If this is the first time you've encountered a hamster pregnancy, read this article carefully. For inexperienced owners, it may seem as if the animals themselves know what to do. It is up to you to decide how you feel and how you feel during this period. Don't let him down!
IF YOU HAVE NOT PLANNED A PREGNANCY
But somehow they put two different-sexed hamsters in the same cage, you can be sure it will happen! In this case, you need to move them into different cells at the first suspicion.
Signs of pregnancy in a hamster:
The tummy will get a little bigger.
The nipples will swell and be visible from under the coat.
It will become aggressive towards the male.
And if changes in appearance can go unnoticed, the strange behavior of the female is usually immediately evident. A gentle and calm animal will try to hurt his partner in every possible way. If they are not settled in time, a tragedy will happen.
IF THE PREGNANCY IS PLANNED
If the hamsters live separately and you are planning a pregnancy, have a short rattle in a neutral area or a male cage.
The female herding takes place every 4 days, so sometimes it is necessary to have a few meetings to get to the right time. It is recommended that you arrange a date in the evening when hamsters are most active.
The optimal age to start mating is 4 months for females and 3 months for males. After the female reaches 10-12 months of pregnancy is not recommended, the pelvic bone in the animal starts to bone and the risk of inability to give birth increases.
Pregnancy of Syrian hamsters lasts 16-19 days, jungar - 19-22 days.
HOW TO SET UP A HOUSE FOR A FEMALE HAMSTER
So, the hamster is pregnant and it is time to take care of the house, where she will wait for offspring and spend the first weeks with the babies:
Choose a deep-bottomed cage or an aquarium so that the newborn hamsters cannot accidentally fall out of the bars.
Carry out the last cleaning approximately 4-5 days before delivery.
Place a little bit of old bedding on it so that the familiar smell soothes the mother-to-be.
Set up a large house where the hamster can hide.
Leave enough clean, odorless white napkins to make a nest out of.
During pregnancy and feeding, be especially careful: it should include protein in the form of cottage cheese, eggs or boiled chicken. Don't forget about the dried mixture, vegetables, and fruits. Make sure you have clean, filtered water in the drinker. Use hanging water bowls instead of deep bowls, as they may accidentally drown the babies.
CAREFUL: DELIVERY
Most likely, during childbirth, the hamster will be alone in the house, where he will equip a nest of scraps of napkins in advance. After a while you will hear a characteristic squeak, meaning that the babies were born.
Hamsters are born at intervals of 10-30 minutes. During the break, the female sleeps or cleans the house.
Hamsters are tiny, bald and blind. In a litter from 2 to 20 kids, most often 8-10.
Do not open the cage and in no case touch the newborns! It is desirable not to stand near the cell for long periods and not to nervate the animal, which has already endured stress. Any foreign smell can be a reason for the mother to eat her cubs.
A hamster can also eat weak and sick babies. Sometimes during the first pregnancy, she eats all the offspring because of stress and inexperience.
Your task is to help your beloved pet to feed and bring up offspring and not to hurt the excessive care.
DEVELOPMENT OF BABIES
The first week
Kids sleep in piles and squeak loudly when they're hungry or mom's gone too long. The bravest can fight off the "flock" and look for a more comfortable place.
By the end of the first week, hamsters begin to taste the "adult" food - vegetables, cottage cheese, chicken or eggs.
The bodies of babies are rounded off, the future color begins to look over.
The second week
A short, rare layer of wool begins to appear, and the bravest hamsters try to get out of the house and explore the cage. They taste the food and sniff out the area in a funny way. On the first day, the mother takes them back, then decides not to disturb them.
On the 14th day, the baby's eyes finally start to open slightly.
Third week
On the 14th-15th day, the first cleaning of the cage is carried out:
Place the female in a convenient container with food.
Gently place the babies in another container (remember to wash your hands well before and after communicating with the babies).
Clean the cage, but leave a few pieces of an old napkin to keep the smell familiar to the family.
Put the babies back in their place first, and then return them to their mother.
By the end of the third week, hamsters are still drinking their mother's milk, but are already actively learning about adult food. They feel free, are well acquainted with the house and the cage, begin to try the wheel and play. After a week or two, they will be completely accustomed to milk.
Now you know the basics of hamster breeding. It's no big deal if you take it seriously and know how to behave during knitting, female pregnancy and the birth of babies. We wish you to be successful, and the females and babies were strong and healthy.https://petsfusion.com/news/180/beremennost-homiakov/