Does mating lower show quality of a female?

[Mollz]

As some of you know we are planning on mating Amelie (our LH REC satin) to a stud male from Tristar later this year. We obviously have been talking to Jean/David a lot.

In a recent email where David listed a very long list of boys for us to choose from he said that we might want to wait until June/July, and show her lots in between, rather than the middle of May (when she would be 4 and 1/2 months old) like we had originally planned. Now she is a big girl (was around 154g at 9 weeks old - I will weigh her again soon) and did well in her first show. When I asked them for advice they told me that they mostly mate at 16 weeks old so I don't think it is anything to do with size/weight.

This made me think - does having babies decrease how well they do in shows? I just can't come up with any other reason why he would suggest it. I do understand that condition/weight may decrease for a while after mating, but does it permanantly effect it?

I still plan to go ahead with the mating (in whichever month we/Tristar think is best), but was just curious! So everyone's opinions are welcome

[Matty Day]

well ive heard the oposite it increses the quality. i might be best to wait a bit just i case thougth

i dont know what it is with tristar but there older females are always on the sales table dont know why ?

[Bunsey]

i've been told that it definately does. can't remember who said that.

it does for winter whites anyway, i think LMDH told me about WW females loosing show quality once they're bred from.

[souffle]

In our experience females show a lot better after a litter. They bulk out and they really seem to bloom after the babies have been weaned. Maybe he wants her to get a few shows in first for you? I would say you should decide when it most suits you Mollz. Pophammy likes to have babies at the handling stage when she is on a long holiday spell so she can spend lots of time with them without having to worry about studying etc so that would suit you in the summer.

[Mollz]

Originally Posted by Matty Day

I dont know what it is with tristar but there older females are always on the sales table dont know why ?

It's because they run on a fair few hamsters from each litter, but don't always decide to keep them all, so sell them to nice pet homes at shows. I asked them

[Mollz]

Originally Posted by souffle

In our experience females show a lot better after a litter. They bulk out and they really seem to bloom after the babies have been weaned. Maybe he wants her to get a few shows in first for you? I would say you should decide when it most suits you Mollz. Pophammy likes to have babies at the handling stage when she is on a long holiday spell so she can spend lots of time with them without having to worry about studying etc so that would suit you in the summer.

I had thought that it was the case that they showed better - I wonder why?

I had thought about trying to aim for them being at 2 weeks around a holiday, maybe I'll have a rethink and try to sort it out around the summer hols?

[Spuds Mum]

Our girls who we have bred do tend to lose condition a little immediately after the hard work of raising a litter, however they do seem to actually bulk up better after. We certainly feel that our BB has really done that since having her litter, so I would agree with Souffle really.

[Matty Day]

[quote="Mollz
I had thought that it was the case that they showed better - I wonder why?

I had thought about trying to aim for them being at 2 weeks around a holiday, maybe I'll have a rethink and try to sort it out around the summer hols?[/quote]


i did that it makes life easeir as you can keep an eye on them without having going to college far easeir

im doing my first syrian litter in the xmas hols for that reson thats why i need to get my female in september

[Matty Day]

[quote="Mollz
It's because they run on a fair few hamsters from each litter, but don't always decide to keep them all, so sell them to nice pet homes at shows. I asked them [/quote]

its strange that they have all had litters thougth

its jsut a pratice i do not agree with ethically

[Bunsey]

it's most likely a question of space. when a female's had a few litters, she's no longer useful so they are sold as pets to make room for more. there's no way a big breeder could keep all their hams to old age. i couldn't be like that personally. i'd keep all mine.