How to Raise Hamsters

Choosing to breed hamsters is not a decision someone should make lightly. It takes a lot of work and can have tragic results if not done correctly. This article will assume you know the basics about hamster care. If you are unfamiliar with the basics of hamster care, then you are not ready to consider breeding them.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Two adult hamsters: 1 male, 1 female
• Several people who want pet hamsters
• Four hamster cages
• Boiled egg
• Wheat germ
• Powdered milk
• Cooked vegetables
• Fresh non-citrus fruit

Getting Ready

1. Before purchasing anything, see if you can find homes for your future baby hamsters. Hamsters can have anywhere from 1 to 13 young in a litter. The hamsters will be ready to go at approximately three to four months.
2. Prepare three cages for your hamsters. Two cages will need to be fully equipped with everything necessary for hamster care. The third will only need pine shavings (for now). You will not need the fourth cage until after the babies are born.
3. Find and select two hamsters you wish to breed. If purchasing from a pet store, make sure that the two hamsters are not related. Even if you purchase them from separate places, the two stores could be purchasing from the same breeder. Take care when choosing. You want healthy hamsters that will produce quality babies. The hamsters should be about six months old.
4. Allow the hamsters to settle in for at least 30 days. During this time, get them used to you. Handle them as often as you can. The male and female should be kept in separate cages until it is time to breed them.

Breeding the Hamsters

5. Once the hamsters are settled in (30 days), you can start introducing them to each other. Start by placing the hamsters one at a time in the third cage.
6. If they begin fighting, immediately separate them. Otherwise leave them together about five minutes.
7. Gradually increase the amount of time (in five minute increments) that the hamsters are together each day. You must watch your hamsters to ensure they do not fight and watch for any signs of breeding. Do not keep the hamsters together for longer than an hour.
8. Once the hamsters have mated, separate them. Wait four days and introduce them again (if they mated on Monday, you would introduce them on Thursday). If they mate, the first breeding did not take. If they do not mate or if the female is hostile toward the male, then she is most likely pregnant. If not, repeat the process.

Pregnancy and Birth

9. Calculate when the babies will be born by adding 15 days from the day they were bred. Hamsters have a gestation period of 15 to 18 days.
10. Female hamsters need extra nutrients during pregnancy. Adding tofu, wheat germ or boiled egg is a good idea. You can also add banana, apple, nuts, rice, bean sprouts and pasta. Do not feed citrus fruits or leafy green vegetables to your hamster.
11. On day 14, clean out the female's cage and remove her wheel. Make sure to add extra nesting material to her cage.
12. Dwarf hamsters shortly after birth The babies will be born somewhere between day 15 up until day 18. Keep the cage in a warm, quiet area. You may not know that she has given birth until you see her looking much thinner.

Caring and Weaning Babies

13. Do not disturb the mother for any reason once the babies are born. Nervous mothers have been known to panic and eat their babies. Resist the urge to disturb the nest and look at the babies.
14. Although the cage will smell, do not clean the cage for at least three weeks after the babies are born.
15. Provide hamsters with a varied diet The babies will emerge from the nest when they are about 9 to 11 days old. At this time, start offering soft foods into the nest: hard-boiled eggs, banana, cooked vegetables and wheat germ are very good choices.
16. Make sure the water bottle is low enough that the babies will be able to reach it.
17. When the hamsters are 3-1/2 weeks old, they are ready to be sexed and weaned. After setting up two new cages, separate the males from the females. Then, leave the mother alone in her cage.
18. The hamsters can be kept in these social groupings for two to three weeks, at which point, they will be five to six weeks old and ready to go to their new homes.
19. Wait at least three months before breeding your female hamster again.

Tips & Warnings

• Hamsters will not usually breed in the winter.