What you need to know about breeding Djungarian hamsters at home

Dzungariki live alone and zealously defend their territory, not allowing anyone into it, not even members of the opposite sex. This means that breeding Djungarian hamsters at home is possible only at certain times and under favorable conditions.

Let's find out what the owner needs to do in order to regularly receive healthy offspring from a furry couple.

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:

Is it possible to castrate a hamster

Hamsters are solitary animals, and frequent estrus does not cause concern to either the female or the owner. Due to their small size and poor tolerance to anesthesia, sterilization of rodents is extremely rare.

If the owner considers surgery necessary, you need to ask the veterinary clinic whether their surgeons castrate their hamsters.

Hamsters are not ferrets, and do not come out of heat until they mate or die. Chemical sterilization with hormones (Suprelorin) has been developed for ferrets. There is no such drug for hamsters. These animals are castrated only for medical reasons: testicular tumor, pyometra.

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.

What to feed a pregnant female

A pregnant hamster needs to create comfortable conditions, ensure complete peace and absence of stress. Remember that stressful situations can have a detrimental effect on the offspring, even to the point of a distraught mother devouring her children.

The hamster should also be provided with good nutrition. At this time, her diet should contain a lot of fruits, vegetables and products containing protein, which is so necessary during the development of the offspring in the womb . The latter include:

• egg white;
• chicken meat (boiled);
• baby food with meat;
• dairy products.

Learn more about hamster nutrition.

Also, at this moment the female urgently needs to replenish her body with minerals. To do this, place a chalk stone in the cage.

Important! Good nutrition for the mother will guarantee that she will not bite the babies to death.

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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.”

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.

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.

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.

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:

Is it possible to pick up small jungarians?

Experienced breeders do not advise touching or picking up babies until they reach two weeks of age. Also, until this time, it is worth climbing into the cage with your hands less often, only to carry out the necessary manipulations of replacing water and providing food. The litter is not changed at this time.

The most popular of all types of domestic hamsters is the Syrian; families with children love it.

The fact is that any careless actions can scare away the mother, and in this case she will stop fulfilling her parental responsibilities. There is a big risk that she will stop feeding the children if she smells someone else's smell on them.

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.

Preparing the room

Animals of different sexes are kept in different apartments. During mating, the female is placed with the male. The father is resettled immediately after fertilization. A pregnant hamster becomes nervous and the male irritates her. This negatively affects the health of the cubs.

There are several rules for preparing a room for breeding animals.

1. For mating, prepare a carrier or a spacious box.
2. One cell is left in reserve. Place newborn hamsters in it.
3. The cage size for a pair of rodents is 50 by 40 cm.
4. To prevent your animals from having health problems, install a running wheel in your home. The optimal wheel diameter is 20 centimeters.
5. Animals should always have clean water and fresh food in their house.
6. You cannot install a cage with newborn animals in a room where there are drafts.
7. The temperature in the room with animals should be about 25 degrees. Ventilate the room.
8. Place the rodent cage in a quiet, dark place.

When the young animals are one month old, the animals can be separated from their mother.

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.

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.

Sexual cycle: at what age do they begin to reproduce?

Females reach sexual maturity at 1-1.5 months and can become pregnant at this age.

Males are ready to breed from 3 weeks. However, it is not recommended to breed young animals until the animal’s growth has finished and the skeleton has become stronger.

Otherwise, you can get an unhealthy offspring and various complications during pregnancy and childbirth. Often a young female does not have enough milk, then she eats part of the offspring. Only those individuals remain that she is able to feed.

The optimal time for mating hamsters is 3-6 months of age. She is able to become pregnant in the near future after the birth of the young, but it is not recommended to bring her together with a partner too often. After giving birth, the female will need time to rest and recuperate. Hamsters are re-mated at 8-10 months.

Females retain the ability to bear children for up to one and a half years. Males can reproduce throughout their lives.