When and How can you breed syrian hamsters?

Question
My Hamster, Humphrey, is 9 months old and I would like to breed him with a female hamster (obviously)! I was wondering what I need to look out for while and after mating, how old the female can be to breed with my male and anything important I need to know before I buy the female syrian hamster.

Answer
Hi Elz,


      First make sure the female is in season before trying to mate her. Females come into season every 4 days (this may very from 3-5 days). You can tell if she is in season by firmly stroking down her back. If she freezes (underside pushed down and her bottom pushed up) then she is in season and you can place her with the male or put them in neutral territory. Keep an eye on them to make sure they do not fight. If they don't fight, you can leave them together for 30 minutes to a hour. After they have mated, check the female for the next 3-5 days (this is best to do in the evening) to make sure she hasn't come back into season. If she hasn't come into season by the fifth day then she is more than likely pregnant. The babies should be born 16-17 days from the day they mated.

      The female should be at least 4 months old to breed and if this would be the hamsters first litter she should be no older than 6 months. A hamster over 6 months old having her first litter can run into problems delivering and even death for the Mother, the babies or both. This is because a female hamsters hips begin to set at around 6 months of age which makes it more difficult for her hips to spread when giving birth.

      Be sure the female is in good health. Here are some things to look for in a healthy hamster.
      
      Healthy hamsters are active, energetic and very alert.
      They have bright and clear eyes ( no discharge).

      The nose should be clean without any discharge.

      The coat should be well groomed and full.

      There should be no lumps or bumps on the body.

       A healthy hamster has a round and broad body.

    If you have anymore questions, please write again.

Thank you for writing!