What you need to know to successfully mate hamsters at home

When breeding hamsters, the following main factors need to be taken into account:

• hamsters kept together do not get along very well, so the male and female should live in separate cages, they need to be brought together on neutral territory, and under the supervision of the owner. An exception to this rule is Roborovsky's hamsters;
• at the time of the first mating, both the female and the male must be at least four months old;
• after the next birth, the female must have at least two months before the next mating;
• A female older than one year cannot be bred.

Sexual characteristics of domestic rodents

For the mating process to be successful and effective, you will need a male and a female. There were incidents when the owners tried to bring two girls or boys together. Naturally, such pimping did not bear fruit. Therefore, first, determine the sex of the individuals selected for reproduction.

In the case of adult animals, this is not difficult to do, because the male most often has healthy testicles! But if you buy young animals, hoping to further breed Djungarian, Syrian (or any other breeds) of hamsters at home, carefully examine their tummy.

1. Signs of a female: the body is slightly larger than that of boys; The genital opening is located under the tail next to the anus.
2. Signs of a male: the body is slightly smaller, the distance from the anus to the genitals is significant; starting from 2-3 months of age, eggs begin to appear clearly.

Although sexual dimorphism is expressed in the size of animals, you should not rely on this feature. After all, rodents from different litters can live in a pet store; they have different ages and different degrees of fatness. Therefore, estimate the distance between the holes.

The photo shows a female:

When can baby hamsters be separated from their mother?

You can separate offspring from a hamster from the 3-4th week of life. At 28 days, the cubs do not need a mother, and also already have the ability to reproduce. Therefore, they are separated to prevent early pregnancy and the occurrence of aggression on the part of the mother. But if the cubs were born weak and very small, they can be kept with the hamster for up to 5 weeks, but no more.

Babies are not distributed immediately after separation from their mother. Females are separated from males and placed in different cages, which have everything necessary for keeping hamsters - drinking bowls, feeders, bedding, houses, etc.

Rodents that can be kept as pets include rats, squirrels, degus, chipmunks, guinea pigs, gerbils, jerboas, prairie dogs, and dormouse.

Hamsters can be given away at the age of 1.5-2 months. They try to give away hamsters a little earlier, since already at seven weeks the fight for territory begins, and each hamster needs a separate home. When transferring hamsters to a new owner, it is advisable to give some of the filler that has already been used and food for the first time. The familiar smell and food will reduce the stress of changing your place of residence.

Reproduction statistics

Every owner should understand that breeding hamsters at home is a responsible process. It cannot be carried out at random, and the offspring that appears 3 weeks after birth will have to be accommodated. Many owners are simply shocked by the fertility of these small rodents!

Here are interesting facts about the mating of Djungarian hamsters, expressed in numbers:

• 3 weeks – age of puberty of dzhungarikas;
• 5 minutes is the average duration of sexual intercourse;
• 21 days is the optimal period for bearing offspring;
• A female can give birth to 18 babies in one litter (but more often 5-9);
• The girl rests for 7 days after giving birth, and then she is ready to become pregnant again.

As you can see, khomas begin to ripen very early. But if early mating is not at all harmful for the male, then an incompletely formed hamster may die during early pregnancy. Therefore, the optimal age for breeding Djungarian hamsters is 3 months. The maturation and gestation periods for Roborovsky hamsters are the same, but the offspring are slightly smaller: 3-9 hamsters.

Syrian hamsters also reproduce interestingly. The female shows interest in mating only during the period of estrus, and the male, like a true gentleman, is constantly interested in girls. The Syrian hamster bears its offspring for an average of 18 days. Sometimes this period lasts up to 3 weeks. Syrian hamsters are born in numbers from 5 to 15 pieces.

Keeping hamsters of different sexes before mating: together or separately

Before mating, hamsters must be kept separately , otherwise they may breed too often. This situation can cause weakening of the female’s body and the birth of weak offspring. Therefore, mating of hamsters for reproduction should be carried out as planned.

When forming breeding pairs, the following should be considered:

• a large female cannot be mated with a small male, she can behave aggressively and harm him;
• a small female is not mated with a large male, since the offspring can take on the size of the father, and she will have problems giving birth to such large babies;
• you should not bring relatives together, as they may give birth to unhealthy offspring burdened with genetic abnormalities;
• you should not breed aggressive individuals - such behavior can be genetically determined and inherited;
• fatty individuals should not be combined. First, you need to review their diet and switch them to lighter foods containing less fat and carbohydrates and more vitamins in order for them to lose excess weight. Hamsters that are too fat are often infertile, and your efforts to breed them will be in vain.

Important! Many people keep hamsters in pairs, and this is wrong. These rodents are solitary by nature and do not respond very well to proximity. Same-sex individuals may begin to fight for territory, which may lead to the death of one of them.

When a male and female hamster live together in a cage, mating occurs during the female's estrus period. In this case, the hamster may experience lactation and pregnancy at the same time, which greatly weakens her health.

Choosing a partner

You already know at what age jungariks and other animals will reproduce best. If you have one Homa living with you, it’s time to choose a mate for him.

1. Firstly, the partner must be the same breed as your pet. That is, a Djungarian hamster must mate with a Djungarian hamster, and a girl Syrian hamster must mate with a Syrian, etc. Interbreeding of hamsters at home rarely brings results.
2. Secondly, the partner must be of the opposite sex. And you already know how to determine the gender of rodents.
3. Thirdly, both animals must be healthy, free from external pathologies and infectious diseases, so as not to give them to future babies.
4. Fourth, choose a partner who is similar in appearance to the female. This will increase the chances of producing a pure line of hamsters (line breeding).
5. Fifth, try to avoid inbreeding, when hamsters that are siblings, parents and children mate. Such crossing will increase the chance of pathologies and deformities in the offspring.

The couple must not only match in appearance, the male and female must like each other. Choose a time when both animals are active, fed and happy. This will increase the chance of having intercourse “on the first date.”

Is it possible to castrate hamsters

Frequent estrus does not particularly bother the hamsters themselves and their owners, so there is no point in sterilizing the rodent . In addition, due to the small size of the animal and poor perception of anesthesia, this procedure is practically not used.

But if there are indications for castration of hamsters - tumor of the testis, pyometra, tumor of the uterus, then it is necessary to find out which veterinary clinic performs sterilization and carry out this procedure.

Did you know? There are 12 species of hamsters living in the wild in Russia. All of them are carriers of 30 infectious diseases, some of which can be fatal to humans. So the bite of wild animals is dangerous to health.

Calculating the time of mating

The Djungarian hamster, Syrian and representatives of other breeds are crepuscular animals, which is why they prefer to breed at night. But not only the daily rhythms of these animals are important, but also the individual cycles of the female. While the furry Don Juan is ready to mate any day, the female shows sexual activity only during estrus.

Breeding hamsters at home depends on how correctly you calculate the time to introduce the male. But this is not easy to do, you have to seize the moment, because the female’s readiness lasts only 4-12 hours, and after that there is a break for 3-5 days. Typically, estrus begins in the evening, so you only have one night to mate your hamsters.

Here are the signs by which you can determine when a female is in heat:

• the pet becomes too active;
• small mucous discharge appears under the tail;
• often the mucus has a peculiar smell that attracts males;
• the hamster tries to bend her back, spreading her paws, while her butt and tail lift up a little;
• The female reacts loyally to the approach of the male.

Syrian hamsters very clearly display all of the listed signs, but girls of the Djungarian breed are more modest, so it is much more difficult to determine when they are in heat.

Breeding Djungarian hamsters at home

In nature, the breeding season of hamsters falls during the warm season (May - September). Domestic dwarfs mate all year round. Therefore, in order to avoid the unplanned appearance of offspring, it is recommended to keep hamsters of different sexes in separate cages.

The beginning of mating of hamsters

The animals can bear their first litter at the age of three to six weeks.

At this time, hamsters are just entering the active growth phase. The internal organs and skeleton are not yet formed, and pregnancy can cause serious harm to health.

Mating at this time is fraught with:

1. The appearance of non-viable offspring.
2. Shortening life.
3. Complicated pregnancy.

Therefore, it is recommended to use for breeding females that have reached 4 months. At this age they reach puberty, and all organ systems are already formed. Later age may also be an obstacle to the appearance of offspring. If the female has never been pregnant before 6 months, then it is better not to use her for breeding - the risk of complications is too high.

There are no such restrictions for males - they can fertilize a female from 5 weeks of age and remain good producers until the end of their lives.

How to tell if a female is ready to mate

Sexual intercourse in hamsters occurs only after the female enters the estrous cycle (estrus), which occurs with a frequency of once every three to five days and lasts from four hours to a day.

The first sign of a female’s readiness is her changed attitude towards the male: when he approaches, she lifts her tail, spreads her paws, and arches her back.

In addition, signs of the onset of estrus:

• anxiety;
• loss or decreased appetite;
• the appearance of a sharp musky odor.

For most Djungarians, the onset of estrus is indicated only by a changed attitude towards the opposite sex.

Matching

In addition, the personal preferences of the animals play a big role.

To get healthy, viable offspring, you need to competently approach the choice of future sires:

1. Both animals must be active and healthy.
2. The weight of the female should not be less than 35-40 grams. Weight loss during gestation and feeding of cubs is up to 40% of the total weight.
3. Color and conformation should correspond as closely as possible to the standard.
4. Animals should not show signs of obesity. Overly plump hamsters often turn out to be infertile.
5. Hamsters should not be closely related. Inbreeding increases the chance of developing pathologies and deformities in the offspring.

Often a hamster attacks a male who does not please her, even during estrus. Therefore, for breeding, two to three females are usually prepared for one male.

How do hamsters mate?

In order for hamsters to mate, they need to prepare a separate cage. It is impossible to bring animals together in the territory where one of them lives permanently - Djungarians have a highly developed territorial instinct and such an attempt can end in a fight.

The cage is placed in a quiet place where nothing will distract the hamsters from the process.

In the evening, first the female is released there, and after 10 minutes the male. If the animals like each other, they will soon begin sexual intercourse. If not, they are seated in separate cages, and the attempt is repeated later.

The mating process takes no more than half an hour. During this time, several sexual acts occur with short breaks.

What to do after mating

Immediately after mating, the animals are placed in separate cages, even if they do not show aggression towards each other.

Under the influence of pregnancy, the female's character and behavioral reactions undergo changes, and she will constantly provoke conflicts.

Which will negatively affect the condition of future offspring.

Pregnancy and childbirth

Pregnancy among Djungarians lasts from 16 to 20 days. The first signs appear on the 10th day after mating. From 5 to 18 cubs are born at a time.

Childbirth takes place in a special nest, which the female begins to equip a couple of days before giving birth. In order for her to build a suitable place, more filler is placed in the cage, which can be used for construction.

Small hamsters are born at intervals of 10 - 15 minutes.

They are born blind, have no fur, and weigh only 3 grams.

Choosing a place to mate

For the breeding of hamsters to produce results, the couple in love must be left alone. The owners will only disturb the animals and distract them from their work. Many are worried that the boy and girl will not understand why they were put together. But this is stupid! In the wild, animals somehow find each other on their own and calmly reproduce. So why shouldn’t small pets cope on their own, because no one has canceled their instincts!

First, you need to find a cozy corner in your home where there will be no drafts, noise and threats in the form of curious pets. The marriage bed is placed there. It is best to keep hamsters not in a cage, where there are a lot of distractions (a wheel, other toys, food), but in a separate box made of thick cardboard or plastic. But it should be spacious enough, don’t forget to add filler. If you have a spare cage, that will work too.

So, you need to place two hamsters, a boy and a girl, in a love nest. At first, you can watch your pets and see how they get to know each other. If the hamster reacted favorably to the appearance of the gentleman, then move the box with the pets to where no one will disturb them. This is how hamsters of all breeds are reproduced.

The photo shows how the Dzungarians look closely at each other.

Why don't hamsters reproduce?

Hamsters reproduce only under favorable conditions. There are several reasons for the absence of offspring in animals:

1. Rodents of the same sex.

Quite often in stores they misidentify gender or speak at random. This leads to attempts to reproduce individuals of the same sex. Before mating, make sure there is a boy and a girl in the box.

1. Excess weight.

Obesity in females is especially common among Djungarians and negatively affects the production of hormones. This prevents pregnancy. It is easy to determine the obesity of miniature pets: when walking, the tummy of a fat animal touches the floor; when a Homa sits, its paws are hidden in folds of fatty tissue.

To prevent obesity, monitor your pet's diet, do not allow him to eat too much and do not give high-calorie foods often.

1. Poor nutrition.

An insufficiently varied diet and lack of vitamins negatively affect reproductive abilities. Malnutrition also leads to a lack of vitality. The pet may not have enough energy for the mating process and further pregnancy. This problem can also cause cannibalism in females. Djungarians especially often eat their offspring.

1. Illness and stress.

Serious diseases weaken the body, the animal is not able to reproduce for some time. Constant stress also affects the appearance of offspring. When hamsters begin to mate, they should not be disturbed by extraneous noise, drafts, or other pets. If something constantly interferes with rodents, it is quite difficult to get offspring.

During the mating period, try to create the most comfortable conditions for your pets. Then the chances of getting young animals will increase.

Sexual intercourse in hamsters

It is not customary for domestic rodents to have long foreplay; usually, after a short introduction and sniffing, they immediately get down to business. And why wait, because their life is so short!

So, you left your pets alone in a secluded place. If the female is completely ready for mating, then the male piles on top of her and hugs his girlfriend around the waist with his tiny paws. The submissive bride does not object, she leads the seed quietly and meekly, but Don Juan is very active! The mating process for representatives of the Dzungarian breed and other dwarfs lasts no more than 5 minutes; Syrians usually inseminate a hamster longer.

If a couple consists of a very calm girl and a small active boy, they may have intercourse several times throughout the night. In such cases, in the morning the male falls exhausted. Such a vigorous sex life can undermine the health of a hamster and even temporarily drive it into stupor.

In the photo, Roborovsky’s gentleman hugged his chosen one:

Sometimes problems arise during or before sexual intercourse. You need to know when it is better to place a couple in different cages.

Contraception methods

The high fertility of small rodents can cause a lot of trouble for their owners.
High fertility causes a lot of problems for the owners of cute animals. The only way to protect against unwanted offspring is to seat girls and boys in separate cages.

There are no birth control pills available, and veterinarians do not sterilize hamsters. They can do this only for medical reasons, for example, a tumor is discovered in a hamster.

The only method of contraception is keeping pets apart.

When to place rodents?

The sudden appearance of a cat next to hamsters preparing to mate, or an unexpected sharp sound can drive the animals into severe stress. They are capable of not only abandoning the task assigned to them, but also starting to fight. The mood of those getting married changes very quickly, regardless of their type. Fights can be so serious that one of the animals is severely injured or killed. Usually the strongest blows go to the male.

The following describes situations in which it is better to postpone mating of hamsters until better times:

1. The girl initially did not like the male. In this case, you need to introduce the hamsters gradually or choose another boyfriend for your pet.
2. The girl is not ready. If the hamster is not currently in heat, she will react especially aggressively to a furry man who appears nearby. Be sure that the lady will use not only her claws, but also her teeth. In such a situation, it is necessary to urgently remove the Djungarian boy and wait for the moment of estrus.
3. Sudden fear. Due to stress, both hamsters can simply go wild and start fighting. In this case, their separation is necessary.
4. The process is over. Not all hamsters, unlike individuals of the opposite sex, are ready to copulate all night. When the female decides that she has had enough, she will become restless and begin to show bouts of aggression. In this case, the partner should also be removed.

Sometimes hamsters can be left alone for half an hour to do their simple task. But you can leave only if the pets have established contact and they treat each other favorably. Still, it’s better to be nearby in case of a hamster force majeure. Usually the gentleman manages to inseminate the female within half an hour, then he can be separated.

By the way, some rodents have no complexes at all: they manage to mate in the presence of their owners, almost sitting in their arms!

In the photo copulating Syrians:

Arrangement of the cage

The monastery should be quite spacious; sawdust, odorless corn and wood filler, coarse sand should be placed at the bottom, but cotton wool and shreds should not be placed in the cage. A shelter is required (it can be a wooden house or an upside-down clay pot with a hole). You can train rodents to go to the litter tray - there are even special toilets with litter on sale. The sooner you start training, the greater the likelihood of success; it is almost impossible to retrain an adult.

To prevent the animal from getting bored, it would be good to purchase climbing tubes, build “minks”, ladders, a wheel is also useful for hamsters, but it should not be mesh or slippery. It is better to choose an adjustable, drip-type drinking bowl, since hamsters like to turn the drinking bowl over or splash water out of it. The feeder must be securely attached to the grate or be heavy so that the animal cannot turn it over.

Can you imagine a hamster without a pantry? – In some part of the cage, your pet will definitely equip itself with storage, where it will hide part of the food “in reserve.” When cleaning the cage, be extremely careful and do not take away the hidden food, otherwise the animal will be really stressed.

Determining pregnancy

Not everyone knows how to determine whether a pet is pregnant or not. The fact of conception is usually established 10 days after mating, since in the early stages there are practically no external signs.

Here are the symptoms of pregnancy in a hamster:

• the tummy increases in size (sometimes this is not noticeable due to the luxurious fur);
• nipples swell;
• the hamster’s behavior becomes abnormal: too aggressive or atypically affectionate;
• appetite increases;
• the desire to stockpile increases;
• the female approaches the running wheel less often.

All these signs indicate that there will soon be a new addition to the hamster family.

Hamster hygiene

Long-haired animals need to be brushed regularly. You should pay attention to their hind legs and belly, as tangles often form in these areas. For hamsters with short fur, clean it with a damp brush. These rodents should be bathed only when they are very dirty, using a special shampoo.

To maintain the normal condition of hamsters' teeth, it is recommended to leave branches of fruit trees in the cage. Solid food is required for grinding down the incisors. If the teeth grow too long, you will have to contact a veterinarian. The claws of healthy and active individuals grind down on their own. They only need to be trimmed on old animals that don’t move much.

How does childbirth occur?

Usually the female gives birth in a squatting position or on her side. Depending on the number of cubs, birth lasts from 1 to 2 hours, that is, quite quickly. The interval between newborns coming out is about 15 minutes. The hamster chews the membranes, uses its teeth to cut off the umbilical cord. She eats the membranes and placenta.

If you took good care of your pet and fed it properly during pregnancy, then childbirth will be easy. But there are also some complications in which the hamster can die or give birth to non-viable offspring. In such a situation, only a doctor can help, and not always.

Newborn animals are bald and helpless. Because of this, their mother has to take care of them. She builds a comfortable nest for them and begins to feed them milk.

Complications during childbirth

Complications can often occur during pregnancy, childbirth and afterward.

Toxicosis

Females experience toxicosis in the last days of pregnancy. There is no cure for this condition, but the consequences can be serious: the female and her cubs die during or after childbirth.

Death of fetuses in the uterus

If a mother gives birth to still babies, it means they died in the womb. This occurs due to poor nutrition, infections, age and physiological characteristics. If after this you do not undergo surgery to remove the uterus, the hamster will subsequently die from blood poisoning.

Pathology of childbirth

If labor is protracted, you should immediately consult a doctor. This situation occurs due to the age of females, whose pelvic bones become inelastic over time, due to the large size of the fetus.

Endometritis

The disease causes inflammation of the uterus, characterized by bleeding that lasts more than three days.

A few words about the kids

Newborn hamsters develop quickly and learn about the world. But for the first week they do not leave the nest at all, feeding on the milk of their furry mother. Breastfeeding lasts from birth to 3 weeks. During this period, it is better not to touch the animals, because a hamster may lose milk due to stress, and an angry mother in labor may abandon her babies altogether. In this case, you will have to feed the hamster offspring yourself, and many of the babies will die.

To prevent this problem from arising, provide the family with peace for the first 2 weeks. The bedding is also not changed during this period, but only a little food is added. At one week of age, babies begin to crawl blindly around the cage. And already at the age of 2 weeks they open their eyes. Around this period, complementary foods consisting of low-fat yogurt and peeled seeds should be introduced.

At 3 weeks, babies are already covered with thick fluff and can eat on their own. This means that it is time to remove them from their mother. Watch the babies for another week, and already at the age of 1 month you can give the miniature animals to new owners.

If you decide to keep the kids for further breeding, then at the same age determine their gender and place the boys and girls in different cages. This precaution will not allow the reproduction of small rodents to take its course.

There are many nuances in the reproduction of hamsters. You need to remember that mating of animals must be timely, voluntary and safe for both participants. At the slightest sign of aggression, separate the animals from each other! An important aspect of reproduction is the gestation period. In this position, the pet needs absolute rest and increased nutrition.

Care of offspring

After the birth of offspring, caring for hamsters has its own specifics. The cage is not removed for 14 days, the temperature is maintained at +21...+25 °C . During this period, babies should not be touched or disturbed, so as not to cause stress in the nursing mother. The hamster's diet includes balanced protein foods enriched with fats. Hamsters begin drinking water 10-20 days after birth.

If for some reason the mother cannot feed her offspring, then the cubs are fed using a pipette with a special hamster milk substitute or powdered infant formula. After 7-10 days, the cubs begin to look for food on their own. During this period, you can throw grated carrots, cottage cheese and other food . They provide more food so that there is enough for both the mother and her offspring.

If there is no house in the cage, then you need to place a small cardboard box in it so that the mother and babies feel protected. If the hamster is provided with building materials, then she will arrange housing on her own. In addition to sawdust and filler, napkins or paper towels are also placed in the cage for easy cleaning.

Check out these tips for setting up a hamster cage.

For this purpose, you should not use cotton wool or cloth so that the hamsters do not get entangled and suffocate. The cage should not be tiered and have differences in height, and the spaces between the bars should be such that the cubs do not fall out of the cage. Feeders should be placed in such a way that babies can easily find them, and water should not be placed in open containers.

If suddenly a newborn hamster falls out of the nest or house, then it must be carefully moved back not with the help of hands, but, for example, with a spoon . The cage is located in a quiet place and protected from direct rays of the sun, and drafts are not allowed.

If there are small children in the house, they should be instructed that they do not need to handle small hamsters for two weeks. After the grown-up babies are moved to different cages, you can begin to tame them so that they get used to humans and do not bite their future owner.

Video: keeping hamsters

Features of mating Syrian hamsters

This type of hamster must be brought together late in the evening - first you put the male in a cardboard box, and then the female. It is necessary to breed rodents only during the period when the female begins to estrus. Otherwise, the female will run away from the male, chase him away or attack him. If this happens, place the hamsters in cages and try again the next day. Do not leave hamsters unattended; prepare to separate fighting animals. If the female allows the hamster to approach her, leave them to mate for 15-30 minutes. As soon as the female begins to chase the male and attack him, place the hamsters.