lots of questions

[j_manalo]

ok i am a chinchilla breeder but i want to get started as a very small hedge hod breeder. before i jump into this i want to know how things work.

ok so here are some questions.

Foot baths? what are they and how do they get done?

Nail trimming. How does this get done and with what tool?

scent? do they stink?

bedding. what type of bedding is best?

little "blankies"?

live bugs. Which would i feed and how much?

babies. i cant touch them once their born right?

how long is the gestation period?

do i split up the male and female?

lol sorry lots of questions. i am very interested and i think that the best way to do so is to research. i was wondering id anyone had any good websites with all of this info.

thanks for your help everyone!

[Nancy]

By the questions you are asking I have to assume you don't even own a hedgehog yet or if you do, you don't know much about them.

Assuming you don't own one yet, why do you want to breed? How do you know you will even like owning hedgehogs?

I suggest you own a hedgehog or two for a while and learn about hedgehogs in general before you consider breeding. Hedgehog breeding is not easy and especially not for someone new to hedgehogs. :)

[Vincent]

I agree with Nancy; get a hedgehog and wait for a year before you decide to breed. There are a lot of things that could go wrong, and a lot of things you have to research beforehand. It could potentially cost you a lot of money (if a pregnant female has complications), and you should make sure you like hedgehogs before deciding to keep several.

Foot baths should be given whenever they're needed. Hedgehogs get poopy feet from their wheels, and my boys get their feet washed once every two days with a damp washcloth. Use warm water, and if needed, a drop of unscented hand soap. Scrub carefully, and make sure to dry the feet after they're washed, or else the hedgehog could get a cold.

There are different ways to trim a hedgehog's nails. Some people do it after a bath, when their toenails are soft. I usually wait until my hedgies fall asleep on my lap to grab a foot and trim the tips of the nails off. Everyone I've talked to just uses nail trimmers.

Hedgehogs don't smell, although their urine does. Usually when they start smelling, it's because of their cage, not them. However, if they managed to get something on them, you can usually wash it off in a gentle bath.

I think that liners are best, although some will argue.

...is the blankies one a question? Lol!

I feed mealworms, and only one or two a day. They're very high in fat. You can also feed them crickets, silk worms and waxworms. I'm sure there are other bugs they'd enjoy, too; try talking to members on this forum.

You're not supposed to disturb the mother or the babies for quite some time. I'm not a breeder, so I can't answer the rest of the questions. But again, please wait for a while before you decide to breed hedgehogs. :)

[Nancy]

Oh, forgot to say. Blankies is the name I call the little blankets that I make and sell for hedgehogs. :)

[j_manalo]

ya thats so true. i think ill own one for now and see ow i can handle. the cage liners, are they just made from a towel? and how often does this need to be changed?

and the reason im interested in hedge hogs is becasue i think theyre jsut so adorable. all the hype about them just makes me wanna have a prickly little pet. my aunt owned one and i went over to see him a couple weeks ago and that was when i fell in love. lol

but ya can two female or two males be cages together? and is there a sex that is easier to care for becuse with chins, the males have to have hair ring checks etc. but are males and females the same accept for obvious reasons?

and i hear about ear mites. how do i prevent this?

[PrincessPikachu]

I agree with Nancy; get a hedgehog and wait for a year before you decide to breed. There are a lot of things that could go wrong, and a lot of things you have to research beforehand. It could potentially cost you a lot of money (if a pregnant female has complications), and you should make sure you like hedgehogs before deciding to keep several.

Foot baths should be given whenever they're needed. Hedgehogs get poopy feet from their wheels, and my boys get their feet washed once every two days with a damp washcloth. Use warm water, and if needed, a drop of unscented hand soap. Scrub carefully, and make sure to dry the feet after they're washed, or else the hedgehog could get a cold.

There are different ways to trim a hedgehog's nails. Some people do it after a bath, when their toenails are soft. I usually wait until my hedgies fall asleep on my lap to grab a foot and trim the tips of the nails off. Everyone I've talked to just uses nail trimmers.

Hedgehogs don't smell, although their urine does. Usually when they start smelling, it's because of their cage, not them. However, if they managed to get something on them, you can usually wash it off in a gentle bath.

I think that liners are best, although some will argue.

...is the blankies one a question? Lol!

I feed mealworms, and only one or two a day. They're very high in fat. You can also feed them crickets, silk worms and waxworms. I'm sure there are other bugs they'd enjoy, too; try talking to members on this forum.

You're not supposed to disturb the mother or the babies for quite some time. I'm not a breeder, so I can't answer the rest of the questions. But again, please wait for a while before you decide to breed hedgehogs. :)


Hello
got a quick question? do all hedge hogs poop the wheel? if so do they ever grow out of it is that possible? :bump:

[Vincent]

It's possible to house two females together, but it doesn't always work out. If you want two hedgehogs, assume that they're not going to get along, and buy two cages just in case. Some girls just don't like being housed together, which is fine, because hedgehogs are solitary animals by nature.
Never house two males together. In fact, boys should never even SEE each other. They will fight and maybe even kill each other. I have two boys, and they have separate cages, separate toys, separate everything. They don't even know each other exists. :)

There is no sex that is easier to care for than the other.

You mean mites? They're not actually 'ear' mites. Most hedgehogs catch them from wood shavings when you use them as bedding. They can come home with these mites, which is why you should get a vet appointment when you buy your hedgehog. You can tell they have mites by quill loss, dry skin, and constant itching.

Don't use a towel; the loops on towels can catch hedgehog's nails and hurt them. Go and buy some fleece blankets (use fleece because it doesn't fray), and cut them to the size of your cage. I usually layer two down together.

They need to be changed whenever necessary. Some people change theirs once a week; I change mine once every day or two. It all depends on how messy your hedgehog is.

If you'd like to own hedgehogs though, why breed them? With all the things that could go wrong, is it worth the potential time and money? I think that it might be better to just have them as pets.

And PrincessPikachu, I've only heard of one hedgehog that didn't poop on its wheel. It stopped running, leaned it's little bum over the side of the wheel, and pooped in the litterbox. I wouldn't keep your fingers crossed. :)

[herbiesmom]

I have two males who see each other all the time and are not aggressive. They do not live in the same cage but are housed side by side. They pretty much ignore each other. I tried putting them in a play pen together a few times but Herbie tries to use Snow as a chew toy and bites his quills so no more of that. Males and females should never be housed together. They will repeatedly make babies and canabalize them. I have owned my two boys for 4 months and 3 months, they are 6 months and 5 months old. I enjoy them very much but they are special little pets. Not for everyone. Try owning one and see how you like them before trying to breed. I have decided I would not breed them because although the babies are very cute, there is too much involved that I don't think I have time for at this point in my life.

[Vincent]

I just think that being in very close quarters with each other would stress two males out, what with the constant smell of the other. And they really shouldn't be allowed to play with each other... most boys just don't get along. Even brother/brother couples eventually want to establish dominance, and one hedgie or the other is going to get pretty hurt in the process.
I do agree with Herbiesmom, though. :) There is a lot involved with breeding hedgehogs, and as satisfying as raising a little of hoglets is, I don't think I could stand if anything went wrong. I lose my head in bad situations.

[herbiesmom]

My two boys do not seem stressed by being near each other. They are both very sweet. Although, I swear they have running competitions at night by the sound of the thumps on the wheels. LOL