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kayosqueen · May 19, 2012, 10:31 AM

One of my daughters 3 baby "female" dwarf hamsters just had 13 babies. I can sex them but I never bothered with them much. We got the hamsters about a month or so ago and I never questioned the sex of them. When I got home yesterday, 13 babies were in the cage and my daughter was in panic mode. I took the male out to keep them from getting pregnant again. The other two are female for sure. They were nesting together and laying with the babies together etc but today started to fight so I separated them. Both of their bellies look the same and at first I couldn't tell which gave birth, and just watched to see which was nursing them. After taking the other female out, she is nesting and fat too... but Im not sure what she looked like before. As I said, I didn't pay them much attention they were in my daughters room. So my question is... could she be pregnant too? Would the male impregnate both? And how can I tell if I don't know the past regularities of their day to day stuff. I can post a pic of her belly if we are able to do that on here...

Wondergirl · May 19, 2012, 10:55 AM

Years ago, I bought four female mice at a pet store. Within a month, three of the mice were pregnant. Obviously, one was not female. Before long, we had 52 mice.

Yes, a male can impregnate any female he is caged with.

kayosqueen · May 19, 2012, 01:21 PM

But would he impregnate both?

Wondergirl · May 19, 2012, 01:21 PM

Of course he would! If there were 15 females, he would impregnant all of them.

kayosqueen · May 19, 2012, 01:23 PM

They've been together for a month and a half... do you think it is likely she is pregnant? Yikes I already have 13. They are adorable... but... yikes.

Wondergirl · May 19, 2012, 01:28 PM

Yes, she's probably pregnant too. That's why males and females are kept in separate cages.

And once the babies can be sexed, please separate the males from the females, or you will have an awful lot of snake food (new babies) to give back to the pet shop.

kayosqueen · May 19, 2012, 01:29 PM

I didn't get them from a pet shop. I will be sure to sex them as early as I can. 3 weeks is what I read online about when they can be weaned is that right?

kayosqueen · May 19, 2012, 01:31 PM

I wish I had thought to sex them sooner... I was told they were all female and at the time they were small and all looked the same. I have since done my research and am confident I can tell them apart. The nipple thing will be the most obvious... and then closer openings in the female... right?

Wondergirl · May 19, 2012, 01:33 PM

You don't wean them. The mom will take care of that.

From Hamster Information, Hamsters --

"A mother hamster is very maternal, and, if danger threatens, she will carry her babies away, either by putting them into her cheek pouches or laying them across the toothless area of her jaws. Hamster pups should not be touched for the first two weeks as the scent it leaves on the babies can confuse the mother causing her to abandon or even eat them as she mistakes them for someone else's babies. The babies are so tiny that you can also accidentally hurt them. By the time they are two weeks old their eyes are open and they have a thick coat of fur. Mother hamsters wean their babies at about 3-4 weeks of age and the babies should be separated from the mother shortly after that. A female hamster is capable of having 2-3 litters a year."

Wondergirl · May 19, 2012, 01:35 PM

A male's external sex organs will become quite obvious as he matures.

kayosqueen · May 19, 2012, 01:36 PM

Will the females have to be removed too? Or can I leave them with mom and set a new cage for the males until all have found homes.

Wondergirl · May 19, 2012, 01:41 PM

Even the females may fight as they grow up, especially if the cage is too small for all of them.

Alty is our hamster expert and will be online later today or tomorrow. I'll PM her to look at this thread.

kayosqueen · May 19, 2012, 01:44 PM

Thanks a lot. =)

Wondergirl · May 19, 2012, 01:47 PM

Originally Posted by kayosqueen

set a new cage for the males until all have found homes.

If I remember my hamster days well enough, you will need more than one cage for the males. They may fight for territory. Alty will know what to do. Stay tuned!

kayosqueen · May 19, 2012, 01:54 PM

Oh dear. I already have 3 cages and one in each (of course one has 14 atm) =)

Wondergirl · May 19, 2012, 01:56 PM

Do you plan to keep all the babies?

kayosqueen · May 19, 2012, 01:59 PM

Until they are ready to go... but not after that... maybe one... or two... if there are color variations. All three of mine are black atm... =) I may get attached.

Wondergirl · May 19, 2012, 02:01 PM

The local pet store wanted to buy back my mouse babies for yummy snake food. When I looked at all 52 of them in countless cages that had to be cleaned every day, I was sorely tempted, but they were like my children.

kayosqueen · May 19, 2012, 02:04 PM

I went to purchase a cage today for the other female as one of our local pet stores are closing at the end of the month... I asked if they would sell me a used one cheap as my hamster had babies... he tried like hell to get me to give them to him... then said he had a little snake that needed to eat and would buy just one... but I couldn't do it. =)

Wondergirl · May 19, 2012, 02:10 PM

You'll weaken when they start getting each other pregnant. :D