Awww they look great, I'm pleased you got your Mink :P

[Mollz]

What lovely, healthy beauties!!

[Matty Day]

they all look big and satin :x

[Spuds Mum]

Yes they all look very shiny. Most hamster pups seem to go through a phase as their hair grows in where they look very shimmery though, so it could just be that, although of course, Minnie being satin, means it probably isnt just that!! (waffle waffle)

I just am hoping the mink is satin - I want to see that, especially as the colour deepens and changes. :x

[Matty Day]

also does this mean my boy could carry the p gene ? examines possible colours for december litter :x

[Basia]

What lovely, big, chubby pups and a mink! (Pudding's pups are smaller than that).
They all look satin to me, which is interesting because her sister, Truffle, had a litter which were all satin except for one.

[Holly]

I don't think they all are Satin - the flash makes them look very shiny but there is a difference in shinyness between the two Sables and the two Creams when you look at them. However that may mean nothing at this stage!

I remember the Carapaws - at this age it looked like there were lots of Cream satins in the 11, in the end there were only 3 :wink:

also does this mean my boy could carry the p gene ? examines possible colours for december litter :x

I don't think so - but who knows! Your boy is from Molly/Mars litter - I don't think Molly carries the pp gene but there are some mysteries in her ancestry so who knows!

[Spuds Mum]

We do know Molly's Mum carries p - but with Molly's litter I think if she and Mars both did, Holly would have maybe expected some minks and RECs too.

[Bunsey]

if one parent carries pp, that means ALL babies carry p, yes? so then if you put said baby with another p carrier you can get red-eye?

(thinks about getting cinnie for Ruby's daughter)

[Spuds Mum]

absolutely Bunsey - just to use example - BB's pups will all carry p as BB is a REC (pp) so will have given one copy of p to every pup.

If you then mated one of those pups (BEC carrying p) to a cinamon, then you would end up with cinnamon pups carrying cream.

Of course, if other recessives are in the mix, that would add a whole new set of options! :D

[Holly]

Out of ten (well eleven as one BEC didn't survive) I would have expected it yes - though I suppose there's a chance she still could carry it? D

[Spuds Mum]

That's the problem sometimes isn't it Holly? You can't really prove the negative :? It is possible, as the strange thing is you could have had the whole litter and for example Mars may have given p to 5 of the pups, and Molly could have given p to 5 of the pups, and if they was not any crossover in the 5 then the outcome would be that they would all carry p and yet, not any of the pups would show it.

Thats where the surprises suddenly crop up down the line isn't it? :D

[souffle]

Your boy's great grandmother Bailey was a cinnamon satin Matty. She was a stunning hamster :lol: There is a chance your boy carries p as Nelson his great grandfather had carried it a long way :lol: (sorry she's a bit greasy here - handcream :roll: )
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y113/Pophammy/IMG_8304.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y113/Pophammy/IMG_8308.jpg

[Holly]

Mars (Matty's boy's dad and Bailey's grandson) definitely carries it as the Minimars (his second litter) has a Mink! I just don't know about Molly - I'd have thought, if she did, that we'd have had a REC or Mink baby in a littler of 10. I guess it's as Spud's Mum says you just can't prove the negative!

[Matty Day]

souffle nice pics i love satins and i hope to have some cinnie satins of my own in the near future :wink: .

can sable be carreid? im just looking at perpective colours from my first lot of syrians :x

all i know is i hope to get a lh carrying satin cream girl for my litter. as i want to have a choice beetween a long haired satin cream and a short haired one :x

[Bunsey]

no, sable can't be carried. sable is just an umbrous cream. if you carry umbrs, you ARE umbrous.

[agatecrystal]

The babies are gorgeous Holly. I've been anxiously waiting for you to post a piccie up on ur webby! sables are gorgeous! :wink:

[Holly]

Well my first Minimar has come out of the nest this afternoon (a Cream)....cue mum, not at all impressed, hoiking the little guy back in!

There are some new piccies on my site and I now *think* all the babies are definitely Satin :shock:

I think this might have implications for a couple of people lined up to have them :?

Will is keeping the Mink and I'm wanting a SH Cream or Sable in that order (I wanted non-Satin but obviously can't now) if there's one in there - unless one of the LH is absolutely, extraordinarilarily spectacular in which case I'd be dumb not to keep that one I guess?

Tammy, how do you feel about a Satin, if there's a girl in there for you? And Agate, would you take a Satin (I've a feeling not as I think you already have a future Satin mate lined up :( )?

The best laid plans and all that! I don't even know if there are girlies in there yet and already it's less than smooth!

Still they are all healthy and very pretty and Minnie's doing wonders with them which is the main thing :wink:

[Spuds Mum]

awww they look wonderful - and all very shiny! :shock:
what a beautiful bunch! :D

[Basia]

Told you they were all satins! :P
They look absolutely gorgeous Holly, nice chubby (shiny) pups. Poor Puds isn't doing her babies nearly as well. :(

[Bunsey]

oh just look at that little sable using the others as a table :D

[Mollz]

Awww, what pretty, shiny babies :D

[Tammy22]

Hi Holly,

they are all beautiful!

A satin would be great :) - that just means i can't mate her with a Satin, right? (if there are any females, of course)

the most important thing is that they are all healthy and happy - so i wont be too disappointed if there isnt one for me -as long as they are all ok - i've got enough to keep me busy for the next few months anyway, with three more Robo litters!!

There will always be your next litter anyway?? :wink: :D

Keep me posted though. :D

Tammy x

[Holly]

I'm so glad Satin is ok for you, Tammy :)

I must admit, after having very few Satins in my last two litters, it's rather excitng to have so many shiny ones! I also can't wait to see what a Satin Mink grows up like either :wink: ...we are hoping he/she is SH (a Mink version of Minnie's size, shape and personality would be nice!) but we won't mind a LH either!

And to think, I ony found out in March that Minnie was a Satin (good thing I did as I was considering mating her to Rolo, another satin :? ).

[Yaffle]

Awww pretty shiny baba's!

They are really pretty, I too will be interested to see how the satin mink turns out, I bet it will be stunning :P