Breeding Hamster

Question
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Followup To
Question -
Dear Kelly,
I have a male Syrian Black Bear hamster who is 2 years and 3 months old.  He is extremely friendly and I got him two days after being weaned.  I now REALLY REALLY want him to have babies.  I would keep one baby and have found homes for the others that may be born.  Yesterday I bought a very friendly white Syrian hamster from Petco.  She is .56 lb and, to me, looks about 3-4 months old, judging from her size, tooth size, and what the pet store said.  My male hamster, who is .4 lb, is also very friendly.  Yesterday I put them together in a large cardboard box with wood shaving on the bottom of it to see if they would mate.  I had gloves on and a stick to separate them with in case they got to fiesty.  The female didn't seem very interested in the male.  The male followed her everywhere sniffing her.  They didn't "do it" yesterday.  Today when I put them together the male started licking her side stomach area and butt.  He continued to follow her around and sniff her, also.  I am 99% sure she is female, and about 90% sure that she is not pregnant.  How can I get her pregnant by him?

Also, how visible should her nipples be at this time, because I can't really see much of any at all.  But she has no testicles and her pee and poop holes are close together and the pet store said she was female.  So I'm pretty sure she's a girl, but why can't I see nipple on her?

Also, they are both virgin hamsters, at least i KNOW he is for sure.  Will they both know what to do and how to do it?

And is it possible that he is too old for breeding?  Gosh i hope not!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Please no!!!

And also, there was also a female at the pet store who had had babies about 5 weeks earlier, would it be easier for him to get her pregnant?  But I read that if she had babies to close together then she would be much more likely to eat the babies.  Should I buy her and try to get her pregnant?  How can my male get a female pregnant, and soon, cause he is old and I need him to have babies!!!!!!!!!
Answer -
Hi Sheridan,

Male hamsters usually remain fertile for most of their life.  Females, on the other hand, should be bred for the first time when they are between 4 and 6 months old, and they become sterile at around a year old.  They come into season every 4 days.  To check if the female is in season, stroke her firmly along her back.  If she stiffens and "freezes" then she is in season and is ready to mate.  This is very important to check before you put the hamsters together.  However, in the winter females may stop coming into season and this can be helped by extending their daylight hours by switching on a light for 12 hours each day for several days and feeding small amounts of vegetables.

Mating is an instinct that hamsters posess, so they definitely know how to.  And it doesn't matter that your female has not had a litter yet, so keep her and keep trying.  As for her nipples - Nipples on hamsters are generally difficult to see, especially if she has light fur.  They do not become prominent until she is pregnant.

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

Kelly







Thanks for such a quick response, just 2 more questions

And also, there was also a female at the pet store who had had babies about 5 weeks earlier, would it be easier for him to get her pregnant? But I read that if she had babies to close together then she would be much more likely to eat the babies. Should I buy her and try to get her pregnant? How can my male get a female pregnant, and soon, cause he is old and I need him to have babies!!!!!!!!!


Also, how common is it that females become infertile in the wintertime, will switching a light on completely wipe out this possibility, and is it okay that they are two different types of Syrian hamsters?  (black bear and short hair)

Answer
Hi Sheridan,

You're right, female hamsters do become aggressive toward their babies if they have them too close together.  That's why it's recommended that they only have 2 litters in their lifetime.  Also, it doesn't matter at all that the female hamster at the pet store has had babies before.  Your new female, who has not had a litter, will be just as likely to get pregnant as the other hamster from the pet store, and there will be fewer risks since the hamster from the pet store just had babies and your new hamster has not.  Again, make sure your female is at least 4-6 months old.

Female hamsters have a slight chance of not coming in season in the wintertime.  Just switch on a light for about 12 hours for several days to make sure she continues her cycle of coming into season every 4 days.

Actually, "Black Bear" is really just another name for the common Syrian hamster.  They are also called "Teddy Bear" hamsters.  These are just "cute" names for the Syrian.  So it's fine to mate the two together since they're of the same breed.

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

Kelly