How Many Offspring Do Hamsters Have in a Lifetime?
Hamsters are promiscuous little critters capable of producing quite a few offspring in a lifetime. With their increased popularity as pets, it is important to verify separation of the sexes unless you plan to start a breeding program.
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Ready at an early age
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Hamsters are sexually active at six weeks of age and females can conceive up to approximately 15 months of age. They are "on heat" or able to breed about every four days.
Bring the girl to the boy
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Hamsters not normally living together should not visit each other's home. Female hamsters are extraordinarily territorial and capable of killing a new male if he is placed in her living area. Either bring the female to his pad or put them both in neutral territory for breeding purposes such as a cage neither has occupied previously.
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Gestation
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The length of gestation varies among the breeds of hamsters. The earliest is the Syrian giving birth at 16 days and the longest is the Dwarf that can take 30 days.
Litter Size
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Hamster pups are born with their eyes shut. An average hamster litter is four to seven pups. In 1974, a Golden in Louisiana gave birth to 26 pups but killed 18 of them before the owners could intervene, according to the 1997 Guinness Book of World Records.
Give Mom a Break
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Veterinarians recommend giving a female hamster a month to recover between weaning her pups and conceiving again. Weaning usually occurs at 20 days postpartum.
Do The Math
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Based on the above, female hamsters have about 13 months of fertility. With one month being dedicated to pregnancy, another to raising the young and another for resting, that means a litter could be produced every three months resulting in four litters per female. With four to seven pups per littler, that means the average female could produce 16 to 28 pups in a lifetime.
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- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Jannes Pockele Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of cdrussorusso Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Jackie
