Baby desert dwarf hamsters nest in tube? Should I move them without getting my scent on them or something?

Question

Alright, long story, but my two desert dwarf hamsters have had a litter of babies. So, I took the male out of the cage and let the female do her thing, fine and dandy. The only problem is...she's moved her nest. Now her nest is in a series of tubes with a vertical drop at the end. I personally have no idea how she carried them all up there with her nesting supplies....but she has.

Here is the cage that I have:

http://www.pets-warehouse.com/pic-s/SSR60523.JPG

See the spinny round thing? Yeah. That's where they're at. They're in the actual tubes that /cannot/ be taken apart, not the circle thing. So I secured the wheel so it would no longer spin once I realized what she was doing....but my delima is that she can barely move in those tubes by herself. She can comfortably, but a nest of babies in there too? They're about five days old now and I'm afraid once they start to roam about they'll get hurt on that vertical drop, and they are hard for the mom to move around if they get away.

Answer 1

Leave them alone. The mother will move them safely when it is time.

Answer 2

I have had hampsters that have for some reason killed all of their litters they had without me touching anything and I have had hamsters that would let me touch the babies.The mother might of put them there to protect them from the male hamster.She has her reasons for putting them there and it probley would be better not to move them.When they get bigger and getting around some she might move them again.I would leave them alone unless you can see that they are getting hurt somehow in the area they are in.Those little babies are so cute.Have fun.D.Bonanno.

Answer 3

Wow man what a bad situation. I know how you feel with this. =/

My best advice is to leave them for now, and, yes this seems cruel, if some of them do die, the mother will learn not to put the nest up there. Yes yes it sounds cruel but its a natural part of the circle of life.

Also see if your local vet can help, he probaly has better advice than i do...

Good luck! And if they can i hope they call come out safe!

Answer 4

Hi =D

Don't move them.If you move them they will die because the mother will reject them. Don't worry the mother knows what she's doing.

I would just leave them to it.!

Hope this helps

x

Answer 5

leave the babies if you do something th emother might kill them

Answer 6

If you move them, they are going to die, because the mother will reject them.

If you don't move them, they /may/ die, but that's better than sealing their fate by getting your scent on them.

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If you move them, the female will feel threatened and eat them. That's all. She's moved them to where she feels safe.