HEDGEHOG FEEDING and BREEDING

Question
Chrystal,
I would like a list of things that I should feed my hedgehogs and how often to feed them those things. Their breeder ONLY fed them lowfat dry catfood and I would like to give them a varied diet.
Also, if I breed them, what is the best time of year to try. I was told that they will only breed in the summer.
Irene

Answer
low-fat dry catfood should be the base diet. I like to add in a few times a week a little Hedgehog vitamin treat you can get from petsmart.com

Once a week you can give a mealworm, cricket, or silkworm. You can buy them in the reptile section. Some like to give small pieces of fruit, but that isn't relaly part of a hedgehogs diet. they are insectavors.


Now for breeding. Breeding can be very hard. I have never heard that they can only be bred in summer. you can do it at any time.

Some first-time moms will eat, kill, or abandon the babies. If abandoned, you have to take on feedings, and they still may die. Also as with any animal or human, death of the mother may occur.

To sell or give away the babies, you need a license from the USDA.

You can start breeding females at 6-12 months of age, but do not breed past the age of 2 years.

It can take a long time, and you have to wait at least 40 days in between contact with males because of the difficulty if telling if a female is pregnant.

You need to make sure that the female and male are not  related, and that goes back a few generations. You will need cages for the babies. Females and males need to be seperated by 6 weeks, and that is about the time the mom will say enough is enough.


I don't breed, so i suggest you do some research online, through books, and through breeders.