Genral breeding questions

[Hedgehogkeeper]

Hello, I recintly bought a nine week old female hedgehog, she is a dark gray that was supposed to be a male from petcetera, anyways after futher research of all the colors there, baby pictures and some info on breeding itself I have decided I'd like to breed her when she's six months, I have a male reserved at a breeder and he will be four months when shes six months, I under stand things can go wrong and am able to cope with the fact that she may eat her own babys or become ill, my questions are how do you breed tehm? I've heard so many different things about whos cage they should go in, how long they should stay together and if they should be left together even over night... can someone please give me some info on this? also genraly how long after the breeding can you that shes pregnant? thank anyone for any info in advance.

[Kerrie]

Please do tons more research before breeding.
If you need to ask those questions, you are definitely not ready to breed. Also, your hedgie is from a petstore and you know nothing about her background.
Number 1 Rule: Never breed a petstore hedgie.
Just my Opinion.

[shirleytx]

I'm glad you feel you can cope if your hedgie gets sick. I feel sorry for your hedgie I really do. I agree with the above post if you need to ask such basic questions about breeding you should not be breeding in the first place.

[PrettyHate]

I dont know about anyone else, but personally Im getting tired of reading threads with people who have just gotten hedgies, who are still asking basic questions about care and all of a sudden decide it would be a wonderful idea to breed their pets. I cannot fathom why half of these people feel the *need* to breed. News flash BREEDING IS A PRIVILAGE, NOT A RIGHT.

Any one can take two animals, stick them together, and get them to mate. Just because you can do this does not mean you are READY to breed. Just because you can do this does not mean you SHOULD breed. Because you can do this does not make it a smart choice. Do not think that by breeding so quickly after obtaining a hedgie you will win the respect of anyone on this board- especially when you obviously still have so much to learn.

I dont have anything positive to say about any of this. Read these two threads that Im providing links to. After reading EVERY SINGLE POST let us know if you still feel that you are ready to breed.

http://www.chins-n-quills.com/forums/showthread.php?t=72604
http://www.chins-n-quills.com/forums/showthread.php?t=72751

[Hedgehogkeeper]

I thought this forum was to get advice from and not to be to critized, people with less info then me breed there hedgehogs some are pregnant when they buy them, that remark was really rude, I'm not stupid I know about housing, feeding, bedding, toys, bathing and have read several breeding pages, about both the good and the bad, I do care about her welbeing but I would like to breed... is there something wrong with that? is there something wrong with wanting to watch a litter grow up and turn into beautiful hedgehogs that came from your hedgehog? is there something wrong with wanting more hedgehogs simalar to yours? I don't think so, I am not trying to start anything and am trying to be as suttle as possible.

[PrettyHate]

It was rude, but it was also true.

[Hedgehogkeeper]

I don't intend to win everyones respect, I just don't want to be yelled at for making a choice, all I wanted was some info nothing else if I can't get it here I will get it somewhere else.

[Kerrie]

I thought this forum was to get advice from and not to be to critized
I apologize if you think we are critizing you, but if it is advise you want about breeding, the majority of the members here will advise you to NOT breed a petstore hedgehog!
Yes, accidents happen where people purchase hedgehogs and they are pregnant. Most of the time that happens from petstores because half of them that work there don't know how to sex them, or take care of them.
They are all put together in one tank, and forgotten about.
But to intentionally breed a petstore hedgehog without any knowledge of his lineage, for your own personal pleasure is totally beyond me.:Pukey:

[Hedgehogkeeper]

thank you for apoligizing, I've bred other animals from pet stores before and everything went well... whats the difference with hedgehogs? also you all seem to be so against breeding... if noone bred there wouldnt be any babys and you wouldnt all have hedgehogs! why are you all so against it? just wondering,

[mrgew]

Hedgehogs have congenitive diseases, that can be carried in the genes, such as WHS. So if you do not know that the parents are free of these diseases why risk breeding animals that will end up dieing from a horrible thing such as WHS. Its not that people are against breeding, its that people are against irrisponsible breeding. Sorry if this sounds mean but with out knowing what might be passes on by the parents is it responsible to breed them?