First time hedgie mama with a few questions...

[Tristansmom36]

So...my female hedgie gave us a surprise litter of 5 hoglets this past Saturday. We estimate she had given birth Friday at some point. This is my first litter, so I want to make sure everything that I CAN control goes smoothly. We've done the basics. Only gone into the cage for food and clean water topoff, and cleaned out any big poop messes mom has made. Increased her food and added kitten food and additional mealworms for more protein and calories. These may seem like silly questions, so please bear with me. Mom's exhaustion level vs illness. Is it normal for her to leave the nest during the daytime to get rest? She's eating and drinking. Nursing all her babies without any issues by what I can see. Also, how long before a partial or full bedding change? She gave birth the day before cage cleaning day. Of course.

[Lilysmommy]

I can't answer the resting question (though my guess would be yes - but please wait for an experienced breeder to confirm that, or if you're worried & aren't getting answers on here, you can always check with your vet, or PM Nancy or Nikki). But you'll have to wait until the babies are around 2 weeks old before you can start removing a handful of dirty bedding a day (away from the nest) in exchange for a handful of clean bedding. You won't be able to do a full bedding change & cage clean until the babies are weaned and moved out of the cage around 6 weeks.

[Tristansmom36]

Thank you so much! I'll PM one of them in the morning!