Is it okay for an older female to mate a younger male?

Question
I have a female hamster who is about 5 months old and she is really nice. i just bought a 3-4 months old male hamster and i want them to mate. he seems very tiny though. if i put them together, will they mate?

Answer
Hi Emily, thanks for the question.

Yes, it is fine to breed a younger male with an older female, but you should first read up on breeding hamsters so that you know what you are doing before you try it.  

You didn't say what kind of hamsters you have, but Syrians are solitary animals that can only be put together without fighting for breeding, and that for just minutes at a time, or else they could kill each other.  And if you don't know how to tell if your female is in heat, and you put the male with her when she is NOT in heat, they will fight.  

It's really a much more complicated venture than getting a male and a female and putting them together, and with Syrians, fights can turn deadly in the blink of an eye.

So, please, buy some books, do some research, join some hamster clubs, and then decide if you still want to breed your hamsters.

Thanks for the question!