Last updated on January 22nd, 2023 at 06:46 pm
Many of us who keep hamsters wonder how to breed Syrian hamsters, whether is it difficult, whether can they be bred at home, and similar questions.
You only need one male and one female hamster to breed Syrian hamsters. Female hamsters are in heat every 4 days and can be pregnant from 6 weeks.
Place a male hamster in the cage when the female is in heat and wait to see if they mate.
If mating occurs expect the mother hamster to give birth to 5-8 pups, so you should plan to have enough space for all of them.
Then you have to think about whether you will keep the new little hamsters or sell them.
In today’s article, you will learn everything about the breeding of Syrian hamsters, how they should be bred, whether you can breed them at home, and many other things related to the breeding of Syrian hamsters.
What should we know about Syrian hamsters?
Syrian hamsters are the most commonly kept hamsters at home, they are easy to tame and are very entertaining.
They originate from Syria and Turkey, and they are also known as golden hamsters. Most often they have golden brown fur, but they can also be found in other colors due to their selective breeding.
Syrian hamsters were first bred in the 1930s, weigh about 5 ounces, and measure 5-9 inches.
Syrian hamsters are territorial, which means they like to live alone, you should never keep two hamsters in one cage.
They are most active at night, and during the day they usually sleep, but sometimes they can be active during the day as well.
Can you breed Syrian hamsters at home?
Yes, you can breed Syrian hamsters at home, but you will need to meet their breeding needs.
When mating a male and female Syrian hamster keep in mind that genetics will play a significant role in what color the baby hamster will be.
Usually, in Syrian hamsters, the golden color is the one that dominates, although it can happen that they have another color as well.
Most of the time, if both hamsters are golden in color, then the young ones will have that color as well.
What age should Syrian hamsters be for breeding?
In general, hamsters have a short lifespan, and Syrian hamsters live for about 2-3 years, so you don’t have to wait long for them to reproduce.
The ideal age is somewhere around 4-6 months, then it is best to start breeding. If hamsters are older than 18 months you should avoid using them for breeding.
The reason is that younger breeding hamsters have a better chance of producing healthy baby hamsters, as they get older those chances are going to decrease.
Female Syrian hamsters do not have menopause which means they can reproduce for the rest of their lives.
Otherwise, male hamsters are sexually active from 4 weeks old, and female hamsters from 6 weeks old.
Do Syrian hamsters breed very often?
Syrian hamsters reproduce very often, but this does not mean that it should be done too quickly. After the female hamsters give birth, they can get pregnant again after 4 days.
However, it is not recommended to reproduce more often, because the little hamsters will need help from the mother when they are born.
Therefore, after giving birth, you should separate the male and female hamsters to prevent re-breeding. It is best to wait about 3-4 months before the next breeding.
How many times can you breed a Syrian hamster?
Since the best time for breeding is when the female hamsters are at least 4-6 months old, and at the latest when they are 18 months old, that means three times is quite enough and healthy.
There is no need to breed more often because there can be problems with the care of the mother if there are too many young hamsters around her in a short time.
When are Syrian hamsters ready to mate?
Female Syrian hamsters are in heat every 4 days, which means that they can then mate with male hamsters.
But they are not always ready to mate and that is completely normal.
However, the tail of female Syrian hamsters can best indicate when the female is ready to mate with male hamsters.
If her tail is raised when there is a male hamster near her then it is time to mate. If the tail is not raised then you have to wait until the next day.
What are the signs of a pregnant female hamster?
First, let’s say that pregnancy in female Syrian hamsters lasts about 18 days.
To know if a female hamster is pregnant, you will be able to notice the following signs:
- swelling of the stomach
- they eat more
- behave aggressively at certain moments
- they lie further away from the usual place
If you notice these signs then the female hamster will bring you baby hamsters in a few days.
How many babies do female Syrian hamsters give birth to?
Female Syrian hamsters can give birth to between 6 and 20 babies. Usually, they give birth to about 6-8 babies, although this can be different with each subsequent birth.
It can only be concluded that the younger the hamster’s mother is, the more babies she can give birth to.
Of course, the more babies the mother gives birth to in one delivery, the more tired and exhausted she will be and she will need time to recover from the birthing and of course our help in those joyful moments.
Do Syrian hamsters eat their babies?
Yes, Syrian hamsters sometimes eat the babies, but it still depends on several factors such as whether the mother is ready for new babies, or if she is very active with the new young hamsters.
From your side, the most important thing is not to touch the babies for a few days to reduce the risk of them being eaten by the mother.
If the young hamsters manage to live 7 days with the mother, then they will not be eaten by her.
Can you breed Syrian Dwarf Hamsters?
Yes, Syrian and Dwarf Hamsters can mix and breed, although it is not a good idea to do so. It is best to breed only one breed of hamster and breeding will be much better.
You can only mix Campbell and winter white hamsters, while all others should breed with the same hamsters of their own breed.
How to breed Syrian hamsters?
As for the Syrian hamsters, unlike other breeds, it is a little more difficult to convince them to breed, but it is still possible.
Here’s how to do it right so Syrian hamsters can reproduce.
You need two Syrian hamsters
For breeding, you need two Syrian hamsters, one male, and one female, but for success, it is best to have more hamsters of both sexes.
That’s why some will not match each other, and this way some will surely match and mating will occur.
It is important that the hamsters are young, but not older than 18 months, in order to have a successful and healthy reproduction.
When everyone has already decided to raise hamsters, you will also need enough space, cages, and everything else that is necessary for them to have more commotion and be comfortable.
The female should be in heat
First, you need to wait until the female is in heat so she can breed with the male Syrian hamster.
If you don’t wait and put them together before there is heat, then nothing will happen, there will be no mating between them, only fights between the female and the male Syrian hamster.
As we said, when the female is in heat, they should first be in separate cages and the female should send mating signals to the male Syrian hamster, and only then should you put them together in one cage so that they start mating.
An understanding of male and female Syrian hamsters before mating
As we said, they should first get to know each other through two close cages and only then release together in one cage.
Then reduce the light in the room as it suits the female more so that she can have a successful mating with the male Syrian hamster.
When you put them in a cage, the female will raise her tail, which is a sign that she is ready to mate.
The male hamster will try to approach the female from behind, and if she moves away and refuses, then separate them because the female was thinking that is not a good time for mating and doesn’t want to do it, at that moment.
There is no need to try again because she will become aggressive toward the male hamster and a fight will happen.
If the mating is not successful then you have to wait another 4 days for the female to be in heat again and you will have to do the same procedure again.
What to do now that the female hamster is pregnant
When the female is pregnant we just need to provide her with more food, because she will be hungry much more often.
It is necessary to have enough bedding in the cage because she will make her own nest where she will give birth.
Do not touch the place where she makes the nest and let her do as she intended. You will know when it is time to give birth when she starts to make more noises and hear crunches.
You must not touch the mother hamster at all when she is giving birth, leave her alone to do everything, because otherwise, you will only interfere with the birth of the babies.
The female hamster gives birth to one baby every 20-30 minutes, and how long the entire birth will last depends on how many babies she gives birth to.
You are caring for a litter of baby hamsters
When the little hamsters are born, the mother will take care of them, although sometimes she can eat them if one of the babies is sick, stillborn, or with some anomaly.
You should not touch the babies for at least 20 days without gloves, because you will transfer your smell to them, and the mother may eat them by mistake.
Baby hamsters should not be introduced to their father at first, because he will think it is an attack on his territory.
While the little hamsters are developing, you should clean the cage often, and put more food and water in them so that they are comfortable and not hungry.
Separation of babies
When Syrian hamsters are three weeks old then it is time to separate them from their mothers. Then they are ready to continue living without their mother and eat and manage life on their own.
Separate male and female Syrian hamsters in separate cages, and it’s best if each hamster is in a separate cage, they don’t like to live in a group.
The next step is to decide whether to sell or keep your young Syrian hamsters.
Read more: How To Care For Old Hamster? All You Need To Know
Conclusion
Breeding Syrian hamsters require attention, care, and persistence in order to have successful breeding.
From the very beginning to the end of their breeding, hamsters must have enough food, water, special cages, and other conditions for breeding to be successful.
Just follow the steps we have shown you and in the end, you will no doubt have a bunch of new Syrian hamsters around you.
Read more: Why Do Hamsters Run In Circles? All You Need To Know
