View Single Post
Old 01-18-2011, 04:36 AM  
souffle
Moderator
 
souffle's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Yorkshire, UK but my heart lies in Scotland!
Posts: 28,184
Default Notes on looking for Hamster Breeders

When posting on the forum asking for a hamster breeder members should note the we accept no resposibility for any person who may reply saying they are breeders.
Members must select a breeder they consider appropriate. Please note that anyone can call themselves a breeder.
There are many hobby breeders who breed excellent pet hamsters and also some who just breed to supply pet shops so it is very important you assess and judge for yourself the breeder and the hamsters before obtaining your pet.
In the UK The National Hamster Council (NHC) is the UK hamster fancy's governing body http://www.hamsters-uk.org/index.php?opt...e&Itemid=1
Anyone who joins a NHC affiliated club MUST abide by the codes of practice laid down in the NHC handbook. These relate to the care, keeping and breeding of hamsters. In particular, the NHC strongly believes that members should only breed for show purposes or continuation of a blood line. To show hamsters they must be of excellent type and temperament and also healthy and long lived so the breeding stock should be of good quality.
After a year of membership of one of the affiliated hamster clubs, members can apply for a 'prefix' under which they can show hamsters and this can be noted on pedigrees for hamsters bred by the exhibitor.
Naturally NHC prefix holders cannot keep all the babies they breed so these are often available to the public as pets and show animals and the new owner can be assured they will have been bred by responsible persons abiding by the rules of the NHC.
There are also hamsters in many rescue organisations you may wish to consider adopting.
souffle is offline