For those who show their hams - need opinions!

furrypolka · 04-11-2009, 08:21 AM

Just looking for some opinions really from people who may be used to showing and choosing pups from litters for this purpose.

I have a five week old litter at the moment, all long haired black eyed creams with some satins. We are keeping the largest satin girl, but also planning to keep one normal coated girl for showing as they have come out nicest of the bunch. Trouble is, I am having problems being decisive about who to keep and am convinced that I will choose the wrong one, as I have only shown my hamsters twice and never ones that I have bred (parents of the litter, bred by Tristar and Towy Vale respectively).

I am leaning towards the chunkier of the two girls, I think she has better type but she is whiter underneath than the slightly smaller one and has generally slightly paler ear colour etc. though I am sure this will deepen with age anyway.

Can anyone cast a look at these photos and tell me what they think?!!

Thanks

1st girl

2nd girl

ellisyellis · 04-11-2009, 09:05 AM

i like the darker colour of number one. number two looks a bit more faded compaired to the other. although im just picking the one i like and am not an expert!!!!! good luck deciding!

souffle · 04-11-2009, 12:12 PM

I think No1 has the better head and type myself. Her face has the nicer shape and like all creams she will deepen with age and get increased pigment on the ears. They are both lovely though. Cream is a hard colour as you have so much competition with it being such a popular colour. Howver there can only be one first and no reason why it should not be your little cutie! You always take the best hamster home anyway

**pophammy** · 04-11-2009, 01:53 PM

Yep, I like No 1 too. Looks like she has a better shaped head and a nicer colour than no2, though it's really close!

furrypolka · 04-11-2009, 03:11 PM

Yes, I was thinking No 1 too, so glad that you agree. It was a very hard choice though and both are absolutely wonderful hamsters, very very tame and friendly and interested in the world. I feel very proud that I am effectively responsible for these wonderful little creatures

The person due to pick up the girl we didn't choose has actually pulled out now as he has bought a hamster at Thame show, so I am half tempted to keep both even though my husband does not agree...

I have found that cream is a very, very competitive class, it does have the advantage of the hamsters deepening as they age which is good for a small hamstery like ours as it extends their showing "shelf life", though I have been tempted to bring in a sable to extend the colours a little to perhaps give us half a chance against the experts!

furrypolka · 04-13-2009, 08:13 AM

I was helped in my decision today by a change of plan from the person who had reserved our normal coated boy weeks ago (when we thought he was fairly weak in colour and might not come to much). She changed her mind when she got here and fell in love with our second girl. I made the decision to allow the second girl to go, as I had pretty much made my mind up that Number 1 was the keeper. So that's that decision made. I now have another. The boy has come on well since I decided not to keep him and I had been having some regrets about agreeing to sell him. However we don't really have a lot of space to keep on another unless we really think it's worth showing him, I doubt we will be breeding from him as we don't have a suitable unrelated girl - we will be getting in a boy from Tristar for the two girls we are keeping but did not plan to keep back a boy. One of the reasons for this is that Dad has quite a weak skirt and has lost points on this, and we wondered if genetically it was likely that this would pass to the offspring. At 5 weeks, the boy does not have a noticeable skirt but his fur is generally nice and plush. He is a great size - 130g at just turned 5 weeks old - and has a nice type but at present is paler than his sisters, obviously this will deepen anyhow as he gets older.

So, my main question is, we have this boy now without a home lined up, is it worth keeping him to show?!! Opinions again would be fab - thanks for your time and apologies for asking but I am rather new to showing!

souffle · 04-13-2009, 02:29 PM

If you have another male coming and not much space it may be better to save it for one of the next generation as it will not be long till you breed his sister. Though he is an attractive boy I do not think he has as nice a head as the female. To compete in LH cream (a big class) he needs to have a good skirt. Maybe you could run him on a bit then ask a few people at a show their opinions. It is hard to judge at this age and from piccies as they are different in the fur so to speak

. We have pet homed several hamsters and then saw them a few months later and thought Arrrrg big mistake! But at the end of the day we would rather they had wonderful and loving pet homes really to be honest.