Is my male Winter White Pearl sterile?

[londonhamsters.co.uk]

Merengue, my male Winter White hamster, Pearl normal coloration, has been quite unsuscesful on leaving any of muy females pregnants.

I read that Pearl males are often sterile, but I though it wouldn't be the case with him, because on his pedigree says that both father and great-father were also normal Pearls (and by extension, non-sterile)

Other male Agouti hamster that I own, of aproximately the same age, has already caused two pregnancies.

Is it posible that he is sterile? Can sterility of Pearls skip generations?

I'm counting on him to produce the only variety of hamster I don't yet have, a Sapphire Pearl. If that's not possible for him, I'll have to keep him as pet and get another one, but it would be a pity because he is friendly and beatiful and I would like to get pups from him

Kind Regards

[Mona's Humans]

Whilst I don't expect breeders should know everything... I think if you are breeding WW's you probably should already know the info you are asking for.... I'm sorry but I also think that given you don't know, a break from breeding to do more research would be advisable....

[souffle]

Historically male pearls were found to become sterile at about 10 weeks so they were always bred very young however in more recently times they have gradually been bred to keep fertility much later and to a normal age when can be lifelong!
In any species there will always be the chance of infertility. It probably isn't a matter of just because he is pearl but could just be that you have been unlucky. Some pairs will produce at a much later age as well so there is still the chance that he will breed with the 'right' female for him.
They can be quite fickle and some pairs just don't get on or even live together in harmony but never produce then when the female is about 14months suddenly there are babies!
If you are aiming for sapphire pearls you could always ask the person you got your female from if she has a compatible, proven stud male you could try with the female?

Please stay on topic members and do not bring members sites etc into discussions as they are irrelevant. This member is asking a question as any member is entitled to do.

[londonhamsters.co.uk]

Thanks for the answer The breeder I got Merengue from thinks the same, but it is always nice to get the opinion of different people.

Kind Regards.

[radiocricket]

I was told that the males in WW line that I imported from the UK go sterile if they're not bred for awhile and from what I've observed over the last two years working with them, it is true. It's truly a case of "if they don't use it, they lose it"! Now I pair fairly young males with females. It's not a scenario I like as I'd rather have the males develop for a bit longer so I can more accurately assess them but better that than to have males that can't reproduce.

I did not have this problem with the US WW line so it's not a general trait seen throughout the species, just this one particular line. Since it's a UK show line, it's possible that your animals go back to this line.

-Janice