How to breed hamsters

[kyrilliondaemon]

Don't leave, just please think more before breeding.
On this site we tend to encourage responsible breeding and that does mean that it requires a lot of thought, a lot of effort, a load of learning and more besides. It really, really shouldn't be done because you feel like it or want cute babies. Do it because you want to by all means, but do it responsibly with the knowledge of genetics e.t.c to make sure you're doing the right thing.
Chucking two rodents together and selling/keeping the offspring may be breeding but its definetly not responsible breeding.

[Ren]

You shouldn't leave. It's just that a lot of people strongly oppose breeding on this forum and tend to all post at once, but we don't have any intention of bombarding you! It's just we get kind of overexcited when it comes to helping people. Don't be offended, we're really just trying to help.

Honestly, look into genetics and breeding. Do a lot of googling. After a month or two of research, maybe you'll feel up to it and maybe not. There are a lot of things that can go wrong but if you have two hamsters that come from a breeder and they have good qualities and can be bred (for example, it's bad to breed black based syrians with cream based syrians because the cream destroys the black colors (chocolate and dove are black-based colors etc)). There are also things such as breeding two satins together that produce hairless Syrians (not good). And the whitebelly gene that if both parents have it, then the babies are born eyeless and toothless.

But if you become knowledgable about genetics and have great hamsters from a good breeder that will go well together and you feel like you'd be able to take care of the babies that don't get homes (can be a lot), then it's really your choice whether or not to breed.

[minkymagicmouse]

well i never would just go a head and put two to gather, i know you first have to do things like switch there cages, a few times, and do other things first, id never ever do it right off, and id only do it when i was happy to look after a lot of little hamsters, and when i new exactly what i was doing planned it all and everything, it probably wouldnt ever be in minkys life time any way, but its something i wanted to know about and then when i ever new i could look after a lot again at once then and only then would i do so,

i know you cant just shuve them to gather and all this i know you have to be carful etc, i just ... oh well doesnt matter i just feel like id be an evil so and so that would be going to a very dark place if i bread them, like im doing something illegal type thing and i didn realise how angry people would get to me so quickly

thats why i feel i shouldnt be hear im obviously upsetting people.

[kyrilliondaemon]

The one thing you listed wasn't right actually...

And seriously, you asked before doing it. We've got members who did breed without thinking and still got treated fine here. You can get along with everyone just fine if you want.

Basically, do a truckload of research. If you want to breed then go for it, but it'll probably take you at least a year to do your research properly first.

[Erin Loves Dwarf Hamsters]

MMM, don't take what everyone is saying personally its nothing against you as a person but a lot of people feel very very strongly about correct breeding and you would not believe the amount of people we come across who breed for all the wrong reasons and the risks they put their hamster and the pups through. I think everyone just wanted to give you an answer as quick as possible which made it seem like they were telling you off rather than rushing to stop you before it was too late

I think pretty much all of the members of this forum hold the belief that a hamster should be bread first and foremost for its health and to continue to keep lines of healthy well bred hamsters alive therefore any hamster from a pet shop must not be bread from as it does not come from healthy lines and you cannot ever prove a hamster does come from healthy lines without it's pedigree. Even with a pedigree however it does not necessarily mean the hamster is healthy. This is where things start to confuse most people!

There is also the matter of genetics, every coat colour and every pattern has a different genetic code and by breeding hamster you mix and combine the codes of both hamsters creating the codes that the offspring have. In a simplistic way it is almost like baking a cake, you mix the ingredients together and some combinations will turn out great whereas others will turn out disastrous! Breeding some hamsters together can/will result in offspring with severe health problems, the most common being two hamsters carrying the 'white belly gene' being bred together which produces eyeless white pups that have shortened life spans and this is only the bottom of the list of things that could go wrong!

Basically, no one here is discouraging you from breeding all together but like mentioned to breed a hamster that does not have a healthy genetic background just because you like the look of it could end up ruining the lives of the unborn pups and even yours! It is possible for a Syrian to have litters of 12 hamsters which would mean you need 12 very big cages for each of them and to find suitable homes for them when they are old enough, sometimes its so hard to find them homes that you may end up having to keep all of them! Vet, food and accessory bills could go through the room especially if you are young. Its fine to breed hamsters but you just need to do what is best for the pups so if its somethigng you would really like to do one day talk to some breeders, maybe attend some shows, learn about genetic (here is a basic course Syrian Hamster Genetics) and leanr absolutely everything you can. It will make the whole experience much much more enjoyable and safer for the hamsters involved

[suga]

minkeymagicmouse - welcome to the forum .

Breeding hamsters is a big committment and there is much to learn before considering whether you want to proceed or not. There are lots of threads on the forum (especially in the breeding boards) and some information on the wiki as well. You could also try and get hold of a book titled Hamsterlopedia as this has a lot guidance in it.

To ensure should you give any potential babies the best chance you should start to read up about genes and maybe get a long to some of the hamster shows to speak to some breeders about their experience. Asking lots of questions and taking it step by step is the best way to learn.

It would be best to obtain male and female hamsters where the genetics and backgrounds are known and again this is something you could start to learn about through the forum and through some of the shows.

I often think about how amazing it would be to have baby hamsters growing up but the thought of having to potentially house a large litter (if babies were unable to be homed) and the cost that would result in puts me off. If after researching you decided you wanted to proceed you would need to factor in the cost of vets, cages, bedding, food etc as you could have many hamsters to look after for some considerable times.

Good luck.

[minkymagicmouse]

i always only ever wanted to do it once because it seems every one has seen tiny hamsters bar me, ive never got to see the first lives for real, and id never do it more than one time and only if i new exactly what i was doing first, and what IS A MUST and what is a strict NO NO, but i always wanted my own little hamsters that were all mine, and that i hadnt had to wait for so many weeks for it to be safe for them to leave there mum,

i didnt realise it was bad to do so, like any other animal breading seems to be these days, iv just wanted my very own babies or some one who does it for properly to show me what happens, i dont really want to sell them unless i get like 15+ but i dowt that happens, oooh

i really shouldnt have asked,

[Lougarry]

I don't think anyone's angry or annoyed, hun, just anxious for the sake of any hamsters you do breed, and for you, that you have researched thoroughly and are prepared for complications. It is heartbreaking when things go wrong x

[suga]

Originally Posted by minkymagicmouse

i really shouldnt have asked,

You should ask because you want to know about it. How else are you going to get the answers you need to enable you to decide whether you want to go ahead.

[minkymagicmouse]

to suga yea thats why i asked but i feel ive really upset people, and it wouldnt be any thing id do for at least 2 or 3 years any way as i havent got the room to keep a tun of hamsters, yet i could probably take one more but thats it, minky keeps me on my toes id just love him to pass on his colourings and cuteness i know it ent gunna happen but i just love him so much i feel its sad once hes gone rainbow bridge thats that, il only see him in pictures, lol yes im stupid very stupid, and probably pathetic, but ooh never mind lol i wont ever bread a hamster ever or even think about it again,

its obviously an idea i should get out my head quicker than it came in.