So you wake up one morning to find several pink little blobs in your cage, squeaking away. In most cases, the pups will be mostly hidden from view, tucked away in the nest. You may be curious but the most important thing, as we mentioned earlier, is not to touch them, as the scent from our hands will cause the mother to reject her pup.
Newborns
The first thing you’ll notice about the newborns (other than they’re pink!), is that their eyes are shut. They will remain that way for some time, but it doesn’t seem to bother the pups at all. On the first day they’re busy drinking their mother’s milk and squeaking away to anyone who’s interested.
Babies - day 1
Over the next two days the pups start to develop some skin pigmentation, but only those pups that are going to have dark skin.
Babies - day 5
By day five a small amount of fur starts to appear.
Babies - 10 days
By day ten the pups are fully covered in short fur and are adventuring out of the nest in search of solid food, even though their eyes are still tightly shut.  Over the next five days their eyes will slowly begin to open, with the eyes fully opened after 14-16 days.
Babies - 12 days
At this point it is safe to handle the babies for short periods of time, which now allows you to give the cage a cleaning, since you haven’t been able to do so since the pups were born. At this age the pups are looking for high-protein food to fuel their growth, so providing the same sort of foods you provide for the pregnant and nursing mother is great. Fresh fruit such as carrots and apples are also a great idea. Ensure that the food bowl is low enough so the baby hamsters can reach the food!
At three weeks of age the hamsters are almost completely weaned from their mother, although they may have the occasional suckle if the mother still has milk available. Their teeth are fully erupted and they will feed voraciously on food to fuel their accelerating growth rate. Believe it or not, but hamsters are capable at breeding at this young age, so males and females should be moved into separate cages. This includes the mother, as she is also ready to breed again. If your goal is to breed hamsters then separation is not necessary.
Babies - 3 weeks
If you’re dealing with new Syrian hamsters you’ll begin to notice their solitary instincts surfacing over the next two to three weeks. Small squabbles may occur, so keep an eye on things to make sure they don’t escalate. A high protein diet is still necessary at this stage, so supply them with plenty of hamster mix. At this stage they’re growing more and more accustomed to being away from their mother, so you can begin handling them on a regular basis. This builds their confidence and prepares them for life among humans.
By the fifth or sixth week you’re dealing with young adults that are ready to move out into their own apartment, er, cage! Dwarfs can remain in social groups of the same sex, but Syrians will need to be separated into their own cages at this age. Remember: one Syrian per cage!
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By: Shep on 11-11-2009 15:49
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