What You Should Know When Breeding Dwarf Hamsters
The idea of having a large hamster family, though appealing, can
cause you several sleepless nights. ‘The more the merrier’ is not really
applicable for a hamster family. The little hamsters may look very cute,
but caring for them is a gigantic task. These are the basics of what you
should know when breeding dwarf hamsters.
First, some relevant questions regarding your aim at breeding a family
of hamsters should be answered honestly:
1. What will I do with the babies? Use to amuse myself or give away?
2. Which hamsters should I pick to become the parents-to-be?
Sincerely examine why you are desirous of breeding a hamster family. Is
it because you love having as many hamsters as possible or are you
breeding them so that you may make a fast buck selling them to pet store
later on? The set of off springs that a hamster can produce at a time is
approximately 4 to 6 but this may vary depending upon the species of the
parent hamsters, sometimes the number going up to 14. Incredible to even
imagine how you would cope with so many tiny creatures! Certainly you’ll
have your hands full.
The idea of selling baby hamsters is not totally clever. The pet stores
these days are apprehensive about purchasing hamsters from any and
everybody. That would mean you’ll wind up with the whole brood of
hamsters to take care of unless you generously donate them to family and
friends. Believe me, not everyone will appreciate a gift hamster. In
case this cluster of little ones takes ill, how will you manage?!?
Rodents’ diseases are easily transmittable and soon you’ll have a sick
lot to nurse back to health, having to shell out more money on their
medication than what you anticipated. God forbid, but in case the mother
dies, who will take care of her hamster babies? Surely you would not
want to be a surrogate mother to so many budding hamsters, bottle
feeding them till the time they are old enough to take in food meant for
them. It may be fun to look after a couple of baby hamsters but were you
to be forced to take charge of a dozen or more of them, you will shirk
this taxing liability.
Next, the important question regarding the parents-to-be has to be
attended to. Deliberate on their heredity. Look at their past medical
history, their present health and their root ancestry. This way you will
be wise not to bring forth hamsters with inherited deficiency, poor in
health, suffering from illness that could have been averted. It should
be remembered that coupling hamsters of certain color of fur can
accentuate hamster diseases and inherently defective genes. Check should
also be made on the basic nature of the future parent hamsters so as to
ensure not multiplying ill-tempered, naughty or sulking hamsters thus
completing the list of what you should know when breeding dwarf
hamsters.
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