Keeping them as pets. Selling them as pets (though it is unlikely to provide you with much income). Giving them away to good homes.
How will you advertise your hamsters? Good places to start include online, in the newspaper classified ads, and at the pet store (be sure to ask permission first).
It is can be a poor idea to buy breeding hamsters from chain pet stores. Some pet stores can treat their hamsters quite poorly. Many get their hamsters that have been bred in dirty and cramped locations. Baby hamsters, if chosen from a commercial pet store, are likely to suffer from mental, physical and even fatal deformities. Also, the hamster very often have poor temperament, and have a poor coloring. You might also contact a hamster breeder directly. [1] X Research source
A food bowl with high-quality food (One of the best hamster foods by far is the Harry/Hazel Hamster mix. ) An inverted water bottle Exercise toys Anything else you think will make them feel more at home
Another way to let them get acquainted is to put them into separate exercise balls. While you are watching, let them roll around in their pods, smelling each other and interacting safely.
Gently stroke the female on the bottom. If her tail goes erect, she is in heat and ready to mate with the male.
Be watchful for fights, even if the female seems receptive.
Hamsters hibernate when the temperature dips below 50°F (10°C). They will not breed at that temperature. [3] X Research source Seiji Ueda, Nobuo Ibuka, An analysis of factors that induce hibernation in Syrian hamsters, Physiology & Behavior, Volume 58, Issue 4, October 1995, Pages 653-657, ISSN 0031-9384
You might also offer a safe (non toxic, no ink, not sharp) bedding material like Pennine “Curl Up” Hamster bedding. [4] X Research source
Hamsters usually give birth without problems if you wait until they are old enough to mate (four months). The birth will likely happen at night when everything is quiet. Litters can be as small as 4 or as large as 16 babies. [5] X Research source Marie Odile Monier Chelini, Rupert Palme, Emma Otta, Social stress and reproductive success in the female Syrian hamster: Endocrine and behavioral correlates, Physiology & Behavior, Volume 104, Issue 5, 24 October 2011, Pages 948-954.
At first, the babies will look pink and hairless. They are born with their eyes closed.
You do not need to provide the babies with anything at this point. They will get everything they need from nursing.
Get your hands “dirty” with the scent of the used litter before touching the babies. This prevents the mother from rejecting or attacking them later. [7] X Research source Move the hamsters into another cage one by one. When cleaning the cage, avoid completely destroying the nest. Hamsters will usually have a “toilet” area in the cage. Concentrate your cleaning there, and leave the nest more or less intact. If the nest is soaked or filthy, however, go ahead and replace it with fresh materials.
Do not lower the mother’s water bottle to the babies’ height because then the mother will not be able to reach it.
If you are unsure about the sex of your babies, take them to your vet or an experienced hamster breeder for help. You want to avoid accidental breeding of siblings.
The babies will be ready for their new homes 35 days their birth. [9] X Research source
