Breeding Considerations (Part VII)

Breeding Considerations

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Breeding Considerations (Part VII)

·                     UPDATE: Simple Breeding Terminologies

·                     Sexing adult hamsters

·                     Sexing hamsters through:

1.                  anogenital distance and;

2.                  posterior features

The Estrous (Breeding) Cycle

·                     Lordosis

·                     UPDATE: What Mothers should eat

·                     UPDATE: What should be removed from the cage

·                     Young hamsters

·                     Baby Syrians Timeline

·                     Sexing pups

·                     UPDATE: Types of Hamster Breeding

o                  In-breeding

o                  Line-breeding

o                  Out-crossing

o                  Out-breeding

·                     UPDATE: Common Breeding Misconceptions

·                     SPECIAL: What to do if your Hamster pups were abandoned

o                  If the little ones are 12 to 14 days old

o                  In the event the pups are 10 days or less

o                  Pups 8 days and younger

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(NOTE: THIS BLOG AND ITS OWNER DO NOT ENCOURAGE IRRESPONSIBLE AND UNETHICAL BREEDING OF HAMSTERS (AND PERHAPS ALL ANIMALS)

SIMPLE BREEDING TERMINOLOGIES:

(by HH's Plushie) (22)

• PUPS are baby hamsters.
• A group of hamster pups is called a LITTER.
• WEANING is when baby animals are put onto solid food. You may see the mom refusing to feed her pups, this is normal during weaning and you need not intervene.
• GESTATION is how long the mother is pregnant: from the time the egg(s) are fertilized to the time of the birth. (For example, in humans this is normally 9 months.)
• CULLING is another term for when a mother animal kills her offspring. In the case of hamsters, this is often due to mom feeling threatened and/or thinking that she cannot raise the pups (e.g. in a large litter she may cull some so the litter is easier to manage). Often, if a hamster culls her pup she will also eat it.

Sexing adult hamsters

The sex of adult hamsters is easy to determine. Males have very large, prominent testicles. In fact, owners unaccustomed to seeing them are often astonished at these anatomic peculiarities. (1)

Sexual identification in hamsters is similar to other rodents, the anogenital distance in the male is greater than in the female.(13)

In adult hamsters, the male has a pronounced posterior bulge due to the testes in the scrotum. The adult female has a more blunt posterior.(13)

Sexing hamsters through anogenital distance and posterior features (13) 

What you'll need for breeding (4)

The Estrous (Breeding) Cycle

The image above shows the regular four day estrous cycle of female hamsters. The rising and falling curve above

the baseline on the graph indicates the period of receptivity to the male, or behavioral estrus. The blue column in day 2 marks the occurrence of a white, stringy, odorous

Hamster Health Check (Part VI)

Hamster Health Check

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Hamster Health Check (Part VI)

·                     Health Care

·                     UPDATE: Hamster Vital Signs

o                  Hamster Hematology 

·                     The weekly health check

1.                  General

1.                  Hamster Skeleton

2.                  Mouth and nose

3.                  Eyes

4.                  Cheeks

5.                  Fur

6.                  Nails

·                     *Grooming

·                     SPECIAL: Hamster Anatomy

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Health care

With proper care and diet, hamsters tend to be healthy animals. The most common health problem is called “wet tail” and appears as foul smelling diarrhea. It is usually related to the stress of moving to a new home or a sudden change in diet. Preventative medication is available and can also be used to treat it should it occur. It is best to pick up a small amount of food the hamster has been used to and mix it with any new food being introduced. Do not offer your hamster fresh veggies or fruit for about a week and then do so gradually and in small amounts. (6)

CHECK FOR YOUR NORMAL HAMSTER VITAL SIGNS (23):

Adult body weight: 95 - 150g (female); 85 - 130g (male)

Life span: 1.5 - 2 years

Respiratory rate: 35 - 135 breaths/minute

Heart rate: 250 - 500 beats/minute

Normal average rectal temperature: 102ºF

Hamster Hematology (24):

RBC 7,500,000/mm

WBC 7,600/mm

Segmented Neutrophils 21.9%

Non-segmented Neutrophils 8.0%

Lymphocytes 73.5%

Monocytes 2.5%

Eosinophils 1.1%

Basophils 1.1%

The weekly health check

Get into the habit of examining your pet carefully every week. It’s a good idea to weigh him too. Make this a regular thing and you’ll bond better with your pets. And you’ll catch any problems early – your Syrian hamster is nocturnal, so health issues might not be so easy to spot. (3)

General

Check that your Syrian hamster’s behaviour is normal – active and playful in the evening. Gauge how they walk, looking for limping, or signs of pain. A sick pet will be irritable and may bite more frequently. (3)

Hamster Skeleton (25)

Mouth and nose

The nose should be clean and dry – sneezing and runny nose are signs of cold or fl u. Check to ensure that your

pet’s teeth haven’t grown too long. See whether they’re misaligned or

Food and Water (Part V)

HAMSTER NUTRITION

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Food and Water (Part V)

·                     Food and Water

·                     *Cheek Pouch

·                     Hoarding

·                     UPDATE: Hamster Diet List

·                     UPDATE: List of Plants regarded as Unsafe

·                     Hamsters' Urine

·                     Lack of Food and Water

·                     UPDATE: Food and Nutrition Myths and Misconceptions

·                     SPECIAL: Nutritional Information of Sunflower Seeds and Meal Worms

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Food and Water

Good-quality food and fresh, clean water must be readily available at all times. The exact nutritional requirements of the hamster are not known. In the wild, they are omnivorous, feeding on plants, seeds, fruits and insects. Pet hamsters are best fed commercial rat or mouse diets containing at least 16% crude protein. These foods are usually available as dry blocks or pellets. These commercial diets can be supplemented with small amounts of dry, sugar-free breakfast cereals, whole-wheat bread, uncooked pasta, cooked chicken, tuna fish, cheese, fresh fruits and vegetables. The last 2 items must be thoroughly washed to avoid exposing pet hamsters to pesticide residues and possible bacterial contamination. (1)

Pet stores sell prepared hamster diets available in boxes or bags. These diets contain

large quantities of seeds and items rich in oils. Consequently, if improperly stored, they become rancid and lose their nutritive value. Furthermore, these oil-rich items promote obesity. These types of foods can be offered as a supplement to the commercial rat or mouse diets mentioned above. (1)

All food should be provided in heavy ceramic crocks that resist tipping. The sides of the crocks should be high enough to keep bedding and fecal material out of the food, or the crocks should be elevated slightly above the bedding. (1)

Water is most easily made available and kept free from contamination by providing it in one or more water bottles equipped with ‘sipper’ tubes. Make certain the ends of the tubes are positioned low enough to allow all residents within the enclosure (especially juvenile hamsters over 1 week old) easy access to them. Also make certain that very young hamsters are strong enough to obtain water from these sipper tubes. (1)

Average food consumption is 10 to 15 g of commercial pelleted rodent food per day for adult hamsters. Hamsters drink approximately 5 ml of water per 100 g of body weight per day. This rate of water consumption is similar to the gerbil, another rodent species indigenous to the desert. In comparison, rats drink 10 ml of water per 100 g of body weight each day.(14)

*Cheek Pouch

A unique feature of Syrian hamsters is the well- developed pair of buccal or cheek pouches beneath the skin on the lateral sides of the head. In the picture,

the cheek pouch has been reverted for examination. (2)

The pouches are used to carry food and nesting material. They also provide an easily accessible site for tumor transplantation and induction. The cheek pouches have

Hamster Accessories and Toys (Part IV)

Hamster Accessories and Toys

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Hamster Accessories and Toys (Part IV)

·                     Recommended Hamster Supplies

·                     Hamster Accessories

1.                  Exercise wheel

2.                  Exercise ball

3.                  Gnawing Toys

4.                  Other Toys

5.                  Harness

6.                  Special insecticide

7.                  Bathing supplies

·                     Playtime

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Recommended Hamster Supplies (9)

Hamsters need a water bottle, a dry food dispenser and a dish for treats. For their bed choose from plastic, wood, or grass houses and/or a hammock or sleeping bag. They need an exercise wheel, and also enjoy tubes, climbing toys such as ladders, ropes, and branches, and chew toys. (6)

Hamster Accessories (17)

1. Exercise wheel

The exercise wheel is not a luxury item but a NECCESITY for the hamster. Hamsters are naturally active and a lack of exercise might result in paralysis, where an afflicted hamster will spend most of its time hunched over, often unable to raise its head. (16)

There are many kinds of exercise wheels available in the market today. Metal/wire wheels provide a strong base but rust easily if the hamster chews on them. They are prone to squeaking when a hamster runs on them but this can be easily remedied by rubbing some Vaseline or vegetable oil on the joints of the wheel. Similarly, a plastic wheel can be easily chewed away. Wheels with bars should be avoided as a hamster's feet might get caught in them. Opt for a gnaw-proof plastic base wheel instead. Electronic wheels that record the distance your hamster runs daily should be avoided if your hamster have a tendency to urinate on the wheel. (16)

2. Exercise ball

The exercise ball allows your hamster to run all over your room without you having to worry that it might get lost or be attacked by other animals. It is also ideal when you wash the cage, for putting the hamster in the ball makes its wait more fun and bearable. (16)

To avoid exhaustion and dehydration, you should not put your pet in the ball for more than 20 minutes. Urine and droppings can penetrate the holes in the ball designed for air circulation, so you should supervise the area that your hamster runs on. In addition, make sure that the hamster does not roll the ball near stairways, deep holes, and other dangerous obstacles in the house. (16)

For added value, get an exercise ball that can be used both inside and outside the cage. (comes with a stand) (16)

3. Gnawing Toys

Gnawing toys satisfies your hamster need to gnaw and your pet will be less inclined to gnaw on other objects in the cage such as the water bottle or its toys. As a hamster's incisors are always growing, gnawing helps to keep their teeth trim and sharp. There are many kinds of