rescue vs. breeder?

[MEM]

Alright, I need someone to fill me in on rescues and breeding in the hedgehog world.
I've got a large background in dog and cat rescues and am painfully familiar with the problems of overbreeding (and backyard breeding) are causing to all breeds.
None of my animals ever have or ever will be from a breeder.
That being said, is that such a good stance to take when it comes to hedgehogs?
The problem is, that some day, I'd like to have a hedgehog that doesn't turn into a little spiney ball when I touch it, which makes me think about getting a small one from a breeder, so it can be handled from a young age (the one we have is about a year old, was mostly ignored and kept in a basement. He's terrified of people). Not any time soon, mind you, we've got our hands full at the moment with Cornelius, but some day there might be another hedgie.

Since hedgehogs are a relatively new breed, is the debate over whether to get one from a breeder or one from a rescue as hot as it is in the dog and cat worlds?

How does one spot a good hedgehog breeder? Are there advantages to rescues?

[illinidairychic]

I would say if you've never owned one before getting them from a breeder is probably better. I only say that because a good breeder will handle their babies and they won't have gone through any sort of neglect. Also with rescues it's hard to know if their genetics are good, which can bring problems down the line. Getting a younger hedgehog from a breeder might be the way to go. But this is all just my opinion.

[bloane]

The problem with hedgehogs going into rescues is most often hedgehogs purchased from pet stores that originally most likely came from a mass breeder. These are the hedgehogs most likely purchased as impulse buys, which we all know leads to less education before sale, often no education DURING the sale, and many people realizing that the cute hedgehog isn't really the pet for them. Most of the good breeders that deal directly with the public work hard to make sure that people know what kind of pet that a hedgehog is BEFORE they buy it, and most are willing to take their babies back at any time for any reason if they no longer are wanted.
I personally think that the MAJORITY of rescue hedgehogs (notice that this means not all) need someone with some hedgehog experience to deal with the emotional or physical problems that they may be experiencing. I think that first time hedgehog owners do better with a hedgehog that is properly socialized and has no medical problems that have been left untreated for a long period of time like some rescue animals deal with. This doesn't hold true for ALL first time owners, I have seen some that started with an amazingly grumpy and unhealthy rescue hedgehog and did extremely well, but it is my typical recommendation.
Becca

[CoquiMom]

I agree with Becca, for a person new to hedgehogs a rescue may not be the best way to go for a first hedgie. There is also the consideration of not knowing the animals background and the tendency towards genetic defects and diseases that appear later in the animal's life where a good breeder will stop a line and contact customers if they have a genetic defect in their breeding animals.

[MEM]

Got it.

See, I have a rescue hedgehog and I am a first time owner. I agreed to take him because otherwise, he'd either be totally ignored in a basement, or sent back to the woman who bred him, so that she could breed more hedgehogs. Considering how unsocalized Cornelius is (and considering some other information about her), I suspect that she's not exactly ethical when it comes to breeding. I'd rather he not go back there.

So, what makes an ethical hedgehog breeder? What are some red flags?

On a different topic all together, Cornelius decided to unroll from his little ball last night and started inspecting me last night!

[CoquiMom]

First CONGRATULATIONS on the unballing. :) Have you tried the t-shirt with your scent on it?

An ethical breeder?? Hmmm, I can tell you that I not only keep my pedigrees I also do not breed ill animals. I do not breed animals with confirmed genetic problems. By confirmed I mean I get the information from a licensed vetrinarian that I use and that says I should not breed a line. People can claim others have bad lines but it is just their comment not necessarily the truth. I give pedigrees when I have them and when I do not (I have two animals from a small breeder that did not pass the pedigrees along) I explain why. I tell people I don't know and that I will find out if I do not know. I do find out and I explain everything I can to people when they ask questions. I want my customers to know everything they can about their new pet. I keep in touch and email and call customers to make sure they are ok and the hedgehog is ok as well.
I give my animals breaks between pregnancies and I do not breed mother to son or father to daughter and so on. There are times when you will have the same hedgie twice in a pedigree and it will be ok. You need to really understand line breeding and the coefficient of inbreeding. Nasty math to be sure. :)
When you say you suspect the breeder is not exactly ethical what do you mean?

[MEM]

Thank you on the congrats! I'm feeling like we're making some headway with him!
By unethical breeder I mean this woman has no pedigree on Cornelius, sold him to my future brother in law without talking to him about what type of care he'd need, and as far as I know, Cornelius's first visit to the vet was yesterday (friday. He's in very good health by the way. :hyper: ). The impression I get is that she breeds all sorts of birds and exotic pets, not just sticking to one or two different breeds, and this is how she makes her living. It all just has a very wrong sort of feeling to it.

I have no problem with breeders who are careful about how they breed (giving females a break, vet visits, pedigrees etc...), in fact, the more I think about it, the more I want to get a hedgehog from a breeder next time (not any time in the near future, but eventually), it's just working with dog rescues it's hard to get over the notion that buying from a breeder=bad. But that has a lot to do with shelters and rescues being crammed full of really good dogs, many of which will be euthanized. I'm assuming that there isn't the same problem with hedgehogs, or is there?

[MissAmandasZoo]

It really depends on the animal rescued, wheather it's better than getting one from a breeder. My hedgie oreo came from a petstore that gave him a very very bad wheel, the wrong bedding, no toys, no place to hide or snuggle in, etc.(and the vet bills were not so good, from internal parasites, and horrible diet) He was still a baby though, and after a few weeks he became less jumpy, more secure, and would unroll, and now He's just like a sweet normal, healthy hedgie.

Then you can get the abused, under or over fed, hissy all the time, ignored, unsocialsed, and just plain neglected hog, that is not very young, and is emotionally scarred. While you may be able to slowly work up to securing, and saving it, it may never be as calm or bonded hedgie.

So pretty much,a rescue, like with my oreo, can work out very well. But a rescue in which the hog has been scarred, and comes from a more severe situation, may not be the best choice for someone with less expirience.