when is it safe to handle them?

[gill]

Our Syrian babies are 14 days old today and they are stumbling around the cage. They are beginning to eat the food we put in, but Mum is still dragging them back into the nest and covering them up. There are 9 of them and they all have grey heads and bottoms and a grey line down their backs. They are gorgeous!



We had only had Mum for a few hours before she gave birth so we have never been able to pick her up as we were being careful not to disturb her, so when will it be a safe time to try to pick her up and also, when is it safe to handle the babies? We don't want to risk her getting upset now. We do want her to be happy to be handled, and I am concerned that she is not used to us at all, and as she came from a pet shop she was not being handled there either.

[pophammy]

I can recommend a wonderful method of taming using a scented tissue.

Go to www.hamsterhideout.com (http://www.hamsterhideout.com) and select interactive. Select forum and go to Behaviour & Personality, Handling and Taming. Then look at article 'Taming for the timid- or just newbies' by 'Monkeysmom'. I think this may work for both Mum and babies. You should start handling the babies as soon as possible now so they will be tame for their new homes. They sound like either dove, mink, or sable bandeds. What colour are their eyes? Mums always drag them back into the nest until they get fed up with them!! You will need to seperate males from females in about 10 days or so. I'd start with the scented tissue today! Good luck! :wink:

[gill]

Thanks for that. I have had a look at the site you recommended. I will try the scented tissue.

[babyboos]

You do have a hard one there gill. It is a real shame when you don't get a chance to interact/tame much before babies are born, and this can then make it hard to start socialising the babies prior to weaning whilst they are still in with mum. I would be tempted to maybe wean at 21 days if you feel the babies are all eating hamster mix quite happily. If any look particularly small maybe leave them in with mum for a few more days and concentrate your efforts on the ones you do manage to remove.

[pophammy]

How is the taming going? Any sucess yet?

[gill]

We are getting on well with taming. I am making sure to handle mum first and she is getting happier, she likes to climb out of the cage by herself and I am putting her back quite quickly.



The babies are growing fast now. several of them are looking independent. Should I be separating them already? They look so little, and they are still feeding from mum some of the time, but I don't want to risk a repeat performance! They are 21 days old today.

[babyboos]

Did anyone give you funny looks with your stuffed bra :oops:



You are okay yet not to have a repeat performance. But start to prepare two new cages for the boys and girls. They are comfort drinking more than by necessity. If you are able to see poor mum's nipples next time you have her out you will see they are rather red and sore getting. She will only really take another 7 days of suckling before getting very grumpy with them and wanting her own space.

I would sex them today and then decide if you are going to remove them all, remove all the boys leaving the girls for another seven days, remove the girls leaving the boys for another seven days, remove those you can definitely sex leaving the undecided ones for you to sex over the coming seven days until all have gone to split sex groups. Or remove the big strong ones into their split sex groups (make sure at least two of each sex if doing this - don't want any living alone just yet) and leave the smaller ones with mum for a few more days.