How to Mate Hedgehogs

Make sure you have homes for the offspring before breeding a hedgehog.

The United States Department of Agriculture requires a license for anyone who owns and maintains more than three breeding female hedgehogs. Breed the female hedgehog for the first time at 6 to 12 months of age and the male at approximately 4 months old. Prior to breeding a female hedgehog, ensure that you"ll have adequate time to hold and play with the babies as they grow. Naturally shy, the young hedgehog will require one-on-one time to grow into an acceptable pet.

Things You'll Need

• Cage
• Nest box
• Exercise wheel
• Litter
• Nesting material
• Water dispenser
• Food

Instructions

1. House the female hedgehog in a solid cage, such as an aquarium or rubber-sided container. The young babies will squeeze out of a wire cage with ease. The cage should measure 24 inches by 24 inches. Use at least a 20-gallon aquarium. Provide an exercise wheel for the hedgehog to enjoy. Line the cage with sawdust or wood chips. Ensure that the cage has a wire top or screen to keep hedgehogs from climbing out. Place the cage out of the way of drafts. Maintain the room temperature at approximately 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Place the male and female in the same cage. Watch the pair closely to ensure that they don't fight. Allow the male and female to remain together for three days to a week. Nocturnal, the pair will usually mate under the cover of darkness. Remove the male from the female's cage after you believe they've mated.

3. Provide the female hedgehog with an igloo-style nest box, commercial hedgehog sleeve or other suitable box to stay in with her babies. Most pet store suppliers have a wide array of plastic nest boxes for small animals. Even an old shoebox works well for a nest box. The female will use the sawdust or bark chips that line the cage as nesting material; some hedgehogs enjoy shredded paper or bits of material for lining a nest.

4. Place a water dispenser into the hedgehogs' cage. Don't use a water bowl or the babies may drown when they begin to run around.

5. Supply the female hedgehog with ample commercial hedgehog food. It'll also benefit from sliced fresh vegetables and fruits; it may also like cat food and bites of sliced cooked meat.

6. Count the days after the suspected breeding to determine when the female will deliver. The hedgehog's gestation period is about 37 days.

Tips & Warnings

• The female hedgehog ceases to produce eggs at 2-1/2 to 3 years old.

• If the female hedgehog fails to conceive, place her with a different male, and see if they mate.

• Some females don't conceive immediately.

• Allow the baby hedgehogs to remain with their mother until they reach six weeks old.

• A female hedgehog reaches sexual maturity at 8 weeks old, but avoid breeding it that young or it may suffer nutritional deficiencies.

• Female hedgehogs that manage to breed past 2-1/2 often give birth to dead young or suffer other maternity-related problems.

• Older female hedgehogs can cannibalize or abandon their babies.

• Avoid inbreeding hedgehogs or birth defects may result.

References

• Hedgehog World; USDA Licensing and Breeding Hedgehogs; Ann Salamon; June 2010
• United States Department of Agriculture: The Animal Welfare Act: A Legislative and Regulatory History
• Hedgehog Valley: So, You Want to Breed Hedgehogs?
• AllPetsCo: Breeding Hedgehogs
• Hedgehog Breeders Alliance: Caring for and Getting to Know Your New Hedgehog
• Hedgehog World: Is My Hedgehog Ready to Breed?

Resources

• Millermeade Farm's Hedgehog Headquarters: Cage Options
• Michigan Hedgehog Owners Group: Hedgehog Diet and Nutrition