Litter taming strategies?

[Mama2six]

I am wondering what your methods are for taming a litter? I have developed a few strategies over the years, but I try different things.

Once I had a miserable time with the girls of a litter, and the boys were great! I think one girl, who was just getting take, jumped away from me, ran across my living room floor, scared herself silly, and taught her sisters to be jumpy too, so I am careful to not give them opportunity to get away.

1. Treats and food: Holding it flat handed so they have to crawl onto my hand...

2. Holding each one 1-2 times a day, and putting them into a play tub as I hold them to not miss anyone

3. Teaching them that the way back "home" when they are done playing is to climb back onto my hand

I try to teach everyone to climb willingly onto my hand, but they don't always all do it before it is time to go to their new homes. Once the first one does it, the others gradually follow. They do seem to learn from each other, for good or bad!

That is my current general strategy. What is yours?

[Hekomi]

I've started using a snuggle sack. I like to put them in this and handle them on my lap. I use their mum's snuggle sack, or my "pup" snuggle sack if their mum doesn't have one (neither Pekoe nor Arya do as they aren't into snuggle sacks, but Cady, Banana, and Dulce all have one).

I use bits of shredded carrots to "lure" them onto my hands. I also hold my hand flat on the bottom of the bin and let them just explore and climb over it. When I do hold them, I let them walk over my hands, through my hands, etc. I also play with mum while they're awake, and let them watch mum climb onto my hands.

I've had good success with all my last few litters, everyone is quite friendly and sweet by the time they're ready to go home.

[Nancy's Hamsters]

I take all pups out and into a carrier bin , and then I have a 2nd empty carrier bin to which I place the handled pup into after the handling. This assures I am handling every pup and not just the same friendly one over and over(comes in handy when you have a litter of 10 same color pups)

Handling time starts at no more then 5 minutes twice a day, on day 18 then progresses to about 10 minutes as they age and are weaned from Mom. By the time they head to a new home they are completely relaxed at being picked up from above, and related a human hand with good things.

Just and observation I have seen in Yellow based pups, They tend to need more handling, more often and the first handling session almost always results in being peed on LOL I have no idea why this is but any other color without the Yellow gene they never pee on me at all and accept handling like it was done all their lives.

Oh I also don't use food as I have found it often lead to nippers when they didn't get something to eat before handling them. Many started connecting the food with the hand and tasted the fingers looking for food. Also I think about young owners and what might occur if their hand smells of a tasty treat when none was there. However mine learn that if you allow the human to pick you up an hold you that after they are done holding you a bowl of Noms awaits you back in the bin