When asked if hamsters eat young, most people would ask “yes,” but in reality, the answer is probably no. Hamsters are naturally carnivores and females will eat their own young if they’re weak or ill. This behavior is quite normal in the wild and has evolved over time. Here are a few reasons why female hamsters might eat their young.
To start with, the mother should wait for at least 15 days before moving the baby hamster to another location. Ideally, this time frame would include a few months of being left alone, though some hamster mothers might abandon their babies sooner or later. Once the infant is old enough to start eating solids, however, the mother may feel competition for food and decide to kill its offspring. Nonetheless, it is important to remember that hamsters do not typically eat babies if they are raised with them and provided with enough space.
Another reason why hamsters eat their young is the stress of giving birth. Hamsters may not want to give birth if they’re feeling stressed and will sometimes eat their own young. A high-protein diet is essential to a mother hamster’s health. Fresh water is also very important for the proper production of milk. A daily water change is essential. It’s also important for the babies to be left alone for a few weeks after birth.
Lastly, hamsters may also eat their own young to protect their babies. Whether or not they kill their own children, hamsters will eat their young to protect their mothers. Providing fresh food often will help them survive. Also, be sure to provide them with bedding and nesting materials. During the delivery period, leave the mother alone, as she will kill the babies if she feels threatened.
The reasons why hamsters may eat their young vary greatly. Usually, hamsters reject babies when they are ill and will eat them in order to keep them away from the litter. This is the reason why a mother will kill her offspring when she is overloaded with her litter. In addition to that, hamsters may eat their babies to reduce the litter size. Fortunately, there are several ways to stop hamsters from eating their babies.
If you have a female hamster, she will eat its babies if they’re at least a month old. In the case of male hamsters, they’ll also eat their own babies if they’re older. However, you should be aware that male hamsters may also eat their own babies, and it’s best to separate them from female hamsters.
In a similar study conducted in Malawi, researchers found that male and female hamsters with pellagra would be at an increased risk of infection. While the researchers did not observe this in wild hamsters, they did observe it in lab-reared hamsters. They supplemented their diet with clover and earthworms, which supposedly created nutritional deficiencies. However, the results were quite surprising.
