FIRST OF ALL I WANT TO THANK...

Question
FIRST OF ALL I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR ANSWER IT REALLY DID IN FORM
ME & FROM 1-10 IT WAS A TEN! THANKS!  NOW I HAVE ANOTHER VERY SIMILAR
QUESTION... IF I PLACE TWO FEMALE HAMSTERS IN A CAGE BUT ONE IS PREGNANT &
OTHER ISNT WILL THEY ATTACK EACHOTHER WILL THE UNPREGNANT EAT THE MOTHERS
BABIES OR WILL THE MOTHER EAT HER OWN??? THIS QUESTION IS 4RM MY SISTER,
IS IT RECOMMENDED TO PLACE (NOT ADULT YET HAMSTERS) TOGHETHER BEING A
BROTHER AND A SISTER & IF SO WHY DO THEY FIGHT W/EACHOTHER??   I APOLOGIZE
I FORGOT I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION TO ASK YOU!  HOW DO YOU MATE HAMSTERS?
DO YOU PUT THEM TOGHETHER IN A CAGE 4 A WHILE OR PLAY W/THEM OUTSIDE THERE
CAGE?? AND HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN SHES PREGNANT SO YOU CAN TAKE THE MALE OUT
OF THE CAGE SO HE /OR SHE WONT EAT BABIES?? WHAT ARE THE
SYMTOMS/(BEHAVIOR) OR SHOULD I JUST KEEP THEM SEPERATED INSTEAD AND LET
THEM PLAY OUT SIDE WHILE WE HOLD THEM?? SHOULD BRO & SIS HAMSTER HAVE
BABIES???  

Answer
Hi there!  I am glad that you have found my information helpful!
The pregnant hamster should be placed in solitary until her babies have opened their eyes.  Then it would be okay to have them in contact with other hamsters, as they will not eat them at this age.  The mother will only eat the babies if they are ill.  Their instinct lets them know which are healthy and which are not.  Unhealthy babies will not make it, so the mother eats them.  Morbid, but true.
Brother and sister hamsters should not mate.  The babies will have abnormalities.  By 3 weeks of age, hamsters need to be separated from the oposite gender....they WILL reproduce when living together.  Breeding them would consist of having a male and female hamster living together.  Within a few weeks time, you will most definately have a pregnant hamster.
I hope this has been helpful!  Please let me know if you have any other questions!
Hilary