# oops, aph babies just born :/ advice please



## lucy hardman (Oct 12, 2010)

ok so i bought a young pair from a pet shop a just over a month ago at the shop they were housed together but me thinking the petshop owner knew what he was talking about ignored the stuff online, he said the male was too young to breed for a good few month yet hes just under 4 months old, so i got them home and left them together , i was awoken that night with a whistling male making love to my female :/ who is just 3 weeks older , so i split them up, got home tonight to find my female under her hide and saw a baby underneath her :gasp: obviously i havent had a proper look i put the hide straight back and left her alone . i dont know how many she has, would it be dangerous for me to have a nosey to count them do i need to do anything for her or just leave her to it ?? cheers in advance


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## A M Y (Nov 28, 2011)

Its very important that you leave her to it. If you disturb her or the nest it may resuly in her killing the babies.
Put food in for the mum as quietly as possible without disturbing her. If any babies fall out the nest you can use a spoon to move them back in, but dont touch them. As soon as the mother smells you on her babies she will more than likely kill it or kick it out the nest.
They are safe to be handled from 2 weeks old.

Also can I ask which petshop you got these from as by the sounds of it he knows nothing about the proper keeping of APH

I am not blaming you for whats happend but I would advise that anyone looking at keeping APH research thoroughly before they get one and get information from various sources. Unfortunately most pet shops just want to make money through unethical breeding and actually dont really know a lot about the way that APH should be kept and looked after etc.

If you want any help etc then look at Prickly Critterz, a forum that has helped me no end!

I hope that the babies and mum are ok


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## C-reps (Jun 4, 2011)

Gosh that was stupid. Leave the female well alone for at least two weeks, as she is at high risk of destroying the litter being (presumably) a first time mum


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## R1Dan (Nov 8, 2009)

A M Y said:


> Its very important that you leave her to it. If you disturb her or the nest it may resuly in her killing the babies.
> Put food in for the mum as quietly as possible without disturbing her. If any babies fall out the nest you can use a spoon to move them back in, but dont touch them. As soon as the mother smells you on her babies she will more than likely kill it or kick it out the nest.
> They are safe to be handled from 2 weeks old.
> 
> Also can I ask which petshop you got these from as by the sounds of it he knows nothing about the proper keeping of APH



Thats good advice, in my experience 3 weeks is best before touching any babies, just leave well alone and keep topping up mums food and dont clean out for at least 3 weeks.

I did create an interactive website for hogs if you would like to see?

Good Luck with the babies.


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## lucy hardman (Oct 12, 2010)

found a dead one this morn moved that and for the past 20 mins she has been running round with it in her mouth :/


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## R1Dan (Nov 8, 2009)

lucy hardman said:


> found a dead one this morn moved that and for the past 20 mins she has been running round with it in her mouth :/


Just dont intervene, what happens happens, and its nature unfortunately. You will need to wait it out.


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## Nell (May 3, 2011)

Lucy I don't fully understand what you're last post meant -is she running around with the dead baby in her mouth, or a live one? You can hand rear babies, though it is very hard work -if you decide upon this course of action I can point you in the direction of a few people who can help. 

Failing that please join Pygmy Hogs UK - African Pygmy Hedgehog Forum - Portal, you may be able to find someone near by whose hedgehog has given birth recently who you could foster any remaining babies onto. By the sounds of what as happened so far if you leave any remaining babies with her she will likely destroy them.


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## A M Y (Nov 28, 2011)

lucy hardman said:


> found a dead one this morn moved that and for the past 20 mins she has been running round with it in her mouth :/


She will more than likely eat it if its dead. As Dan said, you will just need to wait it out now.


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## Rach1 (May 18, 2010)

C-reps said:


> Gosh that was stupid. Leave the female well alone for at least two weeks, as she is at high risk of destroying the litter being (presumably) a first time mum


 
what was stupid?


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## Hogtastic (Dec 16, 2011)

Let me get this straight, first pet shops and aph dont go well hand in hand anyway, its completely unethical! Thats not your fault.

Secondly...you proceeded to keep them in the same cage together? Im presuming you read up on aph before sauntering into a shop and getting them? If so you would then know that at 7 weeks the males are to be split from the females and at 8 weeks the males split individually as they are massivly territorial and to stop unwanted pregnancies.

Thirdly not to mention that these baby hogs have now been inbred, the genetic defects this can cause, as well as the fact that mummy hog is still only a baby herself, you are VERY lucky her body could withstand pregnancy.

Could you please inform us as to which shop you got the hogs from as personally il be calling them up and giving them what for!

I too am not blaming you but you really should have done your research before getting one aph nevermind two at first. As nell said hand rearing can be done if the remaining hogs are in danger, probably more due to the lack of the mother being mentally mature.

I actually cant get over this....im stumped!


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## Kare (Mar 9, 2010)

http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/forums/other-pets-exotics/808949-new-african-pygmy-hedgehogs.html

:hmm: We told you babies were entirely possible weeks back. It would have been nice for you to have researched and been prepared for the eventuality.


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## Rach1 (May 18, 2010)

Hogtastic said:


> Let me get this straight, first pet shops and aph dont go well hand in hand anyway, its completely unethical! Thats not your fault.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
This is a very sad situation brought about by lack of research and the bad behaviour of a pet shop...
but lets help the OP sort it eh?


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## Rach1 (May 18, 2010)

Hogtastic said:


> *I too am not blaming you but you really should have done your research before getting one aph nevermind two at first*.
> 
> *So, you are blaming her.... *
> 
> ...


Dont get me wrong I think the OP has a lot to answer for as such as Kare said, we did all try to tell her this was likely to happen and she still chose to go back to the pet shop and ask for their help...dispite being told by people on here that she had been given duff info already.
I also dont think titleing your thread...'Opps, aph babies just born' was a great idea... as she knew this was a likelyhood.

Once again though a pet shop has failed to be able to supply the correct care info for an exotics species and maybe reporting it would be a better bet?
Ringin up and having a pop isn't gonna help anyone let alone the OP who may have to use the shop for other pet supplies.
Right now the best we can do is try and offer good advice and support so we dont a) scare the OP off and make her frightened to ask questions and b) so we can see if we can get these babies fully grown and ensure it doesn't happen again.

At the end of the day this has all gone terribly wrong and the OP has been a little slap dash with her attitude BUT at least she came back and sought help...let's not spend all our time giving her an ear bashing!


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## lucy hardman (Oct 12, 2010)

Hogtastic said:


> Let me get this straight, first pet shops and aph dont go well hand in hand anyway, its completely unethical! Thats not your fault.
> 
> Secondly...you proceeded to keep them in the same cage together? Im presuming you read up on aph before sauntering into a shop and getting them? If so you would then know that at 7 weeks the males are to be split from the females and at 8 weeks the males split individually as they are massivly territorial and to stop unwanted pregnancies.
> 
> ...


maybe i should have realised the person selling them didnt know athing about them

up to now she seemd to be doing fine i can hear a few squeeks , and shes not been out of her hide for a while,

and if you it properly youd see there are 3 weeks difference of age between them , THEY ARE NOT RELATED AT ALL


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## Rach1 (May 18, 2010)

if you can hear squeaks thats good...
but do not be tempted to look...at all... she will get very upset!

the best thing you can do now is keep feeding her good quality food and maybe some treats and keep her calm and free from lots of noise.
keep the room nice and warm too.

hopefully she will be ok but its still very early days...


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## lucy hardman (Oct 12, 2010)

i fully understand peoples annoyance with the whole mess ive made and yes accept responsibilty but , the reality is seen as ive only had them a month the likely hood is she was already pregnant at the shop, so bitch at me all you want , people make mistakes i did but at least nothing was seriously harmed even though it could have been i know , that , dont worry i shant bother this section again, cheers for the advice of the few


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## R1Dan (Nov 8, 2009)

Really pleased that you can hear squeaks now, we all have to start somewhere.

Best thing is like Rach said keep up the good quality food, with mine in the first 3 weeks i made sure wax worms were available most days on top of the usual diet of cat biscuits and various bits.

Also once they are out on there own ensure the wheel etc are out of the enclosure if you do have one of those. basically just have essential equipment in there after they are mobile ( roughly 3 weeks )...

sit back and wait for the cute arrival of the little ones to pop out in the big wide world


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## Rach1 (May 18, 2010)

I did write a long reply to this but luckily for the OP my computer crashed...
so as i cannot be bothered typing it all again all i shall say on this subject is....
that's gratitude for you isn't it?


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

Rach1 said:


> I did write a long reply to this but luckily for the OP my computer crashed...
> so as i cannot be bothered typing it all again all i shall say on this subject is....
> that's gratitude for you isn't it?


Very true!!

Some people really just don't want to hear the truth. It's a shame really, because if she needs more help with these babies, keepers might not be so ready to come forward and offer it.


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## kobrien (Apr 6, 2009)

people come on here for advice from other peoples experience, not to be slated because of simple mistakes. if you havn't got anything constructive to say why say it


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## 5plusmany (Sep 29, 2011)

I agree with the above comment and I don't think the OPs last comment was aimed at you Rach x

Hope mum and babies are ok ...


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## lucy hardman (Oct 12, 2010)

5plusmany said:


> I agree with the above comment and I don't think the OPs last comment was aimed at you Rach x
> 
> Hope mum and babies are ok ...


my comment wasnt aimed at anyone in particular just those that would rather slate you than help.....

mum is well there were two babies but one was dead looks like it may have been squished other one is great about 3 week old now and growing fast gorgeous lil female :2thumb:


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