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Almi · 11-08-2011, 12:46 PM

Well, I do want to say that there is certainly not "one right way" to do things, but I do agree that breeding pet store hamsters is not desirable. However, I would like to get started immediately, because I do love breeding hamsters, and I don't want to give up this opportunity. I do still plan to eventually find someone that will ship to me, but in the meantime I am doing what I can. It may not seem right to you, but it is what I am going to do, however annoying and painful that is to hear.

I honestly believe the reason we have very few GOOD breeders anywhere is because all of the hamster enthusiasts and breeders convince the general population that breeding hamsters is not something that should be done by anyone except experts, and only in one specific way - and that they are certainly not capable of becoming an expert in the field and no one trusts them to breed "correctly." Not to mention it seems to me a lot of breeders just won't release their precious hamsters (for instance, just because I plan to breed and sell the babies to a pet store owned by people I trust to find them good homes) that easily, especially because a lot of them won't ship. If no one will ship to me, then how else am I supposed to obtain breeding stock? If anything, breeders should be encouraging people to continue good lines by shipping and offering them lots of information so they can start breeding too (which btw, I appreciate the information you have provided to me, Janice, though I'm not sure if you're truly trying to help me or just deter me). If it doesn't work out for the person, it doesn't work out. It's really not the end of the world.

I have bred plenty of litters, but was definitely not breeding on a large scale. By "here and there" I mean I never had more than one or two litters at once and sometimes I didn't even have any babies available. And on that note, YES, due to my location in North Dakota, the population is low, and most of the people that are here just don't care to get a hamster from a breeder. Sure, I have met people in Minnesota, but those were few and far between. It just wasn't worth it to keep breeding, and impossible unless I wanted to rehome the hamsters on Craigslist and/or keep all of the litters.

Also, if people don't know you are there, they won't find you! You have to have some way to advertise. If people are aware that there is a good breeder around that they can get a hamster from and it is put in front of them and easily accessible, they might actually make that decision. The truth is, though, people don't care to go out of their way to find a breeder - very few people found my website and contacted me. The reason I did stop breeding in the end was because I WAS sick of breeding pet store hamsters, and also, once I had a litter for so long that the pet store wouldn't take, I just stopped breeding and stopped calling them. So yes, I am very aware of that happening. This time, I believe I would be their sole provider, I especially believe this because I went into their store a week ago, and they had zero hamsters...a bit daunting to me to think that they are counting on me to fill those habitats.

Anyway, I must say I am an intelligent human being capable of reason, and I am not new to this at all. Lol. The only thing that is new to me is trying to meet a quota of animals every month. I'm definitely not interested in cutting corners to meet this, so I will try my best. Worst case scenario, the store decides they no longer wish to purchase hamsters from me. Again, not the end of the world. At least I tried and the experience was enjoyable.

I am pretty sure it is possible to be a hobby breeder and sell to a pet store, but I will definitely take into consideration what you have said, Janice.

At this point I am still looking for a breeder that will ship to me, preferrably next spring when it is warmer, or even summer, since I am expecting a baby next May. Other than that, I am well aware of how everyone feels about hamster breeding when it is not done in the exact way they think it should be done, because I have jumped on the bandwagon and preached the very same in the past.

One more thing. People are talking about "my hamster had this health problem, and I believe it is because they came from a pet store" stories. While it may be true that pet store hamsters are not as hardy as hamsters bred by a breeder, and true that some might be genetically predisposed to certain health problems later in life, generally it is partially luck and partially diet and other environmental factors that contribute to what happens to the hamster as far as health problems. Not to mention that a hamster that comes from a pet store does not automatically develop health problems. Some do, some don't. It can also be safe to say that perhaps the reason breeders never see much illness among their stock is because they take EXCELLENT care of their animals and feed them good quality food, particularly early in life. It's kind of like how human babies that are breastfed tend to have higher IQ's and less health problems (in the beginning as well as later in life) than babies that are formula fed. Things like that can make all the difference.

I have had plenty of hamsters that came from pet stores be extremely healthy and hardy (though still not necessarily a good excuse to breed them, just making a point)...and my favorite story to tell is about my three hybrid boys. Their mother was a random, nasty little normal Campbell's that was found in the PetSmart store manager's garage (I happen to know him, as I used to work there), and their father was a good-natured hybrid the color of a pearl winter white. Well, they happened to have an accidental litter together and produced two normal hybrids and one pearl hybrid, all boys. I kept all three instead of rehoming them, as I didn't want them being bred, and they were actually the first litter of dwarfs I have ever had, and I loved them. They all lived to be 2.5 years old with zero health problems, and in fact were so sweet (to both humans and their cagemates) that they never needed to be separated. Once they reached the 2.5 year mark, the two normals died of old age, leaving me with the pearl. He was still in extremely good health when he was killed by a rat that had escaped. No doubt that hamster would have lived to be 3...

Anyway, just my two cents.

11-08-2011, 12:46 PM
Almi Hamster Pup Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: United States Posts: 120	Re: Looking for breeders in the U.S. Well, I do want to say that there is certainly not "one right way" to do things, but I do agree that breeding pet store hamsters is not desirable. However, I would like to get started immediately, because I do love breeding hamsters, and I don't want to give up this opportunity. I do still plan to eventually find someone that will ship to me, but in the meantime I am doing what I can. It may not seem right to you, but it is what I am going to do, however annoying and painful that is to hear. I honestly believe the reason we have very few GOOD breeders anywhere is because all of the hamster enthusiasts and breeders convince the general population that breeding hamsters is not something that should be done by anyone except experts, and only in one specific way - and that they are certainly not capable of becoming an expert in the field and no one trusts them to breed "correctly." Not to mention it seems to me a lot of breeders just won't release their precious hamsters (for instance, just because I plan to breed and sell the babies to a pet store owned by people I trust to find them good homes) that easily, especially because a lot of them won't ship. If no one will ship to me, then how else am I supposed to obtain breeding stock? If anything, breeders should be encouraging people to continue good lines by shipping and offering them lots of information so they can start breeding too (which btw, I appreciate the information you have provided to me, Janice, though I'm not sure if you're truly trying to help me or just deter me). If it doesn't work out for the person, it doesn't work out. It's really not the end of the world. I have bred plenty of litters, but was definitely not breeding on a large scale. By "here and there" I mean I never had more than one or two litters at once and sometimes I didn't even have any babies available. And on that note, YES, due to my location in North Dakota, the population is low, and most of the people that are here just don't care to get a hamster from a breeder. Sure, I have met people in Minnesota, but those were few and far between. It just wasn't worth it to keep breeding, and impossible unless I wanted to rehome the hamsters on Craigslist and/or keep all of the litters. Also, if people don't know you are there, they won't find you! You have to have some way to advertise. If people are aware that there is a good breeder around that they can get a hamster from and it is put in front of them and easily accessible, they might actually make that decision. The truth is, though, people don't care to go out of their way to find a breeder - very few people found my website and contacted me. The reason I did stop breeding in the end was because I WAS sick of breeding pet store hamsters, and also, once I had a litter for so long that the pet store wouldn't take, I just stopped breeding and stopped calling them. So yes, I am very aware of that happening. This time, I believe I would be their sole provider, I especially believe this because I went into their store a week ago, and they had zero hamsters...a bit daunting to me to think that they are counting on me to fill those habitats. Anyway, I must say I am an intelligent human being capable of reason, and I am not new to this at all. Lol. The only thing that is new to me is trying to meet a quota of animals every month. I'm definitely not interested in cutting corners to meet this, so I will try my best. Worst case scenario, the store decides they no longer wish to purchase hamsters from me. Again, not the end of the world. At least I tried and the experience was enjoyable. I am pretty sure it is possible to be a hobby breeder and sell to a pet store, but I will definitely take into consideration what you have said, Janice. At this point I am still looking for a breeder that will ship to me, preferrably next spring when it is warmer, or even summer, since I am expecting a baby next May. Other than that, I am well aware of how everyone feels about hamster breeding when it is not done in the exact way they think it should be done, because I have jumped on the bandwagon and preached the very same in the past. One more thing. People are talking about "my hamster had this health problem, and I believe it is because they came from a pet store" stories. While it may be true that pet store hamsters are not as hardy as hamsters bred by a breeder, and true that some might be genetically predisposed to certain health problems later in life, generally it is partially luck and partially diet and other environmental factors that contribute to what happens to the hamster as far as health problems. Not to mention that a hamster that comes from a pet store does not automatically develop health problems. Some do, some don't. It can also be safe to say that perhaps the reason breeders never see much illness among their stock is because they take EXCELLENT care of their animals and feed them good quality food, particularly early in life. It's kind of like how human babies that are breastfed tend to have higher IQ's and less health problems (in the beginning as well as later in life) than babies that are formula fed. Things like that can make all the difference. I have had plenty of hamsters that came from pet stores be extremely healthy and hardy (though still not necessarily a good excuse to breed them, just making a point)...and my favorite story to tell is about my three hybrid boys. Their mother was a random, nasty little normal Campbell's that was found in the PetSmart store manager's garage (I happen to know him, as I used to work there), and their father was a good-natured hybrid the color of a pearl winter white. Well, they happened to have an accidental litter together and produced two normal hybrids and one pearl hybrid, all boys. I kept all three instead of rehoming them, as I didn't want them being bred, and they were actually the first litter of dwarfs I have ever had, and I loved them. They all lived to be 2.5 years old with zero health problems, and in fact were so sweet (to both humans and their cagemates) that they never needed to be separated. Once they reached the 2.5 year mark, the two normals died of old age, leaving me with the pearl. He was still in extremely good health when he was killed by a rat that had escaped. No doubt that hamster would have lived to be 3... Anyway, just my two cents.