After years of happy hamster ownership, some pet lovers decide to make the move into breeding.
This can be a highly enjoyable and rewarding experience, but there are a few things you should take into consideration before deciding to breed your Syrian hamsters: 1.
Age Although female hamsters can breed from a very young age (as little as 3 weeks), this is inadvisable, as it can lead to birth complication, and can also stunt the growth of the female.
It is best to wait until the female is between 4 and 6 months of age; this is her optimum time for conceiving her first litter.
Males can breed from as young as 5 weeks, although the size difference between them and a fully grown female can lead to difficulties! It is usually advisable to wait until the male is 2 to 3 months old before using him for breeding.
2.
Recovery Female Syrians can be used to breed more than one litter, but it is important to give her time to recover in between pregnancies.
A good general recommendation is to allow 3 to 4 months between litters, so that she can fully regain strength.
The strain of giving birth can significantly weaken the female, which is why it is so important to give her sufficient time to recover.
If you don't allow her this, it can lead to a small or weak litter.
3.
Sterility Female Syrian hamsters generally become sterile at around 12 to 14 months of age.
In addition, they tend to take longer to recover from a second litter than they did to recover from their first.
For these reasons, it is usually a bad idea to expect a female to carry a third litter.
After 2 litters your females should be allowed to live normally, without having to endure the strains of pregnancy.
This will also help to prevent a weak litter.
Breeding Syrian hamsters can be highly rewarding, but it is important to pay attention to the points mentioned above, to ensure that the experience is just as enjoyable for the hamsters, and to provide the best chances of producing a strong litter.
This can be a highly enjoyable and rewarding experience, but there are a few things you should take into consideration before deciding to breed your Syrian hamsters: 1.
Age Although female hamsters can breed from a very young age (as little as 3 weeks), this is inadvisable, as it can lead to birth complication, and can also stunt the growth of the female.
It is best to wait until the female is between 4 and 6 months of age; this is her optimum time for conceiving her first litter.
Males can breed from as young as 5 weeks, although the size difference between them and a fully grown female can lead to difficulties! It is usually advisable to wait until the male is 2 to 3 months old before using him for breeding.
2.
Recovery Female Syrians can be used to breed more than one litter, but it is important to give her time to recover in between pregnancies.
A good general recommendation is to allow 3 to 4 months between litters, so that she can fully regain strength.
The strain of giving birth can significantly weaken the female, which is why it is so important to give her sufficient time to recover.
If you don't allow her this, it can lead to a small or weak litter.
3.
Sterility Female Syrian hamsters generally become sterile at around 12 to 14 months of age.
In addition, they tend to take longer to recover from a second litter than they did to recover from their first.
For these reasons, it is usually a bad idea to expect a female to carry a third litter.
After 2 litters your females should be allowed to live normally, without having to endure the strains of pregnancy.
This will also help to prevent a weak litter.
Breeding Syrian hamsters can be highly rewarding, but it is important to pay attention to the points mentioned above, to ensure that the experience is just as enjoyable for the hamsters, and to provide the best chances of producing a strong litter.
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