BigFeather Farm

There will be a contract signed!

If you have a question about a specific hedgehog listed as "available", then please use our Hoglet Inquiry Form.

 To make sure you get a hoglet, please reserve a spot on our waiting list on the "Deposit/Color Prices" page.
Most of our babies are sold before they are ever born - we do not have very many litters - which means a longer wait time for babies. However, the fewer litters we have, the more time we have to handle babies, and the better pets they will make!

After a bit of prompting my potential owners, I've created the these. Below are two scales I have created to help new hedgie owners gauge the temperament of their new pet. We will still write a sentence or two on them and their personality, but we will also use this. At the end of the few sentences, we will give this – (number);(number) in bold. The first number will be that used for the general handling scale, the second for the cuddliness scale. For example, a 4:3 hedgie would be a 4 on the handling scale and a 3 on the cuddliness scale. If I feel their temperament could improve after quilling, I will say so and give my best estimate.

Please realize that all hedgehogs are individuals, and the quality of the socialization you give them is highly important to keeping them the best pets they can be. If you don’t socialize them correctly or enough, it can permanently impair their ability to accept handling and petting. A baby purchased with a temperament of a 5 can easily end up being an adult with the temperament of a 1 if you fall short in the socialization process. We socialize our hoglets everyday – the amount of time spent on handling varies by the temperament of the hoglet and the mother, how stressed they get, etc.

3’s and 2’s are most common hedgehogs you find in the general population (in my experience). We’ve produced 8-4:6-3 so far.

General Handling Scale

8 – Doesn’t roll into a ball or hiss/spit/pop when picked up/awoken. Will come right out and lower quills.
7 – Doesn't roll into a ball, but may hiss initially when being picked up/awoken. Will come out quickly and lower quills.
6 – Initially rolls into a ball but uncurls immediately when in your hand. Might hiss quietly when first picked up/awoken. Will wake up within a few seconds to a minute, then lower quills with gentle handling.
5 – Initially rolls into a ball, hissing quietly, but uncurls within a few seconds of being in your hand. Will wake up within a few seconds to a minute, stop hissing, then lower quills with gentle handling.
4 – Rolls into a ball and will hiss when picked up/awoken. Will wake up within a minute, uncurl, stop hissing, and lower quills with gentle handling.
3 – Rolls into a ball and hisses/clicks when picked up/awoken. Will wake up within a few minutes, uncurl, stop hissing/clicking, and lower quills with gentle handling.
2 – Rolls into a tight ball and hisses/clicks when picked up/awoken. Will wake up, uncurl, and lower quills within 5 minutes of gentle handling.
1 – Rolls into a tight ball and hisses/clicks/pops when picked up/awoken. Will wake up and lower quills within 10 minutes of gentle handling. Might permanently keep horns down.

Cuddliness Scale

6 – Seems to like connected face/body rubs; doesn’t hiss, click, pop, or raise spines with gentle petting. Allows petting quickly after being picked up.
5 – Seems to like body rubs and face rubs; doesn’t hiss, click, pop, or raise quills with gentle petting. Allows petting within a few seconds to a minute of being picked up. Might lower horns with sudden/jerky movements.
4 – Tolerates back rubs well and sometimes face rubs; doesn’t hiss, click, or pop with gentle petting. The back quills will lower almost immediately, horns might take longer to raise.
3 – Tolerates back rubs but not face rubs; might hiss when first being pet. Will stop hissing within a few seconds to a minute of gentle pets and back quills will lower, but horns stay down.
2 – Doesn’t tolerate rubs until several minutes of being handled have passed; will only allow back rubs and will generally hiss, keep quills raised, and horns lowered.
1 – Doesn’t tolerate rubs or petting at all. Will hiss, click, pop, jump, or even ball up.