Preparing to Breed Syrian Hamsters
Have a valid reason for breeding Syrian hamsters. You should have a clear plan in place about what you are going to do with all these babies. Also, ensure you have enough space, money, and resources to house them all yourself, in case your breeding plans do not go as planned. Some options include: Keeping them as pets. Selling them as pets (though it is unlikely to provide you with much income). Giving them away to good homes.
Consider how you will execute your plan. You might think "I'll just give them away to good homes", but that is likely going to be harder than it sounds. Research the market before you begin breeding or you may end up with more hamsters than you have customers. How will you advertise your hamsters? Good places to start include online, in the newspaper classified ads, and at the pet store (be sure to ask permission first).
Avoid breeding closely related hamsters. If you already own some hamsters from the same family, you do not want to breed them with each other. When you allow brothers to mate with sisters, or fathers/daughters or mothers/sons, you create an inbred line of hamsters. Inbred lines can suffer from genetic flaws. For healthy hamsters, avoid inbreeding altogether.
Purchase an unrelated male and female hamster. If the hamsters you have are all related, or if you do not yet have any, talk to several hamster breeders about where they get their stock. You only need one male and one female to get started. It is best to purchase them from different suppliers, to ensure the two breeding animals are not closely related. It is can be a poor idea to buy breeding hamsters from chain pet stores. Some pet stores can treat their hamsters quite poorly. Many get their hamsters that have been bred in dirty and cramped locations. Baby hamsters, if chosen from a commercial pet store, are likely to suffer from mental, physical and even fatal deformities. Also, the hamster very often have poor temperament, and have a poor coloring. You might also contact a hamster breeder directly.
Make sure that the hamsters are about the same age. Hamsters can start breeding as early as two months of age. However, it is best to let them grow to four to six months of age before beginning the breeding process. This improves the chances of a healthy litter.
Provide the hamsters with a comfortable environment. This means cages of a good size that are at the very least 450 sq. inches or larger. Since many commercial cages are too small, you may have to a do-it-yourself project ahead of you. Careful planning is important if you plan to breed, as each hamster should have its own cage. Keep the hamsters in their separate cages, unless you are actively trying to breed them. When you first get the hamsters, keep the cages in the same room, but not close together. Each one should contain: A food bowl with high-quality food (One of the best hamster foods by far is the Harry/Hazel Hamster mix.) An inverted water bottle Exercise toys Anything else you think will make them feel more at home
Move the cages together after a week. This will allow your male and female to see and smell each other. Let them become more social, but do not put them together in one cage yet. Another way to let them get acquainted is to put them into separate exercise balls. While you are watching, let them roll around in their pods, smelling each other and interacting safely.
Introduce the hamsters when they come of age. Once your hamsters are at least four months old, you can introduce them to each other in a third, neutral cage. If the female attacks the male, she is not ready to mate. Get him out of the cage as soon as possible, to avoid injury.
Mating Your Hamsters
Determine whether the female is in heat. You cannot mate your hamsters if the female is not going to be receptive to the male. At this age, she could go into heat every four to five days. Gently stroke the female on the bottom. If her tail goes erect, she is in heat and ready to mate with the male.
Only place the hamsters together when the female is in heat. Hamsters are territorial animals. If they do not want to mate, they will likely ending up fighting, leading to injury, or even death. Check the female every day until she is in heat before placing them together.
Place the hamsters in the same cage when the female is in heat. Either gently place her in the male's cage or put both hamsters in a neutral third cage. Do not place the male in the female's cage, however, as she will likely fight him to protect her territory.
Supervise the mating process. If all goes well, the female's tail should go erect, and the male should mount her more than once. This may last for around 30 minutes, and the male will likely clean himself between attempts. Be watchful for fights, even if the female seems receptive.
Separate them when they are finished. You will be able to tell when they are finished because they will suddenly seem disinterested in each other. When this happens, move the female back into her cage.
Make a record of the date. An important part of breeding hamsters is keeping good records. Either mark mating dates on a calendar or write them down in a notebook. Hamsters hibernate when the temperature dips below 50°F (10°C). They will not breed at that temperature.
Preparing for Birth
Observe the female for a week. Sometimes, a hamster's behavior changes noticeably when she gets pregnant. Note if she is being strangely quiet, cleaning herself more often, or eating and drinking more than usual. Another common sign is an instinct to gather up large nests. If you see these telltale behavior changes, she is likely pregnant.
Figure out when she will give birth. Syrian hamsters usually grow and carry their babies for 15-18 days before giving birth. Look up the date on which you last mated your hamsters and add 15 days to it. That is the earliest likely due date for your new litter.
Watch for physical changes in the female. You will not be able to tell she is pregnant until just a few days before she gives birth. By ten days after the mating, you should be able to see her belly clearly swelling, as with human pregnancies.
Provide her with nesting and bedding materials. A pregnant female will have a natural instinct to build herself a big nest. Give her extra bedding materials like paper towels or bathroom tissues so she can shred them up for her nest. You might also offer a safe (non toxic, no ink, not sharp) bedding material like Pennine “Curl Up” Hamster bedding.
Prepare the cage for the birth and babies. Make sure you have cleaned the cage five days or so before the due date, and that there is extra food and bedding in the cage. Prepare ahead of time so you do not disturb the mother and babies for the first week after birth.
Do not handle the hamster close to her due date. You want to keep her as calm and relaxed as possible. Keep her environment quiet and soothing; dim or remove bright lights. Keep curious pets like dogs and cats away from her as she gets ready to deliver her babies. Hamsters usually give birth without problems if you wait until they are old enough to mate (four months). The birth will likely happen at night when everything is quiet. Litters can be as small as 4 or as large as 16 babies.
Taking Care of the New Litter
Do not disturb the new mother or her babies. 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.
Continue to care for her after the delivery. 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.
Begin feeding the babies about one week after birth. 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.
Check for healthy development in the 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.
Clean the cage at two weeks. 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.
Adjust the cage for the babies. 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.
Check the babies’ two-week development. 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.
Determine the babies' genders at around three and a half to four weeks. 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.
Separate the males and females once you determine the genders. 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.
Double check the babies' genders. 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.
Get the babies used to human handling. 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.
Line up customers early. 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.
Sell the hamsters. 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.
Separate hamsters after two to three months of age. 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.
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