How to Care for a Pregnant Hamster
1. Timely feeding in cages
The hamsters will be kept in cages during the breeding period. Once it is confirmed that the female hamster is pregnant, the male hamster and the female hamster must be kept in separate cages in time, because even if the female hamster is pregnant, the male hamster will not stop estrus and will still have the desire to mate. At this time, hamsters are prone to conflict, threatening the safety of the fetus. Originally, hamsters are solitary animals and are not suitable to be kept together. They are only kept together during the breeding period of hamsters. After the breeding, they have been kept in cages in time. In addition, the reason why the hamsters are kept in separate cages is that after the female hamster gives birth to the fetus, the male hamster is likely to eat the baby hamster by the side. In addition, the female hamster will come into estrus two hours after giving birth. If the male hamster detects that the female hamster is in heat, it will also follow the estrus, thereby mating, which is very likely to cause the female hamster to become pregnant again soon after giving birth. However, the female hamster still needs to Breastfeeding baby hamsters. Pregnancy too quickly is very harmful to the body of the female hamster, and it is easy to cause premature birth and miscarriage. Therefore, after the mother hamster is pregnant, the hamsters must be kept separately.
Second, provide a good breeding environment
pregnant female hamster More sensitive to the environment, the owner needs to provide it with a warm, quiet, dry, ventilated and clean breeding environment. The specific requirements are as follows:
1. Ensure that the temperature of the breeding environment is suitable.
The hamster is very afraid of cold, and it is easy to freeze or freeze to death under the condition of low temperature. Female hamsters have higher temperature requirements during pregnancy. During this period, the owner needs to ensure that the breeding environment is warm and keep the ambient temperature around 25~29℃.
2. Provide a quiet environment
Female hamsters are also particularly sensitive to sound during pregnancy and are very easily frightened. Too much noise can cause accidental abortion of the female hamster, so pay attention to keeping it The environment is quiet. It is forbidden to place hamsters near TV sets and places where noise is generated. If there is a lot of noise near the home, it is recommended to use sound insulation measures.
3. Keep the environment dry
Hamsters like dry environments. Wet environments can make hamsters uncomfortable, agitated, and prone to infection of skin diseases such as fungi, which can be harmful to pregnancy. The hamster is more dangerous and may cause miscarriage. Therefore, it is also necessary to keep the environment dry during the pregnancy of the hamster.
4. Keep the environment ventilated
The urine of hamsters will smell, and the urine of pregnant hamsters is more than usual, and it is more likely to cause the smell of the environment to become heavier, so The owner should pay attention to keeping the environment ventilated. Avoiding the environment with heavier odors is good for both the hamster and the owner.
5. Keep the environment clean and hygienic
Pregnant hamsters eat a lot and excrement is relatively large, so the owner needs to clean the breeding environment frequently during this period to keep the environment clean. Before cleaning, it is recommended to move the hamster to a temporary location prepared in advance, and then put it back after cleaning. At the same time, it is recommended that the owner remove the running wheel and the higher partition in the breeding cage to prevent the hamster from falling from a height and causing miscarriage.
Third, adjust the diet
1. Increase the feeding amount
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After pregnancy, the female hamster will eat more food and drink more water, so the owner should pay attention to appropriately increase the feeding amount, and at the same time increase the drinking water supply, and replace it in time to ensure that the hamster’s drinking water is sufficient and clean. It is necessary to provide hamsters with enough clean drinking water, especially during hamster production. If a hamster is thirsty during or after giving birth, it will most likely eat the newly born baby hamster.
2. Supplemental nutrition should be appropriate
During the pregnancy of hamsters, the owner can appropriately increase the feeding amount, but also pay attention to avoid supplementing too much nutrition to the hamster to prevent the hamster from becoming obese. Obese pregnant hamsters will also increase the chance of dystocia, because pregnant hamsters are obese, which will cause the fetus to grow too large, and the hamster will not be able to give birth, resulting in dystocia.
