My Syrian just had babies!!

AlexWyattMommy · 05-12-2011, 06:34 PM

WHAT DO I DO??

We thought it was a boy. We thought he just got fat really quick because we were feeding him too much.

He, now She, had 7 babies on the top floor of her cage. They were starting to tumble out of the house and down the ramp and out the side of the cage under the house.

I probably did the very worst thing and moved them and her to bottom floor. Where she is now ignoring them.

We are not prepared. It is too late at night to go to the store as they are all closed to get any supplies to care for them if she doesn't.

Am I going to wake up to deceased little pink babies? What should I be doing to help her?

AlexWyattMommy · 05-12-2011, 06:47 PM

it is a girl that just had babies.

Unfortunately she chose the top floor to have the babies and they started to fall out of out of the house. One started to fall between the wires on the side under the house that was lifted a little from all the bedding. Two more were starting to tumble down the ramp.

I did the very worst thing and move her and them. I am so afraid I am going to wake up to deceased pink things or no pink things because she ate them.

The stores are all closed here, so I could not even go get supplies to hand feed them if I wanted to or even knew what I was doing.

I am so sad for both my son and Simona. We just thought she was getting fat because we were feeding her too much. When she was thought to be a he.

I know you all can't help me now. I just wanted to tell someone who would understand. My husband thinks I am quite silly worrying about the little critters.

The pet store will be getting a piece of my mind tomorrow.

racinghamster · 05-13-2011, 12:30 AM

What a shock for you auntieAnnie, but if the mum is now settled with her babies, just feed and water her and stay away from the babies and she will do the rest. Take a note on your calendar of the day/date the babies were born so that you will know when they are four weeks old. How many babies did she have?

This is the risk of buying a small pet/pets from pet shops as they can be useless at sexing them and can have them co-habiting well over their reproduction age.

Just make sure the mum has plently of safe, paper shredded up bedding (NOT that woolly kind) as thin can get tangled up around babies limbs and cut off the circulation. Extra protein like mealworms for mum and a nice piece of fresh apple (remove the pips).

You cerainly should give the store a telling off as chances are they won`t change unless they know this has happened and someone else could end up with a pregnant female. If they ask to buy the babies back, refuse. You can always find them private homes or keep them yourself until good, safe homes can be found.

Edited to add: If your cage has tall floors, a syrian really needs more floor space than height, so once the babies are old enough, I would suggest looking for a larger, longer cage/tank for the mum. Same for each of the babies once they go to new homes or need housed by themselves.

souffle · 05-13-2011, 02:45 AM

You didn't do the wrong thing at all in moving them. They would not survive on the top level especially if they were in a small house and would need moved sooner or later.
Personally I would have advised you to rub a spoon all over in the bedding then move them. Remove access from the top levels for now and cover the cage up with a box or blanket and keep her very very quiet. Don't even look at her for at least 24hrs.
Most mums will gather the pups and make a nest after they get over the shock.
Pay minimal attention to her other than food (lots of protein) and water.
This is a good article about care :
Breeding Syrian Hamsters - Advice & Guidance - National Hamster Council
Don't beat yourself up if she loses some. This happens to even the most experienced breeders. Don't even try and count the pups then you won't fret over any lost ones. Gives tons of tissue bedding and she will hide them. No small houses either - let her have an uncovered nest. No cleaning till the babies are eyes open.
Good luck x

AlexWyattMommy · 05-13-2011, 03:16 AM

She has moved them all to one corner. She then got on her wheel last night. I was sure I would be removing little carcasses this morning.

But she was with them in the corner when I woke up. She has a very thin sheet around the cage, for privacy without suffocating the little things.

I will get meal worms today from the pet store. I just give those as is, right?

Her bedding is the compressed paper fluff stuff. It doesn't do the string thing when it is shredded.

We have given her plenty of food and water so that we do not have to disturb for the next 24 hours.

To say I was in a state of shock would be accurate. I am not the calm on in crisis situations. LOL So I was quite proud of myself for thinking to use a paper plate to scoop them all up to put on the bottom floor. I did touch one because he got left behind with no bedding. I did want to scrape him across the wood.

She will be getting a bin cage after all this is over. I already have part of the supplies for it.

Thank you all for your words. Hearing the little things squeak this morning was music to our ears. I will be very grateful if some of them survive.

I am glad I found you all.

racinghamster · 05-13-2011, 04:12 AM

You`ll be fine, I`m sure.

Mum should do all the hard work you just have to make sure she`s fed, watered and kept quiet.

souffle · 05-13-2011, 04:14 AM

If at all possible when you tempt her out with a nice plate of babyfood or porridge take the wheel out. It is best she has no distractions while nursing and the babies can get hurt on the wheel when they come out at around 10 days. Get some porridge oats and budgie seed in stock and about 5 days start sprinkling it near the nest for mum to take in.
The babies use the water bottle when they start to toddle out at 10 days or so so it will need to be nice and low.
Please keep asking ANYTHING and we can guide you through. The chirping and suckling noise of the pups is amazing and this will be a wonderful learning experience for your son. Be warned though - you will have to let him keep his favourite

rockster · 05-13-2011, 04:41 AM

aww you are doing well

I wouldn't be able to cope x Good Luck I hope they grow up nice and healthy , good vibes coming your way xx

**Hope** · 05-13-2011, 05:09 AM

Annie, just wanted to wish you lots of luck, sounds like you are doing an amazing job already, even if it was an awful shock for you.

Please ask any questions that you need, we are very lucky to have some very expeienced breeders here on the forum (such as Souffle

) no matter how silly you think it is, just ask away.

I will be following this thread closely, got everything crossed for you, mum and pups x x

AlexWyattMommy · 05-13-2011, 05:24 AM

I am making her a hard boiled egg right now. How much do I give her?

Should I add more bedding?

I will take the wheel out this afternoon. Husband has it on the wire wall and I don't want to make a lot of noise taking it out. I can hold the cage still while he removes to lessen the vibrations.

My youngest son as already asked if he can keep one if they make it. Having read the information to them, they are better able to handle it none survive.

They were so pink. And different sizes. I didn't think there would be a noticeable size difference. Nothing extreme, just variations.

All the hamsters in the pet store cage were solid colors. Do they stand a better chance of having been born healthy because of that? I read about Daisy being patterned and the Dad having a pattern and that not being good for the babies.

The urge to look at them is great. I was the child who opened her presents and then re-wrapped them at Christmas time. This will be true test of my self control. LOL

I can promise that I will not become an active breeder. Way too much stress for me handle more than once.

Off to read some more.

Thank you again.