Important Reminders When Breeding Dwarf Hamsters

May 16th, 2010 admin 0 Comments

When breeding, breeders should prepare a separate cage for the breeding and protective gloves for their protection. The male and female dwarf hamster should belong to the same subspecies, they should be healthy and they should not belong to the same litter. In addition they should be sociable, have no history of breeding problems and sexually mature. Sexual maturity depends on the subspecies. For the Siberian, Chinese and Campbells, they can start breeding when they are 2-3 months old as opposed to the Roborovski which can breed between 4 to 18 months of age.

The first process involves introducing the male and female hamster to each other. They should be introduced in a neutral territory; hence the separate cage however fighting might still occur so the breeder should wear protective gloves for their protection when breaking up the fight. Sometimes it is also possible to put the male in the female’s cage but never the other way around because females tend to be territorial which might lead to fights. If they are compatible, they can be left alone to socialize and to know each other. If they fight, separate them then try again later. To make the getting-to-know process easier, breeders can swap the hamsters before introducing them so that they can pick up each others scent. Dwarf hamsters are most active in the evening, so the best time to introduce them is during this time.

Female dwarf hamsters are in season every four days so there are many opportunities for breeding. They give birth normally after 18 to 30 days after the mating. The average gestation period is 21 days for the Siberian, Chinese and Campbell dwarf hamsters but it will take 30 days for the Roborovski dwarf hamster to deliver its litter. A litter can consist of one to 20 pups. Always remember that dwarf hamsters can start breeding again 24 hours after the birth so it would be best to separate them.