Hedgehogs and Pregnancy

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

How tell if your girl is expecting
How to care for mom and babies (courtesy of Pike)
Info on pregnancy and hints for the new grandparent
Are you ready for hoglets?
Breeding Tips

   Unfortunately, I can't tell you much about examining a sow for pregnancy. The best you can do is watch for slight weight gain or bring a good-tempered sow to an experienced hedgehog vet for palpation and/or x-rays. A weight gain of about 40 grams early term and 100 grams late term is normal.

A mother sow has some special needs. Pike would like to share her advice on pampering pregnant mommy or a hoggie with hoglets. A typical over-protective mom, she has a few things for you to remember about the babies also!

How To Care For Mom and Babies


Now some random information on hedgehog pregnancy. Most females have 3-7 babies, although more or less may occur. The mothers often eat their babies at the first sign of danger, so the owner is wise to leave Mom alone. The same applies for the father of the litter. Resist the temptation to let him go visit his pregnant girlfriend or see his kids before they're weaned.

    Make sure that your mother hedgie is comfortable. The rare sow that delivers nine babies can get pretty big, so any tubes that were a tight squeeze pre-pregnancy can be impossible in the late term! A huge nesting box is comfortable. The entrance can be elevated by putting a (wide) piece of PVC pipe over the entrance and keeping it lifted with a block of wood, of the kind sold in pet stores for rats and mice to chew. Not too high, though!

    Don't handle the mother in the last five days of her pregnancy. Hedgehog gestation is about 35 days, but 31-33 is an average due date. If  you don't know her due date, just don't handle her when it's at all possible she's due in the next week or so. When the big day comes, you can stay with her if she's used to you but make sure your shadow doesn't fall over her and that in the evening all lights are off or very dim. A poorly socialized mom is best left alone. Don't disturb her, make no noise that can be avoided, and never take pictures or a video.

    When you're sure the babies are born, you can take a look if they're in the open but don't disturb a nesting box. If you can lure mom out of her box without disturbing her, take a quick peek to make sure all babies are alive and remove any stillborns the mom hasn't eaten. (A box with a removable roof is highly useful)

    In the first couple weeks, don't disturb the mother and litter. If she brings them out to show you, you should feel very honored by this respect and trust, but do not be tempted to touch the babies. Hoglets can be held if you know the sow well enough that she will ignore your hand in her cage while she eats a nummy treat, or if she has had babies and allowed them to be handled before. By the time the litter is mostly weaned and has its eyes open, you can hold the hoglets, but not before. This will be at three to four weeks of age.

    Dad shouldn't meet his kids until they're fully weaned and can defend themselves, and even then they must be supervised. Hedgehogs are solitary animals in the wild. While they, in my experience, enjoy eachother's company in captivity you still need to watch out for the younger generation.

    A final word of advice on the babies: Have homes lined up for them or be ready to keep up to seven new babies and provide the care they need. The hedgehog fad is over, and while they're still gaining popularity among responsible owners it's no longer easy to sell babies for high prices. If you can't find homes, try a classified ad or flyers in stores. Of course, make sure that however takes your babies will provide a good home, and ask them to let you know how their pet is doing.

    Are you ready for babies? Are you commited enough to this endeavor to see it through responsibly? This is whhat you must ask yourself. Use these questions to find out.
 

Are you ready for babies?

    If you answered yes to all these questions, proceed with breeding your female. If not, you may want to reconsider.

  Here's my tips on breeding. Of course, you need a male and female. If the girl is older than two and it's her first litter, chances of conception are dramatically lowered. A year old or so is optimum for the female. Males must just be healthy and not seniors for the best chance.

    It's considered to be best to put the female in the male's cage, but Pike conceived on her home ground. If you don't get results you can try changing the cage where you breed the hedgehogs. Loud squeaks from deep inside a cage usually mean either that the hedgehogs are getting along or that your hedgie snores. Some books recommend taking away everything except food and water so the hedgehogs will only have eachother to be interested in, but I wouldn't do that. I consider that too un-natural.

 None of my books mention the best time of year. Pike's babies were conceived around July 20th.

    Before you leave them alone, make sure the two hedgies get along. A few raised quills isn't a red alarm, but biting hard or pulling out quills means you should try a different hedgehog. Some pairs will be friendly right away, but others will take a little while to warm up to eachother. If you have a sufficiently hog-proofed room, take the pair there to play a couple times before putting them in cages together. Always supervise the first couple meetings.

    The courtship process will include a great deal of resistance from the female and persistence from the male. If you stay in the room with the lights off or dim, you will hear the distinct plaintive squeaks of the male frequently. The length of time it takes for the male to win the female over varies, but if you don't hear hissing it's a good bet that they're warming up to eachother.

    Even if you aren't sure whether the female is pregnant, it's best to leave them together about a week then separate them for almost a month. If you would rather be sure, take your female to a vet to be palpated for pregnancy, and weigh her frequently.

    If you don't have a male of your own, try to find one. A close friend with a hedgehog might be helpful. Otherwise, many professional or semi-professional breeders offer stud services. Make sure the breeder you use is respectable before leaving your female there!

    If you don't own a female hedgehog but have your heart set on hoglets, consider investing in a proven sow. These were once very expensive, but the price has fallen a bit. Still, be prepared to fork over at least $100 for a girl with good bloodlines and lots of experience. Research hedgehog breeders and hedgehog shows in your area before deciding on the best place to buy a prospective Mom. You may consider importing from Canada, where hedgehog shows are more common than in the US.

Good luck!
Hogmistress

Don't forget to pick a father with a good temperament!
Kerbi

Do not disturb!
Pike