Breeder's Code of Ethics
The following is used and modified with permission from the IHANA Code of Ethics to be used by the Ontario Hamster Club. It has been further modified for use by the Hamster Hideout Forum, to illustrate specific ethics breeders must follow. Information about the specifics of breeding have been removed. The following below may help provide a baseline of "questions" to ask prospective breeders you intend to adopt from. Not all breeders follow this code - but all of them should.
The Commitment As with the Code of Hamster Care, good breeding ethics start before any attempts at breeding have been made. A conscientious prospective breeder will learn as much as possible about the subject before embarking. This not only ensures adequate provisions above and beyond what are necessary for routine hamster care, but also allows the owner to carefully consider his or her readiness to take on the special responsibilities of being a breeder.
Planning for Litters There must be a plan for the disposition of the litter prior to any breeding attempt. Destinations need to be reasonably assured, whether they be private homes, a trustworthy pet shop, trades to other breeders or remaining with the original breeder. A breeder must be prepared to supply adequate housing, food and care to every animal that may not have a place to go.
Choice of Breeding Animals Hamsters designated for breeding should be in good health and free of defects that might possibly be inherited. This includes bad temperament. Tamed females are less stressed by human presence near the litter, so taming should be completed before breeding. The breeder should have a basic working knowledge of hamster genetics, including but not limited to lethal and deleterious genes in hamsters. Female Syrians should not be bred until a specific age. Syrian female should be given a minimum of six weeks rest between litters and have a maximum of three litters total. Any new hamsters must be quarantined, and not bred immediately upon arrival. This will help ensure the health of the litter, as well as provide opportunity to tame either party.
Personal Contact and Taming A new hamster not given regular attention will be fearful and stressed. Taming will not only make for a better pet, but will also give the hamster a better quality of life. Older, tamed hamsters that are neglected can become apathetic much like caged zoo animals. It is our responsibility to provide each hamster with frequent contact, stimulation, and chances to explore.
Mating Unlike Dwarf pairs or colonies living in harmony, mating in Syrians requires constant supervision. Under no circumstances should a mating pair of Syrians be living together or kept together overnight.
Care of the Litter Non-interference is the cardinal rule. Aside from ensuring that the dam has adequate food, water and nesting material, the breeder should leave the hamsters undisturbed. Cage cleaning and touching the pups can be done at about two weeks (when the eyes open) as the dam tolerates. The litter should be weaned between three and four weeks, and the sexes separated at the same time. The breeder should plan to provide every Syrian with its own cage at about five to six weeks of age.
Disposition Ideally, pups going to new homes should be released at about six weeks. Pet shops typically have preferences about the age of pups they accept, and the breeder must decide if the store's requirements are harmful to the young hamsters. Five weeks is the absolute minimum. It is incumbent upon the breeder to make reasonable inquiries to ensure that the hamsters will be adequately cared for in their new environment. No pup in questionable health or with clear temperament problems should ever be released.
Pricing and Representation Hamsters should not be priced according to "rarity." No colour, pattern or coat type is more valuable than any other, no matter how uncommon it may be in the breeder's local area. Hamsters should be represented according to standard, accepted nomenclature, avoiding nicknames such as "Black Bear," "Yellow Bear," "Teddy Bear," "Panda," "Calico," "Harlequin" and countless others that have been promoted commercially. "Purebred" and "show quality" are likewise ambiguous and often misleading terms that should not be used.
Aftercare The breeder's obligations do not end with finding homes for the pups not being kept. Private owners must be given instructions for care. If the receiver is a pet shop, attempts need to be made (although this is frequently a difficult situation) to expand their knowledge of adequate care. A health guarantee should always be provided, as should offers for further information as it is needed.
Edited by Strong Brew Hamstery, 09 September 2016 - 08:57 PM.
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