Hamster (and all animals) Mills at Petstores??

[Pepperland]

I've noticed that the Petland nearby my house breeds their own pets! I find it disgusting, because they endanger the animal's lives by mixing males with females, so that babies are at a higher risk of being wild, inbred, and getting pregnant themselves, and even dying from giving birth!

My sister bought a pregnant guinea pig, because she knew that it was one of their "breeders," and wanted to save it from being bred for many more years. My sister is going to give away all the guinea pig pups though after they are weaned.

I remember seeing a very fat albino hamster though... I think she was pregnant. She was sleeping in a corner, and her sides were bulging, like, really, really fat. Should I buy her too and save her from being bred anymore? I think it's disgusting how Petland practically owns a "Hamster Mill." Would buying her only fund Petland and cause more hamsters to have babies, or help save her from being bred over and over and over?

[PetLuver21257]

Umm, I hate to tell you this, but hamsters have been inbred so much that if they breed with their relatives, it won't really change much.

Unlike with dogs. Dogs getting inbred is terrible. But hamsters are different.

You can save her if you want, but that means that you are giving them money, making them think,
"Hey, this kid doesn't like us breeding hamsters with their relatives, so she bought a hamster because of it, and if we continue to do so, maybe more kids will feel bad for them and buy them!"

So, you know? Your choice, but I think it's worse if you continue to buy hamsters from there.

[Runky]

Yeah. I have to agree with PetLuver. I wouldn't buy from them if I were you. I have a PetLand near me and they are the most horrible pet store I've ever seen. I try not to buy from them. The only reason I bought my boy rats from there was because there were these two squishy rats and the lady said they barely ever got anyone who bought them as pets. And I felt sorry for them and caved. Er yeah. Do what you think is right I guess is what I'm saying.

[Pepperland]

Lol... I'm not a fan of rats myself.

Yeah, I was considering that I would be helping the petstore more than the hamster. And, I really don't want to take care of 2-6 new little baby hamsters... X_X

In my area, $15 for a hamster is expensive. Petsmart sells them for $9, and Petco is $12.

[TiaMaria]

I think it's more in the middle region, by buying her you are supporting petland and their breeding process, generally in hamster mills, the female is bred over and over again in order to produce a large little to make more income, in this case she will be bred until she dies. If you do take her, she will only be replaced with another hamster that can take her place and create more litters. One that is younger then the one you would have boughten. SO there is no correct solution to this problem, you either grin and bare it or you dont. Either way petland will still be using a hamster mill full of genetic disorders and inbred hamsters.

[Pepperland]

Oh, I see.

Ok, I changed my mind about buying her. She looked pretty old, and she was huddled in a corner, and looked really sick. She was shivering. :(

[TiaMaria]

It's sad but thats the way of life, you can't save them all.

[Pepperland]

Yeah, I bet there are millions of hamsters being bred unreasponsibly.

Though, after I raise my hammies into adults, I might breed for just one litter and keep one male and one female to keep their parents company, and then I would give the rest of the babies to some friends.

[Pepperland]

Oh, and to add on to my message, I would, of course research for a *very* long time.

But... I can't research too long, or else the hamsters might get too old to breed! lol

I researched for 4 years about breeding bettas, and I still haven't done it yet... So now I have 10 "breeder" bettas hanging out in my room, and I have a whole bunch of these huge setups that cost me around $300, and now I've given up all because of the stupid water supply here... super, duper, hard tap water... And everyone knows bettas will die in that. X_X

[Chaos]

The thing is though, you don't know their genetic history since they're from pet stores. If you don't know the history, you don't know what illnesses you may unconciously pass on from the parents. Right now you have two, if those two and their two babies you keep get sick, can you provide vet care for all four? What if you can't find suitable homes for the extra babies, since dwarves can have around 2-8 in a litter. Can you keep up to 6 or 8 more hamsters and provide proper care, food, housing AND vet care?

I bred a single litter of syrians from two healthy parents from a good breeder. I ended up keeping 4 out of the 5 surviving pups, maybe I'm just extremely picky, but most of the homes that contacted me either fell through or just extremely unsuitable (they knew nothing about hamsters and didn't want to bother researching proper housing and food). So I ended up with 3 more than I decided to keep. This was fine, since I always put a little money away for my animals each month, in case of emergencies, but not everyone does.

[Pepperland]

I checked with my mom, and she said she would take my hamsters to the vet if it was necessary. Besides that, she wouldn't go for checkups and stuff.

I know of a lot of friends who are obsessed with their pets... my sister has a friend who once owned 30 hamsters at one point!

Some people who know that I have a lot of pets even mentioned that they would love to buy any pets we have(we breed show quality shelties every few years, and those puppies sell really fast!). One girl who spent the night even wanted to take my sister's hamster, Chi, home with her!

[Chaos]

But you still don't know the history. You don't know if you're breeding diabetes, or some other genetic disorder right into them! into the offspring! The only reason to breed should be to improve the species or breed, not just to get a companion for your current animals.

As for breeding shelties, you do health test hips and eyes right? By specialists, nto vets. And by show quality, the parents are at the very least championed right?

[PetLuver21257]

Chaos, you are EXTREMELY right!!

Pepperland, you need to know the parents genetic backgrounds before you breed just for the sake of having companions for your hamsters. It's unfair to the female (she might die while giving birth), and unfair to the pups if they have to suffer with any diseases that were passed on from the parents. :(

[bubblz]

OK the first time I had hamster pups it was an accident I beleved a pet store who told me my dwarfs were the same sex. Well when the litter was about a week old I realized I had some that were eyless tootheless whites. It was SOOOOO sad. and I felt like a horrible person for being so naive.
Breeding hamsters is not something to be taken lightly you need to use the same precautions as a responsible breeder of any pet.
Never breed any animal that came from a pet store. There are far to many what ifs
Check out the post on hamster genetics and it will give you an iea of what can go wrong.
I give you a lot of credit for wanting to research. But when the breeding pair is from a pet store there is an uncloseable hole in that research that should never be ignored.
If you want to breed at some point the hamsters need to come from a breeder who can give you the genetic history of both the male and the femal pther wise the number of possible catastropies far out weighs thae chance of a completely healthy litter

[Catmakemebark]

Can she fix the male? I'm her sister and I totally agree with you. The pregnant female I got because I know I can't save them all, but at least give a few a good home for the rest of her shortend life. I have a nice pen and fresh food and water plus veggies. I gave the people very bad looks when they said the female LIKED to have babies and I think it got across to them because they had me check the sexes of a few to make sure.

[TiaMaria]

stupid petstores...

[Pepperland]

Oh, and for the shelties, yes, they are taken to breeders, vets, and a *whole* bunch of places before they are bred. We own dogs that cost around $1,500, and come from champion bloodlines. And even if this is off subject, we also own show champion Appaloosas and Arabians.

And, if I were to breed hamsters, I wouldn't breed these two hamsters I have right now, because I think they are siblings, so I would get the white babies with no eyes or teeth. This is the genetic background I know about them: their mother was albino, and the father was most likely mottled.

The only animals my family breeds for show are shelties, appaloosas and arabians, (I tried breeding expensive fish but they never bred...grr). I don't think there are any good hamster breeders in my area. I've even looked for betta breeders, guinea pig breeders, all on the internet and newspapers, but found absolutely nothing. Only dog breeders here...

[bubblz]

you may want to do a google search for a "hamstery" in your area

[Pepperland]

Hmm, good idea.

I really want to breed hamsters; once I get an idea I have to do it otherwise it may make me think in the future "Hm... I never did that."

Like the instance with bettas... my sister got a betta, then I got one (my first "very own" pet), so then I got obsessed and wanted to breed them. Four years later, still haven't done it. -_- I spent $300 too. So far on the hamsters, I've spent around $60-70 in just a week.

I found out that my "normal" female is actually an opal. I thought I heard somewhere that opals rarely have a complete dorsal, but she does. She's really pretty (even for a petstore hamster), and her eyes are actually inside her head (whoo!). Most other dwarves I see have eyes that pop waaay out of the head. I'll take a picture of her, and I'll see what you guys think of her. She's got a great temper, and right now, I put her in a gigantic bowl full of tissue paper, and she's sleeping in it right next to this computer.

About the male... ehh, he's really skittish, darts really really fast whenever he knows I'm there, and his eyes slightly stick out of his head.

[bubblz]

Opal at a pet store? that doesn't happen very often. can't wait to see the pics.
Sometime it gets confusing

[Pepperland]

No, I'm almost positive she's opal. She's not brown. She's got a bluish-greyish color, and she's very pretty.

Besides, can't albino hamsters give birth to opals? Her mother was albino.

[PetLuver21257]

Catmakemebark: Neutering the male would cost a lot of $$$ and would be a HUGE risk. It's not worth it.

Pepperland: Yes, albinos can give birth to opals.
When you say that you won't breed your current hamsters, then what's this?
Though, after I raise my hammies into adults, I might breed for just one litter and keep one male and one female to keep their parents company, and then I would give the rest of the babies to some friends.
Bubblz: I got Opie from a pet store and he is an opal. Here is a picture of him:

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c99/bluebubblysoda/1.png

[bubblz]

Around here the pet stores rarely have anything outside of the norm for dwarfs....that's cool...my toilet paper is opal and so is paper towel but they're from litters I breed.
Opal is such a pretty coat color

[PetLuver21257]

Yes, opal is my favorite coat color! :)

[Pepperland]

Oh, I meant I wouldn't breed the mottled boy to the opal female. That would be baaad. Anyway, my petstore seems to have another opal! I just bought her (she and my baby opal were buddies, but the lady at the petstore said she was a boy), and I found out that she's pregnant! =D I'm so happy, and I'm glad that opals are rare, because I'm going to either keep all the babies, or sell a few to some of my friends (or give). My mom suggests that I sell them.

Any tips on how to raise the babies? Oh, and I'm not an irresponsible person. I know hamsters are cute and all, but that wouldn't ever be the reason why I'd breed, because I think adults are just as great as babies. These two opals I have are very pretty, and I can't wait to get more baby opals! I'll post some pictures as soon as I can "borrow" my sister's camera (lost mine).

The way I can tell she's pregnant is because she's really fat, she drinks a *lot* of water, she has nipples, and her "spot" is really pink and it looks like she might be giving birth today or tomorrow! But, I don't really know. Can any of you really predict when these hamsters will be born by what I just described?

[PetLuver21257]

Wait, this doesn't like add up....

You really want baby hamsters don't you? And since you know that she is pregnant by all the signs, you knew that at the store when you bought her. Meaning that you got a pregnant female on purpose.

See, you don't even know how to raise baby hamsters! I mean really, that's irresponsible! :(

Did you only get her just because she was pregnant, because you selfishly want baby hamsters? I think that's why, but I want you to tell me the truth.

[PetLuver21257]

Okay, wait, I understand that you like the babies as much as the adults, but still, you wanted a pregnant female! And you got one.... I don't know, I would have rather you have RESEARCHED A LOT before you got a preg. female (or made one pregnant), like you said you would instead of jump right into it.

Plus, you don't know which male got her pregnant! I might have been her brother (probably was), or dad or cousin or something! :(

Sorry, but I am just angry. You really seem like a nice person and all, but this breeding thing makes you look like a selfish, irresponsible, and immature person to me! :/ And you probably aren't all together; but your actions were all three.

[bubblz]

either way just because the mother is opal is no guarantee that any babies will be. And since she came to you pregnant you have no idea who the dad is.
I really hope you don't end up with eyeless toothless whites.

[PetLuver21257]

Bubblz: I really agree with you. There is a HUGE chance the babies will not be opal.

Yes, I REALLY hope you doesn't end up with eyeless and toothless whites.

[bubblz]

there is a hamstery near me called brooks hamstery in Nashua, NH you can google it. She has pictures of the eyeless toothless whites and other valuable lessons in hamster genetics.

[PetLuver21257]

Here are pics eyeless/toothless dwarves compared to their littermates:

http://www.geocities.com/aaahamsters/EyelessWhites2.jpg

http://www.geocities.com/aaahamsters/EyelessWhite1.jpg

IT'S SO SAD! :( :cry:

[Catmakemebark]

I agree with you guys. She does need to do A LOT of research. You dont have to worry about her breeding because our mom will not permit it.

[Pepperland]

Well, at first I didn't even notice she was prego until I got into the car. Besides, she was the only hamster (who was a female) left at the petstore, and when I got in to the car, I opened the box and finally got a good look at her.

And Shara, mom actually did say I could "have baby hamsters if I wanted to." I wasn't planning on this, but this female I got is so incredibly nice (especially considering she's pregnant!), she is very calm, doesn't run or struggle in my hands, and has a very serene attitude. That's the reason why I got her, but now I see that she is *very* fat (or just obese). The person at Petland said (or lied) that they buy their animals from good breeders, and said they weren't related to each other, or inbred.

I mean, I'm sure I can handle this... I once had to take care of 15 bettas (when they each had bowls), and it took me roughly one hour just to clean out their bowls, give new water, feed, inspect, etc.

I went to the petstore planning on buying a new female for my baby female (so she wouldn't get lonely after I split my two babies so they can't breed).

But, if she doesn't have babies within a week (since she's so fat), I'll re-introduced her to my little female, and I won't breed her. I don't even think she'll have babies now, because she hasn't had any, and she's not making a freakin' nest.

[TiaMaria]

Well I think what you did was a very sweet thing and people shouldn't be so misunderstanding. Think about it, she took the hamster and if it's pregnant it will have babies at her house not at the pet store. At the petstore the babies of her would just be bred again and again. She just saved a ton of babies and a mommy ham ham. So chill out and be nice!

[Catmakemebark]

Thanks Tia. =)

So far, I can't think of a name for my hammy. Ok, so I suck at deciphering colors. I am now starting to think she looks Lilac or whatever it's called, but she has a pure, medium grey coat. She has rolls of what looks like fat (or pups), but I can't really tell. The lady at the petstore said,"she's a girl, and she also has nipples." At first, I thought that just meant she was positive my hamster was a girl, but after I got in the car and had a good look at her belly, I did really notice the nipples, and her butt looked kinda pink and swollen (bad thing?).

I only had baby hamsters before her (forgot what the adult one from Petco looked like), and my adult hamster is really, really fat compared to my babies. Are adults normally fatter than babies anyway?

My hamster is just huddling up underneath a tissue I put in her tank, and she made a little "ditch" in it, but no weaving, or carefully put together. It's just a large hole under the tissue. Is this a sloppily made nest, or just a bed? X_X I hope by telling every little detailed thing, I might be able to tell if she's pregnant or not.

Ok, so she's drinking a *bunch* of water (drank from her waterbottle for 2 minutes straight this morning), and she's really eating. Are these signs, or just normal hamster behavior? Or is she sick?

[Pepperland]

Eep! I accidently posted with my sister's account!

That post was actually me.

[TiaMaria]

It does sound like she's pregnant hun.

[Pepperland]

Wow. If they were born, I wish they were born today (4th of July babies! =D).

The thing is, I googled pregnant dwarf hamsters, and then I googled regular ones (not pregnant), and they look practically the same! x_x

Oh gosh, my dad's golden retriever also had puppies! =O

[TiaMaria]

well i guess u will have to wait n see!

[bubblz]

I've always had a har time seeing nipples at all unless the female is pregnant or has already had a litter. If you can already tell she's fat she's gonna blow soon. You can't really tell their pregnant until a few days before birth. Just try to keep her as comfotable as possible so she has no stress (especailly considering you just moved her home). I'd be super meticulous (sp) about keeping her cage clean though ,becuase once the babies come it's going to be two weeks until you can clean it (it's summer time too, :( things getting stinkier quicker with the heat.)
Can't wait to see pictures.

[PetLuver21257]

Drinking a lot of water might mean has diabetes... :undecided

[Pepperland]

Eep! Diabetes??

Noo.
Anyway, I removed the corn from her seed mix before I gave it to her yesterday, and there's no sugar in her diet currently (besides the yoghurt pineapple treats I gave her today).

[PetLuver21257]

Yes, diabetes.

You should REALLY NOT give her yogurt treats because they have palm oil in them and that clogs up the arteries in humans, and think how many yogurt drops will clog up the TINY arteries in hamsters... :/ Plus, WAY too much sugar in them.

So, you should like throw those out, or something... But drinking a lot of water (like 2 minutes straight) is a sign of dabetes. So is peeing a lot. So if there is a lot of wet spots in her cage, it might be diabetes.

[TiaMaria]

It's a SIGN of diabetes only a vet can do a blood test and determine this. Take her to the vet. Take all the sugar from her diet etc away and make sure you get a diagnoses soon!

[Catmakemebark]

Are thoughs treats not good for all small animals or only pregnant dwarf hamsters?

[Pepperland]

Lol!! My mom wants me to get show quality hamsters now!!!!

She was looking on the internet yesterday for dwarf hamster breeders in Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Iowa, Illinois, and even Arkansas!

My mom has this extreme habit of wanting to buy the best of everything... we have show dogs, show horses, and now she wants show hamsters... lol Basically, if there are going to be babies of that species of animal in our household, she wants them to be expensive. Like, it's so funny how my mom used to hate rodents, but now she's like, practically urging me to breed $40 hamsters! :rolleyes:

[PetLuver21257]

...................

[bubblz]

Take yor time learn how to care for the pet before you even seriously consider breeding.
It's a lot of work. and a lot of running around.

[Pepperland]

Yeah, I know. I've been waaay more busy though... like, aside from pets, I'm a very busy person, and during the school year, I have to manage 3-4 hours of homework each night, and that was when I was just in 7th grade! I think I can handle hamsters as well as puppies, tons of fish, and even piano... -_-

Besides, I have a bunch of cages, and so many empty fish tanks... my basement is practically a sea of fish tanks. My mom always brings our pets to the vet if there's a problem (brought our dog, Angel, to the vet just because she was in heat!). I wouldn't breed just to "fill up cages" or because I think it's thrilling. I really think there are better reasons to breeding an animal, and there are no good breeders in the area (closest is a 6 hour drive), so I think it might be good to be able to sell a few nice hamsters in my area.

I'm pretty good at researching. I usually spend so much time with it, and by the end of the week, I basically know everything from raising babies to how to cure a rare disease (or atleast, that was how it was with my betta fish, I had a medication for every disease possible, and I once cured a supposedly "uncurable" disease that's always fatal!).

[bubblz]

I know you seem to be a very good researcher hun, but there are some things that just need some experience first. I would suggest caring for your little ones you have now. Keep doing your research, learn more about genetics ang illnesses then later (I'm thinking like no earlyier than a year from now) try breeding if you still want to.
Start slow don't beed like 20 pairs or something rediculous. Also just so you know breedding hamsters is not lucrative at all, you will make little to no money if you're taking proper care of them.
good luck

[TiaMaria]

Bottom line, take your time, learn EVERYTHING you can, then when you feel the time is right to breed, contact me or one of the other members who have experience in that, so we can talk to you about it closely before you actually start the process. Remember it is very important to know hamster genetics, so get learning.

[PetLuver21257]

Like you did with your bettas, research for like what, 4+ years or so before you start breeding hamsters. And when you do decide to breed them (and you are ready for it), you are what, going to drive 6 hours just to get a male and female and then drive 6 hours back?

Think it out, as you know, you can't just get any ol' pet shop hamster. They need to be healthy and the owner needs to know the genetics. Like with Bubblz said, you won't get a lot of money if you sell them. If you are in this for the money, you will lose money because hamsters need cages, food, bedding, vet care, toys, treats, and supplies.

And when you said that your mom took your dog to the vet even though it was in heat, well, dogs are MUCH different than hamsters. And if you are continuously taking your hamsters to the vet, (most likely your mom spending the $100's) your mom will get sick of it and either make you pay, or stop going to the vet all together.

[Pepperland]

Yeah, I already told my mom I wouldn't make much or any money, but, I would only breed for like, one or two litters, sell (or just keep) the babies when they are ready to be sold. My mom doesn't seem to care... I think she just wants me to breed them because she thinks they're just so darn cute.

Ok, I know this sounds ridiculous, but my sister just informed me that my mom wants her to breed show quality guinea pigs in the basement! ROFL

[TiaMaria]

Haha, that's too funny! :D

[Pepperland]

Everything (or almost everything) I know about Breeding Hamsters

Ok, I'm going to make a giant summary (or research paper) of everything I know about hamsters so far, and I'll make sure to make it detailed. If I'm missing some stuff, tell me, and if I'm missing a *lot* of stuff, tell me that too, and tell me whether or not you think I am ready to breed hamsters.

How to breed hamsters: First, make sure you know the genetics of the parents, and that they aren't related, or could have devastating results within genes, that end up with the white toothless, eyeless babies. Put a nice quality, healthy, mature male in with a quality, healthy, mature female in a neutral territory while she is in heat, and watch for any violence, or fighting. If that happens, remove both hamsters and try again later. Another way to breed is to keep the male and female together as babies, and they will eventually mate. Make sure they aren't related, otherwise the babies could be deformed, or have other problems. Do not breed mottled/mottled, or mottled/carrier mottled, otherwise 25% of the babies will be white, runty size, have no eyes and no teeth and will die in approximately 2-3 weeks.

Pregnancy: Feed the female plenty of proteins (scrambled eggs, peanuts, sunflower seeds, etc.) during and after pregnancy to keep her healthy. Make sure she has plenty of water and food, along with some tissue paper to make a nest with. Never, ever use the petstore cotton bedding, since the babies could get strangled in it or lose limbs, and mom could swallow it and get stomach blockage and die. Avoid holding the female during the later stages of pregnancy (when she gets fat really fast), and give her peace and quiet. Humidity and temperature also have an effect on the genders of the babies (warmer temperatures gets more boys, cooler air is for more girls). Clean out mom's tank right before her birth, because you won't be able to clean out her cage or tank for about two weeks after birth. Make sure you can find homes for the babies, or have enough cages to keep them in, along with necessary supplies, bedding, and food.

Rearing the babies: After the mother hamster gives birth, remove them male, unless you want another litter in a few weeks, as he will mate within 24 hours of the birth. It's stressful to breed your female more than two times, and she is more likely to canabilize or abandon the babies. Leave the babies and mom alone for two weeks, as she could get stressed and kill the babies because she doesn't feel safe. If you touch any of the babies, she kill abandon or even kill it too because it's an intruder to her. She will be extremely aggressive during this time. If any pups wander, don't pick them up, as the mom will get them soon. Give the mother hamster plenty of vitamins and proteins, as she will need it greatly to rear these pups. Bread with kitten formula in it is a good food for growing pups or even mom, along with scrambled eggs. If the mother hamster ignores her babies, you can always try putting them in a smaller enclosure so she's forced to feed them. Only get into the cage to change water and food. Make sure the water is low enough for them to drink it.

About the pups: The hamster pups are born with teeth so they can suckle on their mother, therefore at an early age, they can start eating seeds. After their eyes open, they will explore out of the nest more, but the mother will pick them up and put them back in. They are ready to be weaned at 23-28 days, and can be tamed as soon as they are ready to be handled. To tame the babies, put your fist in their cage, and let them attack it, so they can get used to its smell, and won't be afraid of it. As for the really, really aggressive baby who just punches and kicks like crazy, carefully remove them and put them in a separate cage. After the babies get used to your hand, give them small treats, and while they are eating them, gently stroke their backs. After a few days of doing this, they should be pretty used to you, and then you can finally handle them, but do so with care. They will jump of your hands very quickly, and could get seriously hurt if they fall. It takes time and patience to tame them. If you don't handle a hamster within two weeks, they will become wild again, since they have such short memory spans. Put the males in one cage, and the females in another so they don't mate, and have inbred babies.

Health issues: Dwarf hamsters are succeptible to diabetes, so sugar must be removed from their diet. This includes picking out every single piece of corn from their seed mix. If you think your hamster has diabetes, take them to the vet immediatly. Dwarf hamsters can't get wet-tail, but they can get diahrea. Give them antibiotics in their water to prevent or cure this, but take them to a vet beforehand. Sometimes, pups can get swollen bellies and die because of a bacterial infection from the mother's milk. Antibiotics help this too, and taking your hamsters to the vet could save all of their lives. Keep the cage clean, and watch what your hamster eats. Dirt, sand, and dust are very bad for hamsters, since they cause respiratory problems, and can kill your hamster. Dwarf hamsters can even get the cold, so if you have the cold, stay away from your hamsters so that they don't get it. Pregnant hamsters can go through a "phantom pregnancy." They get fat only a few days after mating, but no babies are born, and the babies are absorbed, and the female can be bred again. Basically, bring your hamster to the vet if you suspect anything wrong.


What to breed for: Breed for personality, health, good genes, and quality. Breeding hamsters doesn't really make you money, so this is more for hobby and accomplishment. Breeding petstore hamsters with no data, diabetes and mean personalities isn't really accomplishing anything.

Ok, done. Keep in mind I did this really, really fast (in about 30 minutes) because I have to practice for my piano lesson, which is in less than an hour!! =O

[Caitandcritters]

Hey there! Good luck with the research, and be sure to keep researching even after you *think* you have it all down. Many breeders' (and owners!) downfall is that they refuse to learn and/or stop learning new information as it is discovered.

I read over your information. Very nice, but we need some work on a few parts. :)

Do not breed mottled/mottled, or mottled/carrier mottled, otherwise 25% of the babies will be white, runty size, have no eyes and no teeth and will die in approximately 2-3 weeks.


Ruby eyed to ruby eyed mottle is lethal, normal mottleds are safe to breed as long as they don't carry the ruby eyed gene. Just have to be careful if you ever get into mottleds and umbrous. :)

: Feed the female plenty of proteins (scrambled eggs, peanuts, sunflower seeds, etc.) during and after pregnancy to keep her healthy

Sunflower seeds and peanuts are quite fatty... But you're on the right track. ;) Chicken, lean beef, and oatmeal made with soy milk are all excellent for nursing mothers. High quality dog kibble is also good, a lot of protein in that.

After the mother hamster gives birth, remove them male, unless you want another litter in a few weeks, as he will mate within 24 hours of the birth.

Its prefered to take the male out after she starts showing, as you may not notice the babies for a few hours, and the male can get the female pregnant in that amount of time. Better safe than sorry.

Leave the babies and mom alone for two weeks, as she could get stressed and kill the babies because she doesn't feel safe. If you touch any of the babies, she kill abandon or even kill it too because it's an intruder to her. She will be extremely aggressive during this time. If any pups wander, don't pick them up, as the mom will get them soon.

This is USUALLY the suggested route... But it all depends on how the mother's bond is with you. I've handled babies from day one with mothers I trusted, but people have had mothers cannabialize a litter well after their eyes were open. It depends on the mother in question. If any pups are left out of the nest for too long, it is acceptable to take a clean ( I prefer sterilized) spoon and move the baby into or near the nest.

After their eyes open, they will explore out of the nest more, but the mother will pick them up and put them back in. They are ready to be weaned at 23-28 days, and can be tamed as soon as they are ready to be handled.

Normally you can start handling the babies once their eyes are open. No need to wait until they are 4 weeks old to handle them.

If you don't handle a hamster within two weeks, they will become wild again, since they have such short memory spans. Put the males in one cage, and the females in another so they don't mate, and have inbred babies.

Ok. Let's break this one down. Hamsters do not become "wild" if you do not touch them for a certain amount of time. "Wildness" is often confused with cage aggression, which you should look into as well. Again, they do not "go wild" if left unattended for a short length of time. Of course if you NEVER touch them, obviously you will have issues.

Second part of that:
Put the males in one cage, and the females in another so they don't mate, and have inbred babies

Right, you seperate by genders. Very good. :) The qualm I have is with the "inbred" babies part. Sometimes (NOT ALWAYS) breeding sister/brother, mother/son, father/daughter brings out GOOD recessives, such as a color or coat type. Often, with unknown lines, yes, you get BAD recessives. That's why you do not breed from lines you don't know. Its also a moral/ethics thing, so you have to work out where you stand on the linebreeding (proper term for breeding related animals from KNOWN lines with proper outcrossings later) issue. :)

Dwarf hamsters are succeptible to diabetes, so sugar must be removed from their diet. This includes picking out every single piece of corn from their seed mix. If you think your hamster has diabetes, take them to the vet immediatly

Ooook, another one of my little "soapbox" topics. YES they are susceptable to diabetes. Sugar (I assume you mean things like grapes, carrots, apple, and the like as sugar, as obviously you wouldnt give any animal junk food ) should be exempt from their diets ONLY if they are diagnosed with diabetes. Depriving a perfectly healthy hamster of perfectly good foods (again, apple, grape, carrot etc.) is not good business. Its bad business. :) The key is, diabetes (in Campbell's case) is not "developed" like the human type 2 diabetes. It is genetic, like human type 1 diabetes. In other words, it is only MANAGED through diet. NOT cured or prevented. What is very important is to test your breeding stock regularly. If you get your stock from a great breeder, you should have no issues. If a hamster comes up diabetic, you discontinue that line completely. This is the only way to prevent diabetes.

Dirt, sand, and dust are very bad for hamsters, since they cause respiratory problems, and can kill your hamster

Actually, Campbell's rather like a good sand bath. Dust IS bad for their resp. systems, but sand is not as fine and when properly treated and stored is actually healthy for your hamster. It keeps their coats clean and looking nice.


*whew* That was quite a bit! Looks like you're doing good so far. Keep it up.

Oh, for reference, here is a pregnant Campbell's female:

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c396/Caitsfunrries/Hams/Viv2.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c396/Caitsfunrries/Hams/Viv1.jpg

If your gal is preggers, she will become more diamond shaped. You'll for sure be able to tell a few days before.

Edit: Gah, ignore the feed in that last picture, that was before I switched to my own mix. See, we all make mistakes, and we fix them. Thats what makes the hobby work. :)

[bubblz]

The majority of molted hamsters in the US carry the ruby eyed gene and it is often hard to distinguish especially in red eyeed hamsters so no you don't want to breed two molted it's just asking for issues.

and campbells unlike syrians do not remain tame if they're not attended to. This is not neccessairly cage agression whatsoever.
they have been domesticated animals for such a short amount of time that if they do not have human contact they will in essence become wild again.

[Caitandcritters]

and campbells unlike syrians do not remain tame if they're not attended to. This is not neccessairly cage agression whatsoever.
they have been domesticated animals for such a short amount of time that if they do not have human contact they will in essence become wild again.


*sigh* I maintain that this is untrue. They've been domesticated long enough, sure they're not like puppies, but they don't "go wild" if they have been properly tamed and are attended to on a regular basis. I find syrians "forget" what that strange hand thingy is more often than Campbell's, anyway. ;) Just saying.

[PetLuver21257]

YOU came up with all of that? You didn't get it from a website/s? Because that's pretty good for only a 30 mintue time span... :)

[bubblz]

maybe wild wasn't the best word but they loose their tameness. hedgehogs do the same thing.

[bubblz]

Campbells Dwarfs have been Breed in captivity Scene 1963 originally as Laboratory animals Possible references to dates as early as 1943. That is not a long time for an animal to become domesticated. Especiall considering they were not kept as pet until the 1970's

[Catmakemebark]

Thanks for correcting me guys! =D

Yes, I did type that all from memory (after researching for days on end). I just soak in information. =P

[Catmakemebark]

Eek, this is Pepperland, my sister forgot to logout again... >_<

[Pepperland]

Blah. My sister needs to stop logging in on this computer. She should know by now that this is the computer I use. I forgot to log out of her account, because... I thought my account was logged in.

[Pepperland]

Yeah, bubblz, my mom said she had a hamster when she was a kid (probably in the 50's or 60's), and she she'd never heard of dwarf hamsters when I asked her. She said she only had a syrian. I never even knew she had a hamster.

[MunkieBiznizz]

yeah. you can buy her if u want, but there's really no point in buying your animals from there if they inbreed them. hamsters are inbred so much anyway though, so like they say, it wont matter if they breed wit their relatvies.

[bubblz]

That's because they've only been pets for a short amount of time and still are in the process of being domesticated. many of the "newer to pets animals" need to be handled regularly or they will not remain tame. besides if you have pet hamster there is no reason why it should go without contact long enough to be no longer tame.

[TiaMaria]

yeppers, what bubblz said! :D