MORRIS, Man. – Remember the days when the definition of an exotic farm animal was a cow with a French-sounding name?
Then along came elk, wild boars, angora goats and llamas. Soon to follow were the ratites – ostriches and emus.
Prairie farmers can now add one more species to the list of alternative agricultural pursuits: hedgehogs – African pygmy hedgehogs to be exact.
The prickly little rodents are billed as an “adorable pet pincushion”, the fastest growing exotic pet in the United States and a sure cash-flow enhancer for those entering the business of raising them.
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“What I’m aiming at is moms who want to stay at home and raise their kids,” said Norm Andrew, owner of Lonetree Exotics in Rossburn, Man. “It fits very well for a home-style business and that’s the buzzword of the ’90s.”
Andrew was at Ag Expo here last week – nestled amongst the companies selling seed, services and drillbits – taking orders for hedgehog breeding stock at $1,250 a pair.
It’s a young market that is open to breeders only. “I’m an old-timer and I’m crowding two months now,” said Andrew, who also raises emus and rheas on his farm near Rossburn.
For a $3,677 initial investment in hedgehogs and their upkeep, Andrew projects a return after one prolific year of $11,250. Hedgehogs start reproducing at 3.5 months. They produce about four hoglets per litter, three to four times a year.
Andrew said market research in the U.S. indicates pet stores are anxiously awaiting the hedgehog population to increase so they can be offered to the public through chain stores.
The target market? Middle class urbanites looking for a different kind of pet – one that’s tidy, doesn’t need a lot of space and isn’t hard to feed. Hedgehogs prefer insects but do well on cat food.
But as with all new ideas, there are some marketing hurdles to clear.
Hedgehogs are nocturnal – which means they like to play all night. That just might limit their appeal to the average middle-class family – unless, of course, they have teenagers.
