Introducing Amelie

[Mollz]

As a few of you know I have been looking for a longhaired red eyed cream female that I could bring home with me at Highworth. I emailed several people and it turned out that there was only one around - from Tristar, but they were keeping her. She was in a litter with some long-haired carriers so I emailed them back to say that I would have loved a longhair (especially as she was satin!), but could I look at their shorthairs.
I didn't hold my breath, as I was ideally looking for a LH, and waited for Jean and David to arrive at the show. They arrive, but dissapeared leaving a hamster on the side, so I went to have a look and it turns out it was my LH REC satin female and that David had decided that as I specifically wanted her that I could have her!

I was over the moon and had to restrain myself from leaping about with delight - especially as she was more gorgeous than I expected. So anyway, she has been with me since Saturday and was a bit jumpy at first but has really settled now and I managed to get one good photo last night.
So here's Amelie:
http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i114/Mollz93/HPIM2301.jpg

I hope you think she is as cute as I do. I'm also very excited as she will be my first breeding little girl and should make lovely babies (that David from Tristar said he would be interested in after I showed him Gizmo as well!) :D
I will try to get some other good pics later and will update you all.

[I_am_plankton]

She is gorgeous!!

David is so lovely, and it's fantastic that he would be interested in some babies I would definately bear that in mind since it is always good to have some top breeders in the loop!

I bet you are pleased with her, she's just beautiful!

[Hanlou]

Wow! What a little stunner she is! :D

She really is a beauty, glad you got her! x

Welcome to the forum Amelie!

[Spuds Mum]

Aw she is delightful - truly - what a lovely photo! And you've managed to catch the satin so well (something we can never seem to do)

And so we both have satin Amelies! I hope you have as much fun with yours as I do with mine :lol:

Just delicious - and now I can't wait to have some REC babies (although they wont be satin)

[souffle]

Oh Mollz you must be thrilled - she is just gorgeous. So pretty and a gorgeous coat. Looking forward to another mating diary :lol:

[Mollz]

Oh Mollz you must be thrilled - she is just gorgeous. So pretty and a gorgeous coat. Looking forward to another mating diary :lol:

Thank you - and I look forward to a mating diary once she's old enough too! I've just ordered gabber rexs (or rather my mum has) for my birthday for the babies to be split into and for one or two to be kept in :wink:

[Bunsey]

she's beautiful :D If they were planning to keep her themselves, they must think she is good :wink:

[Mollz]

she's beautiful :D If they were planning to keep her themselves, they must think she is good :wink:
That is what I had hoped - I do feel a bit guilty though because they would have kept her if it wasn't for me :oops:
How young would you enter them into the "young stock" part of a show at? I don't mean for Alcester, rather for future shows - it's just that Chris (Towy Vale) said that it's better to get them used to it when they are as young as possible. I know she wont do well when she is young - but would it be good for her to get used to how it all works while she is younger?

[I_am_plankton]

she's beautiful :D If they were planning to keep her themselves, they must think she is good :wink:
That is what I had hoped - I do feel a bit guilty though because they would have kept her if it wasn't for me :oops:
How young would you enter them into the "young stock" part of a show at? I don't mean for Alcester, rather for future shows - it's just that Chris (Towy Vale) said that it's better to get them used to it when they are as young as possible. I know she wont do well when she is young - but would it be good for her to get used to how it all works while she is younger?

Young stock is 10 to 16 weeks, but most people find with creams they do best at 8 - 9 months old :) It is a good idea to get them used to showing at a young age so they become accustomed to it

[Holly]

She is beautiful, Mollz - a real stunner and I have a feeling she'll grow up into a fabulous show hamster! Start packing the porridge in now - that's what Jean and David do with their young 'uns :wink:

Jean and David are lovely - Jean really helped me last year :)

[Mollz]

She is beautiful, Mollz - a real stunner and I have a feeling she'll grow up into a fabulous show hamster! Start packing the porridge in now - that's what Jean and David do with their young 'uns :wink:

Jean and David are lovely - Jean really helped me last year :)

She'll be getting a big head if we're not careful!
Re: Porridge - do you use ready brek or actual porridge oats and do you make it with normal milk (I usually use semi-skimmed is this ok?) or lactol? I'm going to try and get some lactol this weekend if possible. You were talking about rice pudding at the show, do you make this in a particular way for the hamsters and do they seem to enjoy it?

They did seem very nice, I didn't really get to talk to Jean but was talking with David for about 45 minutes and he was very helpful and encouraging.

I had her out a minute ago and she has really calmed down, is very tame already and is running on her wodent wheel as we speak.

P.S. Sorry for all the questions

[Basia]

Aw, she's absolutely lovely Molz and I would echo the others, if Tristar were planning to keep her they must have thought she is going to turn out well.
I use ordinary porridge and readybrek. I also use ordinary milk but I know not everyone does.
I think you will have a lot of fun with her, she is gorgeous.

[Spuds Mum]

I use lactol Mollz, though a lot of breeders use full fat milk (yurgh thought makes me feel ill!!-I dont like milk)

For porridge you can use either porridge oats or ready brek - either are fine, and my personal recipe for rice pudding is:

boil some rice, put kettle on, and leave it to cool so just tepid. If using half a cup of boiled rice, I'd use a teaspoon of lactol and then add water and stir! easy.

You can also add some dried fruit, or chop a little bit of banana in.

Once for a treat I used some 'healthy' strawberry milk (no added sugar one) the hams loved that I can tell you! :D

[Basia]

I use heinz baby rice pudding - too lazy to make it. :oops:

[Spuds Mum]

well babyfoods are good too - even the baby porridge does just as well as home made.

Re making food generally - I have a motto re food - "~Never make anything you can buy in Marks & Spencer~" not that I necessarily will buy the item from M&S, but I refuse to spend two hours making something that won't taste as nice, when I can spend 2 minutes popping the M&S version in the microwave or cooker! :wink:

Now that's lazy! :x

[jayne]

Mollz she is a real sweetie!!

Welcome Amelie :D Hope to see more pics of her soon!

[Gust0o]

I use heinz baby rice pudding

Basia... hush! :oops:

Nothing to see here; just keep moving everybody! Basia's not giving our secrets away! :x

Amelie is absolutely gorgeous! She looks a little like Hobbs, and I'm smitten with him - so Amelie is not going to escape my attention! :)

You must be thrilled!

[Mollz]

Right .... I bought some lactol today and plan to make up some ready wbrek with it. Can you please go to this thread with your suggestions on what to do: http://www.hamstercentral.com/forum/vie ... php?t=2994 (http://www.hamstercentral.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2994)

Will deffinately give the rice pudding a try spud's mum - it's alot easier than I though it would be!

[Catja]

Oh Mollz, she is gorgeous, you must have been so pleased to get her, I love the pic, you really did manage to catch the satin coat.

Interesting what you were asking about porridge. I made up 4 little bowls of porridge for mine, and added a spinach leaf for decoration it all looked worthy of any dinner table. Took them up was diappointed when no hamster took an interest, I went up the next day to take the bowls out only to find all 4 hamsters scoffing the porridge - strange!

[Gust0o]

Maybe it's like Goldilocks?

Maybe they were waiting for the rice pudding to be juuuuust riiiiiiight!

:x

Excuse me - I'm having a slow day at work :(

[Mollz]

Oh Mollz, she is gorgeous, you must have been so pleased to get her, I love the pic, you really did manage to catch the satin coat.
I was and am pleased to have her thank you. I just feel guilty because I know that you wanted the same :(

When I made porridge before (with semi-skimmed milk) none of mine touched it, then this time (with lactol and a bit of muesli) they wolfed it down!

[Catja]

I was and am pleased to have her thank you. I just feel guilty because I know that you wanted the same :(

Oh don't feel guilty Mollz, we had only got Bonaparte the day before and I wasn't really in a position to take one anyway. Besides you are going to do great things with her and with you I am sure she will fulfill her potential :lol:

[Mollz]

Well Amelie is blossoming and is a deffinate character. She is a really sweetie though and will be attending her first show this Saturday at just 10 weeks (well actually 9 weeks and 6 days), just for experience. I managed to get some more pictures, however they don't show how gorgeous she really is:
http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i114/Mollz93/HPIM2308.jpg
http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i114/Mollz93/HPIM2312.jpg
http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i114/Mollz93/HPIM2315.jpg

I weighed them all today with my new digital scales (that have finally turned up!) and she is 154g at 9 weeks. This is quite good isn't it?

[Spuds Mum]

That sounds good to me Mollz, and she looks great! Hope she does well, although with being cream, you know that her best show days are in front of her, and hopefully for a long long time! Butterbean scored her highest ever at Topcliffe and she is a year old soon! :wink:

I am sure I will come back to breeding and showing creams in the future, I love them so much, but for now, I will enjoy those I've got and continue to move into my agoutis. Why am I telling you this?? Well just to reassure you that, for this reason only, your Amelie is safe from me hamnapping (just) :wink: :D although I do hope to have a hamcuddle when I get to see her!

[Catja]

She is gorgeous Mollz

[Mollz]

Yes I do realise that her showing career (that sounds a bit strange!) is probably going to be at her best in probably 6-8 months time.

You are entirely welcome to a cuddle with her at whichever show our paths next cross,after we have collected them from the bench of course (not sure they'll be too happy with you sneaking a cuddle in the middle of the judging :wink: ).

I'm surprised at her weight as she is totally addicted to her wheel, so wasn't ecpecting her to be anywhere near this high.

I'm sure we can get you talked into selfs again soon, especially as there are gunna be so many of the babies around with Gill and Julie's (when they are born) babies at the moment and then mine/Amelie's in a few months time! You always have room for more :x

Thanks Catja!

[Spuds Mum]

Now stop it young lady, otherwise I will be posting agoutis through your door :shock: :wink:

I do love selfs, especially minks (my Spud just won me over from day 1) and Im sure you are right that they will still stay a part of my boys and girls.

Im still considering mating Butterbean my REC to a gorgeous REC banded that I should pick up at Brockholes. Im hoping she is not too old by then (though creams do seem to be very fertile Ive heard) so no doubt I could easily be persuaded, but you'd have to face Arti too!! :?

[Mollz]

Now stop it young lady, otherwise I will be posting agoutis through your door :shock: :wink:
Oh no! I find it hard enough resisting as it is. I am particularly partial to Cinnamons.

Im still considering mating Butterbean my REC to a gorgeous REC banded that I should pick up at Brockholes. Im hoping she is not too old by then (though creams do seem to be very fertile Ive heard) so no doubt I could easily be persuaded, but you'd have to face Arti too!! :?
I'm sure we can persuade him! He must be quite a softie, or you wouldn't have as many as you do :D Get him on here and we can wear him down :wink: Although you don't seem to be putting up much of a fight either!

[Matty Day]

spuds mum if you want some creams which are descendants of princess and dabaku then speak to my cream satin line will descend from them :x in fact dabaku will be a great grandad next Christmas

I am hoping to branch into agoutis myself in two or three years though the Chinese and creams will remain and i might start a new Chinese normal line from my current as I am going to keep it mixed for a few years

[Spuds Mum]

He's already registered Mollz, but at the moment is too busy working on devising a new website for us to come on much. His forum name is 'Bramble's Dad'. No doubt you will hear from him once in a while (when he can get a word in edgewise from me yapping of course :oops: ) :D


gaaaahhhh stiop it Matty - you are all evil people lol. But in fact it is nice to know that the line is still out there and that, in the future I may get a little Dubaku Princess offspring back again. Thanks and I will watch them with pleasure I am sure! :D

[Mollz]

Just thought I would post an update about Amelie. Well she is a gorgeous little girl and is really blossoming as she ages. I did get some pictures tonight - but they don't show her full bauty so I'll try to get some better ones and put them on tomorrow.

For those of you who don't know, she attended her first show on Saturday at Thame and got Junior best in show with 80 points (is points the right word?). She was only 1/2 a point away from winning her class, 4/5 points away from Best Opposite Sex and 6 points away from Best In Show! :D And this was all at the tender age of 9 weeks 6 days old.

We just did another weigh in today and at 10 1/2 weeks old she is 170g which sounds pretty good to me. She has put on 16g in the past 2 weeks :shock: but has NO sign of fat at all - I have been checking regularly just to make sure.

But above all of this, she makes the perfect pet with a wonderful (but very cheeky personality) and is always begging to come out. I'm just so glad that she is with us :) :D :P

[Spuds Mum]

Having seen the photo you sent through I think she is absolutely stunning, and Im glad she has a personality to match!

I just looked at the weigh in thread, and noticed her weight - my goodness, she is one big girl already! :D

[Mollz]

Having seen the photo you sent through I think she is absolutely stunning, and Im glad she has a personality to match!

Yes, to me it is the personality that is most important (not that I'm moaning about good show results :wink: ). I'm glad you think she is pretty too.

I just looked at the weigh in thread, and noticed her weight - my goodness, she is one big girl already! :D

I know :shock:

[Mollz]

Should I worry that she is getting so big? She gets fed exactly the same as all of the others, and if you look at the weigh-in thread you can see that none of the others are anywhere near as big as her. I'm pretty sure I'm not overfeeding her and will keep a watch on her weight, but I can deffinately still easily feel her ribs if I put a tiny bit of pressure on her side (which I read somewhere shows that they are just the right weight). Should I give her fewer supplements (e.g. porridge/chicken/pasta) than the others or just leave it unless she starts getting fat (it seems mean/silly reducing it when she is till growing and not fat!).

[Gust0o]

We just did another weigh in today and at 10 1/2 weeks old she is 170g

Wow, that's some impressive gains! I think Wes is likely to be some distance off that, at the same age!

[pophammy]

I would just keep feeding her as you are now. Hams from breeders tend to be much larger than petshop hams, so it is likely she is just a naturally big girl! Our showing girls got to 220g at their max, and averaged around 180-200g, so I think she is doing just fine! Good to hear she is doing well and congrats for at the show!

[Basia]

She sounds as if she is doing just fine Molz, I certainly wouldn't worry about her getting big - that is a good thing.
As Pophammy says the girls can get quite large, 3 of mine are well over 200g.
Looking forward to some more pictures. 8)

[Gust0o]

Should I worry that she is getting so big? She gets fed exactly the same as all of the others, and if you look at the weigh-in thread you can see that none of the others are anywhere near as big as her

Well, both Harry and Hobbs are pet shop rescues; and Bob is a pet shop purchase - I wouldn't expect them to be comparing with breeder animals on a like-for-like basis.

Also, they were companion animals - plenty of toys, plenty of playtime - which meant they burnt off pretty much every bit of fat they had!

I'm more interested in the comparison with Wesley - as much for my own sake, as I was wondering if I was underfeeding for a while! Which I'm patently not!

[Mollz]

That's good. I didn't want to lower what she is being fed, it's just she is so young and so big!

The strange thing is that she runs on her wheel for about 3/4 hours each evening and is still that big. I guess it just means that she is gaining muscle rather than fat - which is good.

[Gust0o]

Muscle mass would be greater than fat, in any case - so it would explain her strong growth.

You'd be able to feel it when you cuddle her!