Ancestor questions.

[Cinnacot2]

I've just been looking on random breeder sites and have found something that seems odd to me. A lot of the hedgies have the same grandparents and great grand..and so on, on the same site. These animals have been breed to others who share the same ancestor (weither it's a grandparent, or great grand, or even mother and father). Isn't that imbreeding? Or does it work different for hedgies? Any insite into this would be great. I'm looking into getting a pair, but being I see they have the same few ancestors I'm not sure I want to keep both.

[kaiteedyd]

Hedgehogs have a relatively small genepool so yes lots of hedgehogs share great great grandparents.

Though every attempt should be made to carefully choose mates that are as unrelated as possible and that compliment each other.

Also there is a difference between inbreeding and linebreeding. Linebreeding can be used to set certain qualities. Certain color mutations probably were created by linebreeding.

[Quilted_Lamb]

Is there a place that has information on knowing the difference between line breeding and inbreeding? I would really like to understand the difference.

I ask because I am also looking into getting some hedgehogs for breeding and I want their gene pool to be as distant as possible. I'm assuming the easiest way to get hedgies from such varying backgrounds is to get them from different parts of the country, which means either shipping or going to one of the main HH shows across the country & buying from breeders there. Is there another way I am unaware of? ...Tiffany

[kaiteedyd]

I've you do a search on google for linebreeding and inbreeding I'm sure you can find something that explains the difference. Wikipedia is a nice place to go for information.

Linebreeding is really prevalent in most pedigreed animals like horses or purebreed dogs. This leads to positives and negatives.

Here are a few links I found:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inbreeding
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selective_breeding
http://www.netpets.org/cats/reference/info/inbreed.html
http://www.rhiannon-cavaliers.com/linebreeding.htm

[illinidairychic]

Actually breeders all across the nation share a lot of the same genetics. A lot of problems finding two completely unrelated animals is what Katie stated earlier about them having a small gene pool. You can get two completely unrelated animals if you look and I believe that the rule is three generations of seperation for line breeding. Although I know in some cases it's closer. I personally try to stay as far away from relatives as possible because I'm not comfortable with close breeding. JMO

[Cinnacot2]

Thanks ya'll. I understand line-breeding. I breed reptiles, so it's the same thing. I just wanted to make sure when I got these two, who have been housed together, that if she is pregnant, before I seperate them, that I don't end up with baby hedgehogs with 2 extra noses, one growing out of the forehead..LOL


Thanks!