Hamster Breeding Guide (Part 1): Preparation and Mating

1 Preparation and Mating

1. Separate housing

Hamsters must be kept one per cage to prevent fighting and injury. Even for breeding, house them separately and put the male and female together only for mating, separating immediately afterward. Before mating, learn both hamsters’ breeds and avoid forbidden combinations such as inbreeding. For Syrian hamsters, do not pair white-belted with white-belted or long-haired with short-haired; for dwarf hamsters, avoid using a Pudding as the mother and do not pair Silver Fox with Silver Fox.

2. Pre-breeding precautions

1. Confirm both are adults — the best breeding age is 4–7 months. Hamsters are adults by 3 months but should not breed after 8 months, and the age gap between male and female should not exceed 3 months.

2. At least a week before breeding, boost the doe’s nutrition with a nutritional paste or gel; if you have time, prepare a homemade mix of chopped boiled egg white, broccoli, chicken breast, and carrot with goat-milk powder and wheat germ. This mix suits both the doe and, later, the pups.

3. Mating and preparation

1. If the male keeps chasing the female and she raises her tail and holds still, she is ready; if she attacks him, she is not interested yet.

2. When the male goes still, mating is over and you can separate them.

3. For pairing, place the female into the male’s cage — this gives a higher success rate.

From pre-breeding through pregnancy, birth, and lactation there is much to manage. For more on hamster pregnancy, continue with ‘Hamster Breeding Guide (Part 2)’.