Page:The Golden Hamster Manual.djvu/67

 maturing at 4$1/2$ oz., sometimes over that. At 12 or 13 weeks, mate the best of such young females back to their father, line-breeding for further increase in weight. This second generation should amply repay all effort involved. Older sub-standard stock not bringing young of desired weight may then be discarded.

Standard stock culled and handled in same manner, with or without line-breeding, produces maximum kitten to adult weights for improvement of such standard stock. After attaining desired weight for improved breeders, litters of 6 to 8 should mature to the adult weight and quality of select breeding stock; and litters of 10 to 14 should wean for highly satisfactory laboratory grade animals.

It is obvious that production methods of the larger commercial hamsteries, starting first matings at the early age of 8, 9 or 10 weeks, may not have time to follow such stock improvement schedules as suggested. The fancy stock may be had from the fancier able to devote personal time, instead of hired help routine care, to selective matings, culling and care of his stock. In most cases, he may have few enough production line animals to know them as individuals, and not just as such and such numbers on his record cards. Yes, it is from the small to medium fancier that we may expect the genuinely highly superior stock. He raises it by this pattern in litters of 5 to 6; sometimes less; rarely more. Less animals—true. But better profits and more satisfaction in higher price per animal of highly superior quality.

Exhibition stock is not from a different breed of animals. To maintain or improve exhibition quality, females should be 3 to 3$1/2$ months of age for first matings. Handling is much the same as for standard to highly superior stock, seldom permitting weanings of more than 5 or 6 kittens per litter, 3 to 4 being preferred. Young are left with mother as long as possible. Young are sex separated upon weaning, and penned in groups until not more than 7$1/2$ weeks of age, when they are moved into individual pens to avoid possible torn ears or any scars from fighting. Only the selective mating method, one female placed in male's pen, is advised. Wait 8 to 10 days after weaning her litter before remating the mother.

Lose no opportunity to display such stock at fairs, pet shows, etc.

It is a good idea to buy exhibition stock from a hamstery you may personally visit to select such stack, or by mail-order from only those who advertise no other grade, and who ship exhibition stock with buyer's privilege of 1 or 2 days observation and return of stock for full refund of purchase price if dissatisfied, the seller paying Express one way. It is doubtless true that within a few months from publication of this book many large outfits will be offering so-called exhibition stock, seeing therein an opportunity to use another highly profitable outlet for their present commercial hamstery production. This is but one of the reasons why the buyer should have the protection of examining, weighing and observing such stock, and of returning same for refund if dissatisfied for any reason whatsoever.

As with other species exhibition, stock is characterized by superiority of breeding, handling and its