Syrian hamsters breed at home
 |
| hamsters breed |
At home
breeding Syrian hamsters can occur all year round. But before you start breeding rodents, owners should study all the subtleties of this difficult matter. Indeed, in order to ensure the receipt of healthy offspring, it is necessary to know the rules for selecting pairs, choosing the time for mating, especially feeding, caring for and keeping pregnant females
Puberty of Syrian hamsters
Sexual maturation of Syrian hamsters occurs in the period from 1 to 2.5 months. At this time, their hormonal system is able to ensure fertilization and bearing offspring. But such an early pregnancy can adversely affect the health of the female, lead to premature birth or anomalies in the development of the cub
Also, young hamsters often lack maternal instinct, which is manifested by eating newborn babies
The optimal period for the first fertilization of the female is the age of 4 to 6 months. Males can start mating at 3 months of age
Pair selection
When breeding Syrian hamsters, the correct selection of a pair is important
For this, the following rules must be observed
select only healthy animals
to bring individuals of the same breed
avoid inbreeding
do not allow mating animals that suffer from obesity
choose hamsters with a friendly disposition.
Important! If hamsters begin to show aggression towards each other, then they should be seated immediately
Syrian hamster mating is best done on neutral territory, where the animals will not assert the right to property. You can also put the female in a cage with the male. This will prevent the female from displaying excessive hostility, and the male will calmly approach her for mating
Pairing
Female Syrian hamsters are in heat every 4-5 days. Most often it appears at night. The female becomes more active, spreads her legs and arches her back. In the area of her genitals, one can notice a mucous exudate with a pungent odor
Important! Before mating, Syrian hamsters should be fed. This will reduce the cannibalism
To ensure the mating process, the hamster is carefully brought to the female and her behavior is observed. If she allows herself to be sniffed and stands in a rack, then the animals can be left alone
Mating in Syrian hamsters lasts for 20-30 minutes. After mating is over, they need to be seated to give the female a rest and recuperate
Pregnancy
The duration of pregnancy in Syrian hamsters varies from 16 to 19 days. It depends on the number of fruits, the diet of feeding, the age and degree of fatness of the animal
10 days after mating, you can notice an increase in the female's abdomen, swelling of the nipples, and increased appetite. The behavior of the hamster also changes. She is less likely to approach the running wheel and toys, and peace can be abruptly replaced by anxiety and aggression
During this period, it is necessary to carefully monitor the cleanliness in the cage. A week before the birth of the hamster, you should stop disturbing and take it in your arms.
The diet of hamsters during pregnancy must be supplemented with protein products. However, you should not use meat, meat products or meat and bone meal, as they often provoke cannibalism. It is better to replace them with dried gammarus, boiled chicken or quail eggs, low-fat cottage cheese.
The cage should also be prepared for the appearance of offspring. To do this, it is necessary to cover the lower part with plastic so that newborn babies cannot get stuck between the bars or fall out through them.
childbirth
This is the final breeding stage of Syrian hamsters. On average, they take from 2 to 6 hours.
At the beginning of childbirth, the female assumes a characteristic sitting posture. During contractions, she twists and pulls the cubs out of the birth canal with her teeth.
The time interval between contractions is from 5 to 15 minutes. During this period, hamsters:
gnaw the amniotic membrane
gnaw through the umbilical cord
licking a newborn baby
eat the placenta.
Important! With multiple pregnancies (more than 12), the cubs are born at very short intervals, so the female does not have time to free everyone from the shells, and some of the babies suffocate.
Competent breeders understand that frequent breeding negatively affects the health of Syrian hamsters. Therefore, after giving birth, the female is given 2-3 months to recover. She can bring 3-5 litters per year. After this, the ligaments of the pelvic joint lose their elasticity, and the labor activity of hamsters stops.
Care of the female and offspring
For the first week, the cubs feed exclusively on mother's milk and do not leave the nest that the female built during pregnancy. At this time, it is strictly forbidden to disturb animals. Firstly, the hamster can respond with aggression to the invasion, and secondly, eat the babies, from which the smell of a person will come.
You should also not try to change the bedding. It is better to periodically report new portions of napkins with which the female will cover her offspring during absences for meals.
After 5-6 days, little hamsters begin to squeak when they need a new portion of milk. On the 12-14th day, the cubs open their eyes, they begin to crawl out of the nest and get used to the environment. At the same time, you can start feeding babies with grated carrots, pumpkin or porridge.
Lactation lasts 21-28 days. Therefore, approximately 21 days after the birth, the babies are removed from the mother. At this time, their sex is determined and seated in different cages. During the week, you should observe how they adapt to independent living. After that, they can be given to new families.
Pros and cons of breeding Syrian hamsters
Breeding Syrian hamsters cannot be considered a profitable business that provides a stable income. In addition, the reproduction of rodents is associated with a number of difficulties and inconveniences.
It is worth highlighting several arguments against breeding rodents:
Material costs for foods enriched with calcium and vitamins, cages, additional volumes of bedding.
The negative impact of reproduction on the body of females. Reducing their life expectancy by 1-2 years.
Time spent on keeping the cages clean, cooking, seating and taming the young, finding new owners for the kids.
Contacting a veterinary specialist if there are health problems for the mother and cubs.
Disappointment and moral injury in case of eating offspring by the female.
You should also take care of selling small Syrian hamsters in advance to enable the mother to recover and prepare for a new pregnancy. After all, if you do not analyze the offspring sales market, you may have to leave the babies for a certain time.
Read more.
Diseases of parrots and how to treat them
chinchilla facts you need to know
British Shorthair cats what do you know about them