| • Propagation and breeding | Gestation, birth and rearing |
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Gestation |
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It is often hard to see if the female is really pregnant or not. Especially when she carries only a few pups it is possible that she will not show any signs of pregnancy.
The gestation period of Roborovskis is 22-26 days. When you have not seen the actual mating take place it is often impossible to tell when the litter may be expected until a couple of days before the birth.
The female may display an increased aggressiveness towards the male during her pregnancy. In the last days before and the first days after birth she can also act increasingly intolerant to the male and other hamsters entering her nest. But other than that it is anyone's guess.
If you notice that your Roborovski is pregnant it is a good time to thoroughly clean your hamster cage as you will not be able to do so in the first few weeks after birth. |
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Birth |
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The mother usually remains active in the hours before giving birth. In the last days of her pregnancy it is best to leave her alone so she can get some rest prior to giving birth. The babies are born a short time apart and in that time between each birth it is possible that the mother is active and walking around the cages before eh gives birth to another pup. Do not be alarmed when the babies are born all around the cage. She will bring them all back to her nest after she has finished giving birth to every pup. There may be a few spots of blood here and there, but most of the time the mother cleans up after herself quite neatly. |
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From infancy to adulthood |
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Weening pups is a very demanding task. Your new mother will need plenty of food when she is raising her pups. Her needs will include extra proteins like those found inboiled egg or soya and bread soaked in low fat milk or oatmeal porridge. Extra vegetables and sunflower seeds will also be greatly appreciated.
After the pups have been born you will be glad you cleaned the cage in advance because you cannot do it now. The nest and pups should not be disturbed for the first week or 2. Handling the pups in the first two weeks could cause the mother to reject the pups. This is because hamsters totally rely on their sense of smell to recognize each other. A pup that smells different may be seen as an intruder. Also disturbing the nest can cause stress to the mother who might reject her pups as a result or even eat them if she feels threatened. |
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The Roborovski pups are born naked, blind and pink from head to toe. After 4-6 days you will notice they will start to develop pigment. After 6-8 days the first hairs will appear. By 10-12 days the pups will be covered in a short fur and you can see that the eyelids have started to develop. Even-though they are still blind, they might start wandering around the cage at this point. Do not worry when you see them out and about. The mother will collect pups and bring them back to the nest if she feels it is necessary. At 14-16 days the fur will be completely developed and the eyes will be opened. At this time it it safe for you to handle the pups and you can finally clean the cage.
At 4 weeks pups are independent from their mother and it is time to seperate the sexes and place the males and females in seperate cages. It is best for their development to keep them with their siblings for another 2 to 3 weeks before rehoming them. By that time they are 6-7 weeks and fully able to look after themselves. |
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