Update page 4, hamster pics. WHO KNEW!!!

[wegotchickens]

No problem!

In all the litters we ever raised we only had 2 get eaten, so I think there was something wrong with those babes.
Mice, though. Had one get stressed and eat her babies. Very upsetting!!

Good luck finding homes!!

 

[dangerouschicken]

I saw a dog eating her puppies once. The dog lived her whole life tied to her dog house, no deworming, no flea medicine, nothing. I think she was trying to keep her puppies from living her same miserable life someday

I called the animal shelter and they euthenized all the puppies. She wouldn't nurse them and they weren't going to live

Thanks stupid neighbors for ruining not just your dog's life, but her puppies lives, as well

I am sooooooooooooo glad you rescued those hamsters! I'm surprised you didn't feed them to your snakes, though.

 

[luvmychicknkids]

Oh my, NOOOOOOO, I couldn't feed them to my snakes. I have a LOT of trouble with mice and they have to be dead when I get them. Even then it depresses me every single time I feed. I love my snakes dearly but I am not fond of their eating habits.

That is so sad about the dog.

People amaze me with their cruelty.

As far as finding homes...I am afraid it may not be all that easy. I had open house at my oldest son's school this evening and tried a few people but no luck. Oh well, I will keep trying.

 

[wegotchickens]

If your local vetrinarian has a bulletin board you could post a notice there about free baby hamsters. And if folks get them young there's no worry about the new hammie being preggers.

As soon as the boys start showing their gender you'll want to put them in their own tank/cage, though.


That really is sad about the dog. Poor girl!

 

[bheila]

Quote:
I've had mama hamsters eat their babies or just kill them. I've also had mama hamsters take their babies and put them in their pouches on the sides of their cheeks to move them and not take them out in time for them to breath. So needless to say I would just sit there and wait for her to do it and then grab her to push the babies back out of her pouch. What a pain in the butt. Good luck I'm sure you'll have no problem finding homes for those cute and fuzzy buggers.

 

[luvmychicknkids]

Alright, another emergency with mommy hamster. She escaped...perhaps a few hours ago. Not only am I worried about her being eaten by my cats, I have 5 hungry babies. I have no idea what to do. I have hunted and can't find her anywhere. I am pretty sure I have some puppy formula left over (it is the powdered stuff) from raising orphaned opossums. Does anyone know if I can feed them this, and do I have to help them potty? I am preparing for the worst (not finding her) just in case. Thanks.

 

[Robin'sBrood]

That happened to me when I was a kid and got my very first hamster. She was a 6 for 1 special... pay for mama, get 5 babies for free... and by the time we got home with her, she had been so stressed that she had killed and eaten ALL of her babies. NOT a good thing for a little girl to experience!
Hmm, but maybe that's why I feel like eating my children when they stress me out.

I have no idea about feeding orphaned hamster babies (if you don't find mama.) I have a friend who does rodent rescue work, I'll see if I can get up with her this late. If I can I'll get right back to you....

 

[luvmychicknkids]

Hmm, but maybe that's why I feel like eating my children when they stress me out.

LOL....one of my kids said (after getting over the initial shock of headless babies) "I am really glad you don't eat us when you get upset". I informed him they just haven't pushed me far enough YET!!!!

Thanks for trying to get in touch with your friend. I am really worried about these babies.

 

[NoelTate]

Wow...you have a mess! lol
She was eating the babies due to stress, like everyone said. Hamsters are absolutely solitary, so she and the other female would have fought horribly. Likely, they were not caged together before he took them to the pet store or all the babies would have been dead and the females would have been injured.
Now that she is in a quiet place, alone, and has food, she will probably not eat anymore. That's not a guarantee, though, especially since she already ate some. Some females will eat nearly every baby they ever give birth to, some will never do it again. Just no way of telling. Sometimes they do it for no apparent reason even when there is no source of stress.
As for her getting lost...I raised an orphaned baby once by taking pelleted hamster food and soaking it in milk and putting in with the baby. He would nibble on it. They nibble on food from the time their hair comes in at just a very few days. Eyes will open around 9 days. From my experience raising them, I think your best bet would be to give them boiled or scrambled egg to nibble on. You will have to clean their bottoms to stimulate them to urinate. Hopefully you will catch the female. I would expect she would come back to the babies, but that is not guaranteed at all. Take a bucket she can't jump out of and put smelly food like peanut butter and her food in the bottom. Put books or something going up to it kinda like a ladder. She will climb into the bucket to get the food and not be able to get out. Those traps have been very successful with all the breeders I have talked to. Good luck, and I'm sorry it's turning out so stressful for you.
If you don't have homes for the babies and your snakes will eat pinkies, you might want to consider that. I hate snakes and would never allow my ham's to be fed to them, but I have seen far too many that could not find homes. I'd hate for you to get stuck with another 6 cages to clean and animals to feed! lol If it makes you feel better, most breeders agree that it takes a few days for their nerves to develop to where they really feel pain. Many put them in the freezer where they go into hibernation and die. You could do that then feed them to the snakes if you have to. If you keep them, good luck with them!! Shame you're not here..I have a female that gave birth today, we could try to adopt them in.

 

[Robin'sBrood]

She didn't answer so I used Google to find this
http://www.hamsterific.com/orphans.cfm

BEST WISHES!!