The Golden Hamster Manual

Front matter

THE

Golden Hamster

MANUAL

Contents

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Certain mistakes may be avoided by Informing oneself. The novice might well read through this entire book, then reread parts or all, before making any decision as to type or number of pens or amount of breeding stock desired for starting the hamstery. It is so much easier to read than to rebuild. Intelligent investigation and reading now may save both disappointment and loss of time as well as money. Valid information used with good sense assures success in commercial phases, as well as in hobby phases, of the venture.

After a careful reading of this book, the interested person may ask himself the following: Do I like small animals? Have I suitable quarters for hamster pens? Can I afford a few dollars In a hobby, although It may fail to bring any financial returns whatsoever? There will be such investment in pens, breeding stock, feed, and possible advertising, if you wish to sell outside your local community.

Please note that the author does not sell hamsters. Therefore, these pages are not loaded with sales bait to hook a large breeding stock order. Herein are some facts, sort of words to the wise, usually omitted from high-powered sales literature.

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With increasing interest on the part of educational institutions and growing acquaintance with this comparatively new animal by the laboratories, the hamster's productiveness assures a good profit for a highly pleasant home hobby at a low investment in space for housing (basement usually being satisfactory), breeding stock, pens and feeding. Little time is required for their care. Hamsters do not require fancy or expensive housing. Pens are easily and simply made at home by the average person at all interested in pets and small stock. Few hobbies rival hamster interest to youth, professional people, naturalists, pet producers, sportsmen, small stock fanciers and home makers in general.

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The type of pens used in any hamstery is left to the owner's own choice. It should be noted that there should be twice as many pens as producing females in a hobby hamstery so as to properly house breeding males, weaned young, etc. In proportion to production, commercial hamsteries usually have larger and fewer pens for housing weaned young. Production pens built as in Chapter 23, described as author's preference pens, may be found to be most economical and durable as well as easiest to use. . . lasting for years. Consult Illus. 2 to see how orderly they appear and how little space they require. Pens should be built before breeding stock is purchased.

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On no other point does the beginner with hamster more urgently need advance information than on buying his first breeding stock. Hamsters are primarily laboratory animals, and as such may be listed by either gram or ounce weight. 28.3495 grams weight 1 oz. avoirdupois. All reliable breeding stock selections are quoted on age-weight basis, weight in ounces. Mature adult weights are attained by 16 to 18 weeks of age and are shown in ( ) as follows:

Sub-standard breeding stock (3, to almost 4, oz.) generally produces satisfactorily for cage pets, elementary schools, parks, zoos, sportsmen (for animal and fish baits), experimental breeding and limited laboratory usage, and usually sells below standard stock prices.

Standard breeding stock (4 oz. upward), acceptable for all standard laboratory production as well as uses previously mentioned, is highly recommended to the average beginner planning to sell both laboratory animals and breeding stock.

Superior (premium), to highly superior, breeding stock (4 1/2 oz. upward), Is recommended for production of highest grades of commercial breeding stock and laboratory animals. Suitable for all hamster uses.

Selected for future breeders, females from 4 to 5 1/2 oz. standard stock should at 4 to 5 weeks weigh 2 to 2 1/2 oz., often more. The buyer of such females has the advantage of observing their growth until mating time. Mated at 8 to 10 weeks, they should make first quality mothers. A fine male, 4 1/2 oz. upward when purchased, may repay his cost in the extra quality of the first litter from his service. A good male does not need

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breeding male—female contrast

painting or branding to identify his sex at a distance of several feet. Sex is readily observed, as shown In Illus. 1. The male is distinguished by his elongated rear section. Female squares off bluntly at the hips, as shown by the F and arrow pointing to the dash line showing how female hip and rear section appear In contrast when placed upon picture of male for comparison.

Buy breeding stock from a shipper who guarantees age and weight, and who also guarantees shipment of virgin females regardless of age. Otherwise, you may pay for females whose best production is already past.

WARNING: A few commercial shippers price breeding stock with record of production pedigree at about 2 to 3 times what same quality of stock may cost from most reputable persons selling standard to superior stock. Experienced small stock raisers are not suckers for such bait.

Buy your breeding stock from a hamstery where honesty counts. Two or three pairs or trios, or two sets, is a good start for a beginner. A set consists of 1 male and 3 females. Some shippers offer a lower price per animal when larger numbers are purchased. For that reason, a beginner who knows where he may immediately sell some of the stock to be shipped to him may safely order more animals than he may need for starting his own hamstery. Regardless of strain names used, two or more hamsteries near each other frequently pool production to fill orders, and may exchange stock to add new blood.

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The hamster In American domestication and laboratory use is the Syrian Golden Hamster. For advertising purposes, various attractive names are employed to interest breeding stock and pet buyers. The author and other competent small stock judges have examined thousands of hamsters, including both breeders and offspring, from all lines of production and report no one dealer's so-called strain or strains in any manner superior to others of like condition and weight from any well-managed hamstery. Whether prize, gem, royal, wonder, gold mine, diamond, or what have you strain, buy them of whatever or no strain name, as you please, cross them as you like. They are of one variety, Mesoericetus Auratus. The important consideration is the quality of stock selected to fill your order.

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Breeding records such as kept on rabbits, etc., are simple and inexpensive, and are kept in a well-managed hamstery. Upon a pedigree and breeding record card (see Illus. 54 and 55) is written the date of birth and name, number, letter or symbol representing a female. Upon a similar card is written similar data on a male. Then follow data on parents, grand and great-grand parents, if desired. Below, or on the reverse side as per Illus. 55, are the blank spaces for keeping accurate record of matings, litters, etc. Such a record is useful in maintaining or improving quality in production. With animals sold for breeding stock, some shippers include such breeding record cards, writing thereon two or three generations of ancestors, which are equivalent to unregistered pedigrees—some others charge about 10c extra per animal for such records—showing the beginner how to keep breeding and production records, for he uses the card to keep a breeding record of the animal named thereon. See Chap. 32 for illustration of such card and how to keep records. In filling a breeding stock order, unless otherwise requested, an honest shipper selects males not immediately related to each other or to females shipped; females likewise. Thus, pedigrees on commercial breeding stock purchases are unecessary.

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It appears that the largest profit and most pleasure In proportion to time and money invested comes to small operators keeping only a few producing animals selling offspring for purposes bringing largest returns per animal, such as pets and observation propagation stock for nearby schools, as well as for breeding stock sold to others locally and in surrounding territory at the regular prices for them while these animals are still so new. Buyers frequently pay more for stock they may see and take right home with them. The odorless, quiet nature, and brief gestation period mark the hamster as the ideal school propagation animal.

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Remember that the large, highly commercialized hamsteries are out to get all of the larger laboratory orders they can handle. Competition for large orders is keen. During the first 3 to 6 months one should take it easy, study the animals and their possibilities, learn advertising rates in all publications he might wish to use later, contact local doctors, visit laboratory technicians in nearby hospitals to offer a few hamsters (young stock, possibly free of charge for first experiments) for technicians to try out to learn hamster possibilities, sell a few animals for pets, get cages or pens into schools (see folder, School Hamsters), sell enough breeding stock to pay all expenses, but not breed more than necessary to supply the foregoing outlets. The hamster industry is no place for even the most experienced producer of any other small stock to start in on a big scale. Those who start out buying a large number of breeders are more likely than not to find themselves in sorrow. Six is about the maximum number of females advised for the beginner. In many cases, 2 or 3 may be enough. Why? These animals are PROLIFIC! Hamsters are perhaps easier to raise than most other small stock, but they are absolutely different and unique, and to attempt to raise them on the same schedule and with the same equipment as mink, cavies, rats, rabbits, etc., is to invite disappointment. It takes a few weeks to learn first-hand the fascinating characteristics making the hamster so unique and so valuable. After 2 or 3 months, if your hamstery output is selling right along and you like the animals well enough to warrant expansion, you might place some classified advertising where It will do the most good (Chap. 56), contact other nearby hamsteries about the matter of helping fill orders which may come too soon or too large for you. Average laboratory orders are too large for a lone beginner. But this may still be too early to expand production. When sales demand expansion, exchange young stock with these other hamsteries to add new blood and raise most of the choice females desired for any added production pens.

One with experience raising other laboratory animals, also having proper connections for laboratory sales, may, like any other beginner, start with 6 or less production females. Then, after a couple of months' careful study and handling of hamsters, he may expand to any number desired to meet his laboratory markets.

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As suggested in Chap. 10, whether beginning or expanding a hamstery, either hobby or commercial, there is real advantage in buying carefully selected females at 4 to 5 weeks. Not only do they usually cost somewhat less, but one may watch their development until proper age for best first matings. Some dishonest shippers have sent older runts when young females were called for in an order. To the novice, a 14- to 15-week runt may at first appear to be a normal 5- or 6-week female. So, It may pay the buyer to be reasonably certain of the integrity of the source of his breeding stock. Laboratories expect good weights, and the better stock produces a better weight average of good young throughout the productive lifetime of hamsters in both sexes. If possible, it is well to buy one's first breeding stock from a producer in one's own community. This permits the novice to ask questions first hand, see actual operation of a hamstery, and see the animals selected for his own start with hamsters. In buying mail-order, beware of lists that fail to give and guarantee the age and weight of stock, and that fail to guarantee females to be virgins.

One starting a hamstery and planning to begin production at once had best go in person to a hamstery and buy females 8 to 12 weeks old, virginity and exact age guaranteed; and males 15 to 20 weeks; all stock weighed individually in buyer's presence. One may safely buy such stock mail-order from only such shippers as are known to be absolutely honest. Several crooked outfits have shipped heavy weight but worn out stock to fill such orders for beginners. Know your shipper!

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When one places more than 8 females in production he has started into commercial hamster raising, and must take into serious consideration all of the essential factors given in this book. Good judgment is of untold value in guiding one through all details of the business. A commercial hamstery is a business institution. After 3 to 6 months introductory stage, some experienced small stockmen with adequate laboratory connections may expand to about 25 producing females. For others, it may appear best to expand to only 8 or 12, for this second stage, while learning more about the business angles of such an industry. Of course, many who start through hobby interest will prefer to keep about the initial number of breeders, say 4 to 8 adult animals, and have all of the fun and profit afforded by such a small space hobby. In any case, wait until your confidence in both yourself and the animals is well established before you build pens for the future. Let your family and friends enjoy with you the pleasantries of the project and all of you will get a lot of fun out of the capers, antics and strange ways of these fascinating little creatures.

The most successful large commercial hamster raisers average to have the animals about a year before they decide to develop into large scale production with 50, 100, or several hundred breeders. It is hoped that this fact may be of guidance to the reader.

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Low cost and small space production make hamsters popular with the small stock fancy and pet raisers. Living quarters should be adapted to the hamster’s nature and to durability in service. Therefore, housing unit details favoring satisfactory production and long usefulness are desired. However, a simple low cost but properly constructed home-made pen is all that is needed for the friendly hamster’s home in domestication. Beware the over-simple, too cheaply built all solid floor pens made to sell and replace. Pens should be built with the idea of using them for years. However, do not be discouraged if the first pens do not look professional. This is a home-hobby job. If widths of lumber do not work out just right, there is no harm in having the top extend an inch or so over the front or back, or both. BUT, be careful to saw ends of all boards squarely to avoid leaving wide cracks or uncovered openings to invite gnawing. Self-cleaning floor features are highly desirable as shown in most of the plans to follow. Hamsters need self-cleaning area in the floor for same reasons as do rabbits. Why don’t rabbit raisers use solid floor hutches? The answer will be clear as we continue through the treatment of housing. We know of no users of laboratory animals within a radius of 175 miles who buy animals raised on solid floors, i.e., floors without self-cleaning features. As per current laboratory supply lists and advertisements, modern laboratory cages have wire floors with droppings trays underneath.

Hamsters stand a wide range of temperature, 55 degrees upward being favorable. Temperature in general is fully treated in Chap. 29. The animals do well in either light or somewhat darkened locations. Direct rays of hot sunshine should be avoided. A reasonable amount of fresh air is appreciated. Detail in construction illustrations show the sim

illu2 of building these pens following the step-by-step directions set forth herein.

First, consider the great advantages of using dropping trays. 99 per cent of pen odors may be due to unsanitary conditions such as stale urine and the vaporous residue of same. Pens with self-cleaning area feature in floors require only a little longer to build, but save hours of cleaning time. Urination through the self-cleaning area into the droppings tray saves this offensive odor and prevents needless contamination of food. Hamsters like clean pens, so much of the excreta and other waste particles pass into the droppings trays. Trays may be emptied each week or 10 days without disturbing food stores or nests, and favor a pleasant, profitable situation. Laboratories and producers alike are rapidly turning to such self-cleaning advantages. No technician likes to handle animals carrying filth and foul odors; neither are such welcome about the home. Avoid both by proper construction of the pens. Illus. 2 shows a stack of such pen units with self-cleaning floor features, pen supports (P. S.) permitting free use of droppings trays (Drp. Tr.).

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Illus. 3 and 4 give details of hamster pen habits. Pens of approximately 7 1/2- to 9-inch widths simulate native quarters, food stores, etc., and are called standard

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ILLUSTRATIONS OF HAMSTERS’ PEN HABITS

pens. Pens of 10- to 12-inch widths are oversize and permit must waste of materials, foods, etc. F.P. shows where the caretaker places food. F,F,F,F show where the hamster stores the food. The sloping apron of nesting materials (A) leads up to the nest (N). Caretaker drops nesting materials at F.P. Excelsior, straw or grass may be used. Excelsior is preferred, and the animals make their own nests. Instinctively, the nests are usually made about the same size. In standard pens, Illus. 3, food stores (F) are in and on the slopes of the nest where the young may readily get to them, and urination (U,U) is in the front corners, passing at once into the trays. As in Illus. 4, oversize pens allow extra floor width inviting urination near some of the food stores (U,F).

Hardware Cloth

Hamsteries use galvanized hardware cloth, otherwise called hail screen, in sizes No. 6 to No. 2. Illus. 5 shows No. 6, 36 openings to the square inch. Illus. 8 shows No. 2, 4 openings to the square inch. The

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writer’s first choice for floors Is No. 4; second choice, No. 3. No. 6 may not always be self-cleaning enough unless entire floor is of wire, as in Hobby Hamstery Pens as shown In Chap. 19. No. 2 is too open for the feet of the pre-sight young; and certain snakes in some parts of the country are successful in sucking very young hamsters through No. 2 wire floor area, although unable to harm them through No. 2 wire used on pen sides and doors. No. 4 wire has 16, and No. 3 has 9, openings per square inch, which are adequate, and either one is satisfactory for all wire used in pen construction. No. 3 has slightly better visibility for doors, and for the sides of display cages and observation pens. Many builders use No. 2 for doors and sides, and No. 3 or 4 for self-cleaning area of floors. For economy in buying, some obtain either No. 3 or 4, and use one size for all purposes. Some feel that No. 3 Is too open for their floor preferences. In hot, sultry weather, hamsters like to stretch out and rest on the hardware cloth, For that and other reasons, the oldest and largest American mass production hamstery at low altitude, near the Atlantic coast, has for years used 8 (wide) by 10 by 21-inch pens constructed of one inch boards, except for doors and entire floors which are of No. 6 hdw. cl. for ventilation and self-cleaning advantages. Considering needs peculiar to all sections of the country, floors of part wire and part wood, as in Chapters 22 and 23, are generally satisfactory to caretakers and favor highest productivity of hamsters.

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Simple stack-locking, gnaw-proofing, and self-cleaning features make these pens unusually popular with hobbyists, home laboratory and research workers, sportsmen, and other small producers. Pens are so light that even a frail person may easily handle them. Hobby Hamstery Pens are not observation pens or display sages, but breeding pens designed for high productivity. Wire doors provide sufficient vision for study of the animals and their habits. Each pen is standard size, 8×10×21 inches inside.

In all construction, it should be remembered that so-called 2-Inch boards may be only 1 5/8-inch thickness, and 1-inch boards 5/8- to 7/8-inch thickness, depending upon grade of lumber. A board selling as a 6-inch width may actually be 5 5/8 inches. So, a so- called 10-inch height inside a pen may be 3/8 less than 10 Inches. This fact is mentioned so that the builder will make doors to fit doorways after the rest of the pen is completed. Doors required may be slightly wider, but less tall, than otherwise might be expected. Saw boards to lengths shown in list of materials, and other details will work out nicely.

HOBBY PEN BUILDING MATERIALS

Dimensions are given in inches.

Key:

Small quantities of 1. to 2-in, nails; small pkg. of small finishing nails or 1-in. wire brads; small pkg. of No. 5 double pointed tacks.

Lumber or board materials used need not be new, but should be hard wood and reasonably sound, especially for partition board (P). Saw ends of boards squarely to avoid cracks in corners. If corner cracks do occur, they may be covered by wood strips approx. 1 in. squared nailed into corners as corner posts (c.p. or ccs in Illus. 27, Chap. 23), same length as inside height of pen.

Illustrations herein are not drawn to scale, but approximate such accuracy as to safely guide. Measurements given are accurate, both as to materials used and dimensions marked in all figures and illustrations.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

Read carefully. General building techniques apply to all hamster pens. Saw the back hoard (Bk) 19 long. Saw two ventilation openings (V, Fig. II). Install hdw. cl. to cover openings (V) from Inside, shown

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by shadow line of dots (HC) In Fig. II, with hdw. cl. extending over top of opening at least 1 inch, to be bent in toward front of pen to tack to underneath side of pen top (TP) after top has been fully installed. Now draw pencil lines down middle of back to guide in placing partition (F) exactly in middle of this 2-pen unit. Nail back (Bk) to partition (P), then attach the end boards (E). Saw out top boards (Tp) 19 long to run crosswise of the pens. Top boards may overlap back board (Bk) without inconvenience. Nail first top board in place so that front edges of top (Tp), partition (P) and ends (F) are even and make both pens of even width. Install remaining top hoards. Now turn the 2-pen unit top-side-down and tack loose ends of ventilation cover strips (V) to inside of top board. If desired, climbing strips CS(R) may be tacked in rear corners, approx. 1 inch to back board and remaining 2 or 3 inches of their width to the partition (P). Corner posts may be installed outside CS(R); or if corner posts have already been installed, CS(R) may be tacked over same, or immediately forward from same. These fully gnaw-proof the corners. Similar climbers, CS(F), may be tacked so as to be just inside the closed door. Next, install hdw. cl. floor. It

may be helpful to first lightly nail a temporary strip of wood across the front ends, just down from the edge, to be certain by measuring that the bottom of the partition is exactly centered while the floor is tacked on. Completed floor is shown in Fig. V. Hdw. cl. wire

floor (Flr.); door sill (DS); and base strips (BS). Assemble in this order: Lay 24 inch width hdw. cl. crosswise of pen bottoms, so that 1/2 inch surplus extends over both front and back. Using No. 5 double pointed tacks, secure hdw. cl. firmly across one end (E), then pull tightly and tack across the other end. Now tack hdw. cl. to partition. Nail door sill (DS) in place on pen bottoms so that it matches the front edges of ends and partition, and covers 11/2 inches of the flooring as shown in Fig. V. Now turn surplus 1/2-inch hdw. cl. at front down over front of door sill (DS) and tack securely to DS front edge. Bend rear surplus 1/2-inch hdw. cl. to tack to rear, outside of back. Base strips (BS) are optional, but recommended to prevent sagging of wire floor after long usage. Strips of ripped lath or old wooden box 1/2- to 3/4-inch wide and 1/4- to 1/2-inch thick do well for this purpose when nailed on with any small 1- to 13/4-inch nails, box nails preferred. To illustrate how base strips are installed after flooring is in place, Fig. V shows base strips extending only about 4/5 of the distance, U showing unfinished portions. Strips may extend across bottom of back board and forward to door sill (DS). Entire flooring is now complete. Extensive detail has been given for clearness of directions. Actual work is exceedingly simple and easy.

DOOR CONSTRUCTION: Door frame is made of material 1x11/2, used flat for 1-inch thickness of doors. Corners of the frame are joined as per Fig. I. Small finishing nails are suitable for corner joints, but small corrugated fasteners (C) across door frame joints may be used for reinforcement. Frame should have about 1/4-inch clearance on all 4 sides when tried in doorway before hdw. ci. covering is installed, since in this door design the hdw. cl. is to pass around the edges of the door. In mounting hinges, if a small drill is at hand, it is well to drill holes for screws to avoid splitting out the screw holes in door frames, etc.

OPTIONAL: Door construction same as in pen designs in Chaps. 22 and 23 may be used if desired. In these pens, doors fit doorways closely, and hdw. cl. does not come around door edges. NEST BOARDS: Nest boards (N) In Fig III, approximately lx8xl3 board, should be of sufficient width to fit snugly against the sides of pens. Nest board front end is sawed off to a 2-inch taper to provide Incline (In) permitting pre-sight young to return freely to the nest. Two nails, 1½-inch length (NS), one a short distance behind the other, should be driven through nest board before installed to reach through hdw. cl. and prevent board sliding forward except when caretaker removes same for complete cleaning of pen. Nest board gives mother hamster a sense of security and prevents small food particles falling from food stores by the nest. Different lengths of neat boards may be used. This length provides about 8 inches of self-cleaning floor. Some producers use No. 6 hdw. cl. floors without nest boards.

WATER: J in Fig. III shows a small watering jar, such as face cream jar, approximately 1½ high and 1- to 1½-in. wide. Larger jars may be used for adults only. A strip of tin keeps the jar always in same location. The bottle and tube waterer shown in Chap. 24 is preferred by many.

GUARD BOARD: Years ago, the author devised the guard board shown as GB in Figs. I and III, and appearing in other pen plans herein. It serves several purposes. Young are absolutely prevented falling out the door when caretaker opens it. During moments of restlessness, adult hamsters gnaw at this uncovered board, since they instinctively treat it as their chief obstacle at the closed door. Such gnawing furnishes endless employment and usually distracts them from gnawing elsewhere, and their teeth are properly exercised for maintenance of healthful dental condition. Guard boards are about 2x8 and ⅜ to ½ thick. Any wooden box material is satisfactory. Hamsters gnaw the board down sufficiently for replacement every few weeks, which is a sign that they are sufficiently exercising their teeth. This small thin board is held in place immediately inside the door by means of retainers GBR in Figs. I, VII and VIII; or simply by means of thin-headed nails or staples as shown in Illus. 31, Chap. 23. To make the GBR, use a piece of heavy sheet metal (galv. or tin) 1x1¾, or 1½x1¾, which may be bent with sufficient ease. As in Fig. VII, drill or punch 2 holes (x) for use of screws or short nails. Bend metal along lines B so that guard board retainer fits well over the end of ½-lnch board as in Fig. VIII. Now install GBR inimediately inside doors, so that when doors close each door butts up against the guard board in its doorway. Fig. I shows right pen without door to Illustrate G.B. sliding, down. into place.

As per Fig. III, hamsters build nests cup-shaped in warm weather (dash line H) and ball-shaped in eztreme cold temperature (dash line W). Nests cover 9 to 11 inches on rear of pen floor. C:B represents the cup or bottom of nest.

Caretaker may place vegetable trimmings and cubes of animal food upon the wire, grains and other small foods may be placed on nest board near edge of nestbig material (FP) to prevent loss through self-cleaning area of floor. Hamsters then usually store food in areas marked FS and in corners back of the nest.

DROPPINGS TRAYS: One tray extends under both pens of the unit, Tray may be 1 or 2 Inches deep, as desired; and either 12 long as in Fig. III, or 23 long as in Fig. IV. Light weight wood material, such as wooden box, does nicely; or one may use any sheet metal. It is well to lay old newspaper in bottom of tray, and to place in front corners of tray just a small amount of absorbent substance such as sawdust, earth, peat moss, shavings, ashes, etc., to absorb urine and thus prevent odors. If trays are emptied about once per week or 10 days the hamstery keeps in a practically odorless condition.