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SnuggleHam · 07-08-2005, 04:34 AM

Depending on how much room you have may be the best way to decide what species is right for you.

On one hand dwarf hamsters are communal and they can live together in same sexed cages. However there are cases where certian dwarfs need to be housed seperatly becasue they simply will not get along with anyone esle. In that case you either need a new cage or to find it a new home.

Dwarf hamasters..

~Usually reach sexual maturity at around 4-5 weeks of age. Gestation is 18-22 days. The litter size ranges around 8 and weaning of the young occurs in 21 days.

Syrian Hamster...

~Usually reach sexual maturity at around 3-6 weeks of age. However it is not recommended to breed a female younger then 4-6 months of age. Breeding to young can result in poor litter size and cannibalism of the young. Decided to breed the female for the first after the age of six months can result in complications in the birthing process.

Gestation is 15-18 days. The litter size ranges from 4-12 and weaning of the young occurs in 21 days.

Once sexually maturity is reached female hamsters will start to come into “season” or “heat” this is called Estrous. Hamsters come into estrous ever four days. Estrous usually lasts 10-12 hours.

At this time the female should be placed in the males cage. If mating does not occur in 5 to 10 minutes or there is aggression take the female out of the cage. You may continue this for four days each night during the females estrous.

You should never just place a female and male syrian hamster together without supervision. And since the pups reach sexual maturity around 3-6 weeks you will need to seperate them into same sexed cages, but I wouldnt keep them all together longer then a months age, Once they reach that age they will probably start fighting. Syrians are solitary creatures.

So you will need to consider these things..

~Do I have the funds and space to buy separate hamster cages for the young and feed them?

~How will you find homes for the babies once they are old enough to leave?

~What happens if I cant find homes for the young?

~Am I contributing to the general well being and strain of the hamsters by breeding?

~Can I afford a vet if I need one and can I get there?

Dont breed hamsters that will just end up in a shelter someplace becasue you cant find homes. Its best to find homes before you even breed them.

There is information on the Hamster Central Website

http://www.hamstercentral.com/breedinghamsters.htm

You can also read up on the different hamster species on the website which has more specific information.

You can also google search, we could use more articles on that, but hopfully we will get some with the current contest.

07-08-2005, 04:34 AM
SnuggleHam Former Admin Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Connecticut USA Posts: 2,590	Depending on how much room you have may be the best way to decide what species is right for you. On one hand dwarf hamsters are communal and they can live together in same sexed cages. However there are cases where certian dwarfs need to be housed seperatly becasue they simply will not get along with anyone esle. In that case you either need a new cage or to find it a new home. Dwarf hamasters.. ~Usually reach sexual maturity at around 4-5 weeks of age. Gestation is 18-22 days. The litter size ranges around 8 and weaning of the young occurs in 21 days. Syrian Hamster... ~Usually reach sexual maturity at around 3-6 weeks of age. However it is not recommended to breed a female younger then 4-6 months of age. Breeding to young can result in poor litter size and cannibalism of the young. Decided to breed the female for the first after the age of six months can result in complications in the birthing process. Gestation is 15-18 days. The litter size ranges from 4-12 and weaning of the young occurs in 21 days. Once sexually maturity is reached female hamsters will start to come into “season” or “heat” this is called Estrous. Hamsters come into estrous ever four days. Estrous usually lasts 10-12 hours. At this time the female should be placed in the males cage. If mating does not occur in 5 to 10 minutes or there is aggression take the female out of the cage. You may continue this for four days each night during the females estrous. You should never just place a female and male syrian hamster together without supervision. And since the pups reach sexual maturity around 3-6 weeks you will need to seperate them into same sexed cages, but I wouldnt keep them all together longer then a months age, Once they reach that age they will probably start fighting. Syrians are solitary creatures. So you will need to consider these things.. ~Do I have the funds and space to buy separate hamster cages for the young and feed them? ~How will you find homes for the babies once they are old enough to leave? ~What happens if I cant find homes for the young? ~Am I contributing to the general well being and strain of the hamsters by breeding? ~Can I afford a vet if I need one and can I get there? Dont breed hamsters that will just end up in a shelter someplace becasue you cant find homes. Its best to find homes before you even breed them. There is information on the Hamster Central Website http://www.hamstercentral.com/breedinghamsters.htm You can also read up on the different hamster species on the website which has more specific information. You can also google search, we could use more articles on that, but hopfully we will get some with the current contest.