First of all I will start by saying please don't breed if you have not done your research. Yes, everyone has to start somewhere but undertaking breeding without suitable knowledge could be dangerous for the Hamsters and heartbreaking for the owner. You should have a reasonable grasp of genetics/possible complications and suitable funds available for vet care should things go wrong, you must have the available space and cages for the babies who have to be separated from mother and placed into single sex groups at around 4/5 weeks old to prevent interbreeding. Syrian females can have litters of up to 26, this should be considered carefully before starting. Never breed a female Hamster for the 1st time after 6 months (although I have heard its up to 8 months, I would err on the side of caution) of age as her pelvic bones have fused and this will result in birthing complications which may lead to death. The best age for the 1st litter is between 4 and 6 months.

All that said... having a litter of babies is a wonderful experience, to watch those tiny pink 'worms' turn into fluffy Hamsters with their own personalities in the space of 6 weeks is, for me, one of the most rewarding parts of hamster ownership.

Too often if you purchase a Hamster from a pet store they are very nervous and may prone to bite, putting many people off handling them. This is why it is a good idea to purchase your hamster from a breeder who has tamed your pet prior to you taking him or her home to start your new life together. All my babies leave my home tame and have made excellent pets.

Syrian hamsters gestation period is normally 16 days, but this can vary up to 18.

A female hamster will come in season every 3-5 days, mostly in the evening, you can 'test' her by stroking her back firmly. She will freeze with her tail in the air and usually omit a musky odour. Only introduce the male and female if the female is in season, serious fighting could occur otherwise.

It is best to introduce the male and female in a neutral area. The male will fuss around the female, licking her, before mounting and thrusting, he will normally dismount, clean himself and repeat the process several times. He may bite or pull at the females fur but she normally ignores this unless he gets too rough.

During her pregnancy the female may show a increase in activity, and appear a little manic, especially in the few days before the birth. Her shape will change, showing bulges on each side of her stomach around her hips. She may not enjoy being held at this time so give her some peace and quiet. The cage area must be cleaned a few days before the due date and plenty of fresh nesting material (plain, unscented toilet tissue is best) provided. Feed your expectant mother plenty of high protein foods such as egg (boiled or scrambled) cheese and plain boiled chicken. A shallow dish of bread soaked in kitten replacement milk is also welcomed, this is most commonly known as Lactol.

Birth normally occurs in the late evening or early morning. Do not disturb the female whilst she is giving birth under any circumstances, she will more than likely cull the litter leading to upset all round.

The babies are often born around the cage and the mother will gather them up and place them in the nest. You may see spots of blood on the bedding but this is from the placenta released with each baby and is not normally cause for concern. It is now very important to leave the mother to get on with doing her job, its very tempting to want to poke around and try and see the babies but this temptation MUST be avoided. Everyone loves cute baby pictures but using flash photography around mother and babies may greatly upset her so its best to wait until they have their eyes open to get pictures for safety's sake. The babies must also be left alone as touching them will change their scent causing the mother to reject or kill them. If you have a baby that has found its way out of the nest and the female hasn't noticed you can gently encourage him back using a clean household spoon wiped on the bedding of the cage.

Its amazing how fast baby hamsters grow! At 3-4 days their skin starts to pigment allowing you to start to see what colours they will be as adults, if they are to have dark eyes you can see this through their transparent skin, if they are to be red eyed no eye colour can be seen. At 5-7 days hair starts to emerge and the ears open, and by 9-10 days they are covered by short fur and their eyelids are developing. At this point the babies may start to wander around the cage and I have encountered problems in the past with little ones squeezing through or getting stuck in wire cage bars. I have found you can keep this to a minimum by fitting cardboard approx 4 inches high around the outside of the cage ensuring a snug fit to block off bar gaps... works a treat!

Mother will usually round up these escapees and return them safely to the nest, usually accompanied by squealing from the baby, this is perfectly normal.

By 2 weeks old the babies will be covered with short fur and will be attempting to eat solid food left from mother hamsters food store. Plenty of hamster mix should be provided along with small amounts of boiled/scrambled egg, grated cheese and carrot, these will be gobbled up with great glee and small (and very comical!) fights may break out between siblings. Around this time the eyes start to open and the babies take a first look at the world and their surroundings, they may find this a little frightening until they adjust so sudden movements and loud noises may startle them and are best avoided.

At 3 to 4 weeks old the babies are fully weaned and no longer need to suckle from mother, most still will if milk is available though. The babies can be removed from mother and placed into single sex cages. (females can also be left with the mother as long as she will tolerate them but have a spare cage handy as not all mothers will welcome them after 4 - 6 weeks) Both mother and babies can find this a little stressful and may take a few days to adapt to this new phase in their lives.

The babies should be handled as much as possible at this stage to prepare them for their new homes, as they grow and develop squabbles will break out as their solitary nature starts to emerge. At 6-7 weeks old the babies can be re homed.

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