I’m a hedgehog breeder that is using a friend's account and just have to reply to this post. I’ll make it as short as I possibly can. You should e-mail me for more information (rosewoodhedgehogs@yahoo.com)!!!
I have owned hedgehogs for around...5 1/2 years give or take a little while. With that time owning a hedgehog, I have spent much more time learning all different things about hedgehogs than breeding. Just recently (having my first litter last year) I started to breed hedgehogs. It is MUCH more work that you are thinking….
First off, you NEED a USDA license that alone cost about $70, then before you even get the USDA license, you need to have a vet come in and do a home visit, that costs anywhere from $35-$200 that totally depends on your vet, and they have to be comfortable with coming in a signing a paper for you to get a USDA license (PVC Form), some vets don’t like to do that. I have a friend who’s a vet, she didn’t feel comfortable doing it so we had to get another vet to come in and do it. Then the inspector needs to come in and she would go over everything with you and ask you all sorts of questions about hedgehogs, and their needs, about where you got them and what their backgrounds are. Also you cannot get a license, you are not 18. You would need your parents to get the license, and they would be in charge of everything. They would also be the ones “in trouble” if something goes wrong. Like when you sell the babies, if they die from a generic problem your parents would need to deal with that with your customers. They might have to replace the hedgehog and if you don’t have another hedgehog, or they would probably have to pay for the hedgehog that died/give them their money back.
Do you have money saved up in the bank? If not and you are still planning on breeding I would STRONGLY advise you saving money up right now. You need to have money saved in the bank incase of emergency’s. Some mom’s when pregnant will need an emergency c-section to take the babies out. That would be around $500-$1000 (I think), and you would probably lose the babies. Most c-section litters died after the surgery. Can you bear the idea that you may lose the babies? It is very common for first time moms to abandon or cannibalize their litters. The overall survival rate for hedgehog babies is about 70%.
You need to read this page http://www.hedgehogvalley.com/hats.html and make sure you understand whats on the page and understand that’s what you would need to do if you are going to breed.
Breeding Pet Store hedgehogs is not a good idea at all. You have their backgrounds to worry about, health issues, their temperment (which doesn't sound good from what you were saying), guaranteeing you customers that they are in good health, and if something goes wrong and they die from something that was wrong before they took them in, you would have to pay for their replacment. You also dont know if they are brother and sisters, and one number one rule is to NEVER breed brother and sisters. Another number one rule is NEVER breed a WHS hedgehog. You dont even know if your hedgehogs will have that, until they start to show the symptoms. Do you know what WHS symptoms are? Have you ever heard of WHS, do you know what it means?
I have much more to say, but Im nervous that this post is getting a little too long. If you want to e-mail me and get some more information about breeding I am more than happy talking to you. You just have to be willing to listen to what I have to share with you. If you are going to breed you should do much more research, and then contact a breeder to mentor you, then once you descide to really breed, get breeding quality hedgehogs, NOT Pet Store hedgehogs. My e-mail is rosewoodhedgehogs@yahoo.com
but when they are out they are very funny and cute
