Breeding Questions--Suggestions?

[Dallionz]

I have been wanting to start breeding Russian dwarf hamsters. I've been calling around to pet stores just to get an idea of how many people are looking for them. In nearly all cases, people tell me that there are a lot of people out there who want them, but all the dwarf hamsters they ever get are nasty and attack any hands that come in. They are also over run with the nasty hamsters because they are breeding like crazy (apparently they don't know how to tell the sexes).

Here's my question: how do you get the word out that you are breeding quality, good-tempered hamsters without attracting people who get hamsters to feed other animals? I really sense there is a need for nice hamsters in this area, but that people are having a difficult time finding them. How can I find out how many people are interested in them? I want to breed the little guys very badly, but want there to be homes for them most of all.

For those of you who are breeding hamsters and selling them, how did you get started? Any suggestions would be wonderful. Thank you!

[pEbBLePoO]

Dear Dallionz,

Breeding a quality brood of Russian hamsters that do not nip really requires alot of devotion on your part - be it the Winter whites or Campbells. I find that both of them are equally hard to tame.

There are two main contributing factors that governs how tame a baby is. First, his individual personality. apart from the robos and maybe some less known varieties, hamsters have an inbuilt defence mehanism. One is to bite, the other is to run. In some individuals, these qualities (or weaknesses to some) are played down. This is ofcourse something we cannot alter.

The second factor would be how he was brought up. This would mean invoking some sort of situational psychological molding. (It works on the same theory that boys brought up in a boys sch display a higher incidence of homosexuality)

How this works would be allowing your babies to be as familiar with human contact as possible. This is where your devotion comes in. Being familiar with humans would be more than sticking your hand into his cage once a day, but maybe play with them or just leave your hand inside for long periods, a few time a day, from their infancy. They would then grow up, not fearing humans, or at least their hands.

I myself am wondering if the size of the brood does affect the agressiveness of the babies. I once had the unfortunate chance of breeding just one baby. That baby turned out very VERY calm and tame - even into his adulthood. He has never bitten me, and allows me to pick him up without any fuss. I was wondering if that could haev been because he didn't need to fight ard with the other babies for food. but this only happened to me once, so it's not enough to draw any serious conclusions.

[Dallionz]

Thank you for your post.

It is interesting that you mentioned a possible connection between the size of a litter and the aggressiveness of the individuals are linked. That would be a very interesting thing to observe and study.

I am definitely planning on handling the babies very often. I handle my other hamsters every day for a while, petting them in the cage and taking them out and holding them. This is what I plan to do with the babies.

Thanks again!

[janis]

hi Dallionz http://petshub.com/ubb/smile.gif

wat kind of dwarf hamsters do u have ? what breed ?

[janis]

hi Dallionz http://petshub.com/ubb/smile.gif

wat kind of dwarf hamsters do u have ? what breed ?

[Dallionz]

I was offline for a month moving to Texas. Sorry about the delay. I breed Campbells dwarf Russian hamsters. I have a litter that I'm finding homes for right now. I mainly breed blue, red-eyed lilac, blue fawn, and argenet colors right now.

[Chilly]

Hi. I breed Winter White Dwarfs. I have just started and find people find them amazing!!!! Most people who are unfamiliar with these small creatures of the night, think they have tails!!! An awsome way to advertise, I find, is to tell people who do not like rodents, that hamsters are much different! To me, they look like a sort of small bear!! I really find mine looke like polar bears!!! Funny, or do alot of people find this? I do breed and mix of campbells and winter whites. That's just what I like to do. I always end up with a cool mixture of a litter. The last on I had, was two winter whites, with a campbells....the only thing was, winter whites are a bit smaller than a campbell's, normally, but I ended up with a winter white in a campbell's build. She is a beauty, now. As far as homes, we advertise in our local newspaper, we even gave ourselves a name! The "Critter Coral" We enjoy this, as my b/f called from work today, and I told him Q-Tip had four babies, and he announced to everyone in the breakroom that he had four new children if anyone was interested in one they better get it now, cuz they're going fast!!!! I just love my hobb. If finding homes does come to a problem, I will simply cool the breeding down for a little while, and probably forever with Q-Tip. I thought it would be hard, too, but the newspaper really does a lot for us! Plus, we had a yard sale, and we already got rid of the next few littersor so! Yeah, people COULD go down and pay only $10 for a hamster at the pet store, but mine are free, and breed for tempement! Not only that, but most hamster owners like the mixture of colors I have! One even named hers "Rainbow Bright." She was a campbelles, but had a small black stripe down her with grey ears, and little black "speckles" on her back. This is rare to find, but she's a beauty. Probably once in a lifetime thing, and she plans on breeding her and if she produces these, maybe we can start a new breed? I'll keep ya'll posted!
Chilly

[Apple pie]

chilly,
where r u fr coz I am interested in your babies.
pls reply. Thanx

[Chilly]

Apple....
I live in Michigan, but I am willing to ship to anyone, as long as they pay for a few things. I do not charge for my hamsters. I will request $10.00 for a cage, plus shipping. I am not sure how much it costs to ship, right now I just had a litter of dwarfs, but they are not winter whites. Somehow, a recessive gene kicked in with my hamsters and I ended up with grey babies Two have died, and I believe this is due to Q-Tip getting Wet-Tail during her pregnancy. This was found early and treated Quickly, all my hamsters were cured within a few weeks. Anyhow, let me know if you are still interested. And if you live in Michigan, I charge nothing, unless you still need them shipped.

[newbie]

i'll have a hammy but im english so i only have english money but i can get it changed

do any of u know how much $10 is in english money so i can change it at the post office

http://petshub.com/ubb/tongue.gif http://petshub.com/ubb/tongue.gif http://petshub.com/ubb/tongue.gif http://petshub.com/ubb/tongue.gif http://petshub.com/ubb/tongue.gif http://petshub.com/ubb/tongue.gif http://petshub.com/ubb/tongue.gif

[Chilly]

I am in America. It would cost a lot to ship an animal to you. I would not reccomend buying one from overseas, where are you from? E-mail me at MysticalRevenge@webtv.net

[surfbabe]

Hi there

Bought 2 winter white (white n grey color) some time back and they gave birth to 5 cute babies (1 died though)..

funny thing is how come 2 white n grey hammy ...came out 3 dark brown and 1 grey n white babies??

kekeke...i am puzzled..

anyway the babies are healthy and fine !


http://petshub.com/ubb/smile.gif

[Pixus]

Pls do not interbreed Campbells and WW!!!!! Altho i'm not an expert with dwarfs but it's juz very unnatural, pls take a look at the following extract from the website : http://hamsters.petwebsite.com/interb.htm

I'm sorry if this is offending to to you Chilly but it's alarming to learn that you're doing this, pls do consider again, thanz

[Jane]

Pixus is absolutely correct. You can't interbreed a Campbells and a winter white and get Campbells and winter whites. You get hybrids, and all their offspring for all the generations will be hybrids, even if they are never interbred again. This isn't a new species. It's a mix of two distinct species that will have the health problems of both (diabetes and glaucoma, specifically) in future generations. A winter white female can be killed giving birth to hybrid babies, which can be larger than her body was designed for.

It's a completely irresponsible thing to do, and if more people show this disregard for nature and for both species of hamsters, the separate species will disappear. When a hybrid closely resembles a Campbells or a winter white, it can be impossible to distinguish them visually, and if they are believed to be of pure breed and bred further, pure lines begin to disappear forever. Lines of hamsters that appear to be winter whites will evidence diabetes and the reverse for glaucoma.

Nature gave each of these species a separate habitat, and they would never meet in the wild. To mate them in captivity is wrong.