Breeding
There are many things to
consider before you decide to breed. It's something that shouldn't
be rushed into. What will you do with the hamsters that are born?
Many pet stores don't take hamsters from the general public. So
will you keep the hamsters for yourself or try to sell them to your
friends and family. Syrians can produce as many as 15 pups, will
you have the space to cage all these hamsters seperately when they
become adults? Another thing to consider is do you have the time
and money to do this? If the hamsters become ill and need vet care
will you have enough money, vet care isn't always cheap. Or if the
mother suddenly dies after birth this will mean you will have to
take care of the pups yourself. That will be very hard to do for
someone who is at work or school. Don't go into breeding hamsters
thinking you can make some money from this because you won't.
Mating
Hamster become sexually
mature as 5-6 weeks old but this is way too young to start breeding
and can lead to complications. The best age to breed a female is
from 4 months old. A female syrian will go into heat every four
days. This fourth day is the day when you should attempt to mate.
When the time is right place the female in the males cage or create
a neutral area for them to mate. Never place the male into the females
cage.
When placed together they
should begin to sniff each other and the male will mount the female.
Once they've finished seperate them in their cages. If the female
isn't ready she will attack the male, seperate immediately and try
again the next night.
In dwarfs it is a little
different the male and female can stay together until the birth
if you wish as long as they get along well.
Pregnancy
& Birth >>
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