I've been tidying my hamstery filing system and looking at my records from the last few years. 2016 was my busiest breeding year since Vectis started with 10 litters born here. I'm aware some people view breeding as a good way of making money, or at least breaking even, so I thought it would be interesting to share some of the finances of my breeding. Most of the expenses in 2016 were food and vet costs:
Screen Shot 2017-07-07 at 09.41.34 by
Vectis Hamstery, on Flickr
Outgoings
Accessories, Food and Substrate
As well as my young keepers and my show team, I have a larger number of retired and older hamsters, as well as any who aren't able to be rehomed due to health or temperament (and a rescue or two because I'm a softie!) All hamsters who live here whether they are young, old, showable or not need cages (most live alone), toys, water bottles etc.
I didn’t need to buy any cages or carriers in 2016, but I did need some new water bottles as some cheeky hamsters had chewed theirs and some new toys. It was my 8th year of showing and breeding so I’d already got a lot of reusable hamster kit that I’ve bought over the years such as cages, carriers, show pens, toys, water bottles. In other years I spent more on these items, particularly in 2012 when I converted the spare room into a hamster room and made lots of new bin cages as well as shelves and storage. Caging and accessories account for more of the outgoings in the earlier years of starting breeding.
I haven't kept records of all the toys and food I picked up when wandering round pet shops and from the health food shop, but I did several large food orders online. I also bought several 15kg sacks of food from a pet shop near my family while visiting them as it's the best price I've found. My friend and I clubbed together to buy a giant pallet of substrate bales and got a good deal on it. If I'd been buying the substrate a couple of bales at a time it would have cost 2-3 times as much!
Hamsters - Buying
I don't tend to pay a lot for new hamsters as I get them in promise for a pup back later, in exchange for a pup I've given them in the past, or because I own dad. This means that I do end up rehoming quite a few pups from my litters for no financial gain but instead for the valuable advice, goodwill and genetic diversity from other UK breeders (which is priceless). I did buy one hamster from the sales table last year. For 2017 the amount spent on hamsters is much more already due to importing a lot from Houten, and I’ve needed extra carriers and cages for the large number of newbies.
Vet
Three hamsters needed surgery last year (one leg amputation, one spay and an abscess drainage) and there were a couple of other vet trips too (euthanasia and stroke treatment). I’m lucky that I often get a discount at the vets, though I do sometimes get a call from the vet for hamster advice! The Animal Welfare Act requires you to seek vet advice for unwell hamsters so that must be factored in to your financial calculations in starting to breed. The threads about the hamsters who needed surgery can be found
here and
here.
Income
Hamsters - Selling
Last year I had 46 hamster pups reach rehoming age:
14 of them stayed with me to continue my showing and breeding
14 went to other exhibitor/breeders and to friends for no money in return.
18 pups were sold (2 on sales table and 16 privately) along with one adult female who is the first girl I've ever managed to let go after a litter
Hamsters that I rehome privately not via a hamster show sales table take an extra several hours time per hamster in emails and messages back and forth, in making up the rehoming pack, and in the actual collection. I do like that several new owners keep in touch, and even come back for another hamster later on
Hamster Jobs
I have roles in two hamster clubs (MHC committee member and SHC treasurer), do several shows as show secretary and dwarf judge, as well as being NHC secretary. I also do hamster displays both for the clubs and with a friend. These are voluntary roles, although I do get a free lunch and cups of tea when I'm judging or show sec
Summary
Over 2016 I made a financial ‘loss’ of £345. For me, my hamstery is a hobby and something I like to spend my money on – like other people would pay to go to the cinema, compete in dog agility, buy expensive bikes for cycling, or have subscriptions to magazines or online games. It is not a viable business (as my accountant pointed out after his initial interest as to whether my ‘profits’ should be included on my tax return. And no the ‘losses’ can’t be claimed back against the tax I pay on my real work as it’s not a viable business). I enjoy spending time, effort and money on my wee furries. I hope to improve the species I keep for future hamster keepers, exhibitors and breeders.
If you’re looking to breed hamsters, please don’t let making money be part of your decision making. Breeding hamsters in a home setting costs money and takes a lot of time.
It has it’s difficult decisions and heartaches; even with everything possible done, not all mamma-hams survive pregnancy and pup rearing. Last year a girl I had on loan for pairing with one of my Syrian males died while pregnant, and believe me that wasn't an easy message to write to her owner.
It does also have its rewards in seeing happy hamsters (and duprasi) in new homes and ‘my babies’ doing well at shows, but if you breed you have to be prepared for the bad times as well as the good ones - and have funds for the unexpected, be that vet bills, cages for hamsters who haven't found new homes, or equipment that has been chewed beyond repair.