Breeding Dwarf Hamsters

Question
Hi Kelly,
I just Got 2 Dwarf Hamsters 2 days Ago,a Male And female.

I was wondering how long it will take them to mate. then to have babies. and should i seperate the father ? and then when can i touch the babies and seperate them from their mother?
Thanks Bunches--and i hope you could answer my question.

Answer
Hi there,

The hamsters should be at least 3-4 months old before they mate.  I'm assuming the female and male are in the same cage?  In that case, they will mate as soon as the female is in season.  (Females come into season about every 4 days.)  

Once the mating is successful, the female will be pregnant for 18-21 days.  Clean the cage a few days before the hamster is due to give birth, since you won't be able to for a couple of weeks.  The father should stay in the cage, since he will help the mother take care of the babies.

When the babies are born, be very careful not to touch the mother, father, or the babies until the babies are 14 days old.  Once the babies are 14 days old, you can handle them for short periods of time.  Also, you can clean the cage at this time.

When the babies are 3 weeks old, they should be placed in another cage.  After 3 more weeks, the babies should be separated by sex.  Here's a link to an illustration that will help you sex the hamsters:

http://www.hamsterhideout.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=10517

If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask.

Kelly