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The
Basics
Articles on basic care and considerations for new or prospective owners. Articles pertaining to health, nutrition, and veterinary care. Articles and pictures about hedgehog breeding, growth, and development. Articles for people who already own a hedgehog or want to know more than just the basics. Learn more about hedgehog colors! Wondering where to buy a hedgehog? Start here! Where to purchase hedgehog supplies and collectibles. Meet the hedgehogs of Hedgehog Valley! Meet the other critters that call or
have called Hedgehog Valley
their home! |
How Big Should a Hedgehog Baby Be at Weaning?
The answer to, "How big should the babies be when they wean?" is clear like mud: it varies. In general, I like for babies to be at least 150 grams before they leave mama. However, the most important thing to look for is the level of development. Are eyes opening at the right time? Is quilling is taking place? Are they eating solid food and drinking from a bottle consistently? I am more worried about babies that are small and underdeveloped (see our runts page for more on that), but the dark baby in the picture here inspired me to say a little more about babies on the other end of the size spectrum.
I must say, this is the BIGGEST little baby I've ever seen! There were two babies in this litter, and I got to see them shortly after birth. They were normal sized, nothing out of the ordinary. Imagine my surprise when I checked them at 15 days (we generally give the moms about 2 weeks without disturbance) and I saw two monster sized babies! These b abies are about the size I'd generally expect from 6 week olds! In fact, in the picture below, baby is compared to a 6 week old.
I checked my birth date book and sure enough, the babies were just 15 days old. I inspected and eyes were not yet open, no teeth... all the developmental signs of a 15 day old. I'd seen babies who were in litters of 1 or 2 who were larger than normal, but not like this! The family line is on the large side (mom is Celzi, but I don't know yet if these babies are just growing rapidly because mom makes great quality milk, or if they will be little pogzillas!
Antigone Means Iola, KS All information on this web site is copyright of Hedgehog Valley. You may view/print the web pages for your personal use. You may also provide a link to these pages without prior approval. No one is allowed to re-post the information from Hedgehog Valley Web Site, including pictures, to any other web site, without the approval of Hedgehog Valley. Copyright 2002
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