Summarize the following:
Female hamsters sometimes eat their own babies if they get stressed out. It is very important to keep the environment as calm as possible. Though you might be eager to play with the babies, give the mother space and peace for their safety. At first, the babies will look pink and hairless. They are born with their eyes closed. While you do not want to disturb her, you do still need to make sure she has everything she needs in her cage. For the first week and a half to two weeks or so, discretely refill the mother's food bowl and water bottle. You do not need to provide the babies with anything at this point. They will get everything they need from nursing. Scatter small portions of broccoli, grated carrot, wheat germ, or tofu in their nest for them to eat. The mother will also store food in her cheek pouches, and bring it back to the nest to feed her babies. A week after birth, they will start to grow fur. You should just be able to tell what colors they are. The "pups" will also start making little noises at this age. One or two adventurous babies may leave the nest, but do not worry if the mother picks them up in her mouth and puts them back. Enough time should have passed now to allow the mother settle into her new role, so you can give the cage a much-needed cleaning. It is also your first opportunity to handle the babies, which is an important step in socializing them to humans. By handling them at two weeks, you make them more comfortable with human interactions. Get your hands "dirty" with the scent of the used litter before touching the babies. This prevents the mother from rejecting or attacking them later. Move the hamsters into another cage one by one. When cleaning the cage, avoid completely destroying the nest. Hamsters will usually have a "toilet" area in the cage. Concentrate your cleaning there, and leave the nest more or less intact. If the nest is soaked or filthy, however, go ahead and replace it with fresh materials. While cleaning the cage, make a few changes to transition them into adulthood. Add a second food bowl to the cage. The mother's water bottle will be too high for the babies, so place a second one at a lower position. You could also place a raised platform under the mother's bottle so the babies can reach it. Do not lower the mother's water bottle to the babies' height because then the mother will not be able to reach it. At this age, the babies should have all their fur and be running about independently. Though they were born with closed eyes and ears, they should be starting to open up now. This can be a tricky process. Look at the distance between each hamster's anus and genital opening. The distance on a male will be longer than the distance on a female. By four weeks, the males' testicles should also be noticeable, as should the nipples on the females' bellies. Hamsters have a lot of loose skin, and you can hold them by the scruff of their necks or by the loose skin down their backs. Be careful not to drop them, and be ready to return them to the cage, if you start to lose your grip. Not all hamsters mature at the same rate, so you have to make sure you gendered them correctly. For a few days after you separate them into male and female cages, keep checking gender every day. You might notice testicles one day that you did not see before in a cage of baby "females." If so, switch the baby to the correct cage. If you are unsure about the sex of your babies, take them to your vet or an experienced hamster breeder for help. You want to avoid accidental breeding of siblings. Place your hand in the cage so they can smell it, and let them climb up into your palm if they want to. You can also scoop them up with a small cup and start gently petting them on the back. The babies will be ready for their new homes 35 days their birth. Do not wait too long to start looking for people to purchase your hamsters, because the 35 days goes by fast. Keep your customers updated as the hamsters approach 35 days old, so they can prepare their own homes. Make sure you send them off to reliable homes, with families that will love them. Provide the new owners with information on hamsters and the hamster's care to this point. You want the babies to have the best new start you can provide. If you keep any of the babies, know that Syrians are highly territorial. When they reach two to three months of age, separate all hamsters into their own cages.
Do not disturb the new mother or her babies. Continue to care for her after the delivery. Begin feeding the babies about one week after birth. Check for healthy development in the babies. Clean the cage at two weeks. Adjust the cage for the babies. Check the babies' two-week development. Determine the babies' genders at around three and a half to four weeks. Separate the males and females once you determine the genders. Double check the babies' genders. Get the babies used to human handling. Line up customers early. Sell the hamsters. Separate hamsters after two to three months of age.