Hedgehog Breeder Mentorship
We are excited to announce the opening of our mentorship program for new breeders!!
A mentor is a person committed to guiding you in becoming a reputable breeder. Without a mentor, breeding hedgehogs can be quite challenging. Breeders typically do not sell to those who wish to breed without a mentor or a recognized herd, and available mentorship programs are few within the hedgehog breeding community.
Our friend Gail from Critter Connection explains Pedigrees:
We are here to help you understand hedgehogs in a breeding context, build your reputation in the US breeding community, establish your herd, learn to identify physical traits that align with conformation standards, and we are available to answer any questions you may have.
If you’re considering breeding hedgehogs, please be aware that it carries various risks of injury to your animals. It requires effort, dedication of time, and significant financial investment for your hobby and your hedgehogs!
Pets should not be viewed as breeding stock. Not every pedigreed animal is of breeding quality (examples include runts). We select only the finest pedigreed hedgehogs for breeding within US programs.
Most importantly, always breed with the aim to enhance health, longevity, and remarkable personalities. We discourage anyone from becoming a breeder unless they are confident that their knowledge, experience, and commitment to their hedgehogs will yield exceptional litters with ideal qualities.
You should only breed when you are certain you can find suitable homes for your baby hedgehogs. It’s important to place babies in homes where you believe they will receive lifelong love, care, and attention, including adequate veterinary care.
Integrity and professionalism are crucial to us!
Should Coastal Quills agree to mentor you, we will:
Educate you on proper breeding practices for hedgehogs.
Be available to respond to your messages daily.
Instruct you on how to track pedigrees.
Assist you through emergencies until you can consult a vet.
Support you so that you feel confident in becoming a registered breeder.
We expect you to:
Exclusively breed pedigreed hedgehogs and maintain records of their offspring.
Always behave in a professional manner.
Operate according to a standard of care and cleanliness that meets United States criteria.
Reach out to us first with your questions.
Consult us prior to contacting another breeder or making any breeding-related decisions until we agree that your mentorship is completed.
Sell all offspring only to pet homes until you are part of an official US Registry.
Never sell hedgehogs to breeders who do not maintain pedigree records.
Act ethically, thoroughly screen your adopters, and uphold strong contracts for your hedgehogs in every situation!
Currently, we are seeking committed individuals dedicated to the species in regions that are not currently saturated with breeders.
For a directory of breeders by state: https://www.hedgielist.com/reference_breeders_bystate.php
If you agree to all the listed expectations, please complete the application below. Should you have any questions, feel free to contact us.