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 >>