# License



## Shelbys Mom (Mar 27, 2009)

I was wondering if any of you could tell me approximately how must a USDA License would cost?
I've searched everywhere I can think of and can't find anything that say's. :|


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## dorasdaddy (Dec 23, 2008)

you dont need one unless you are considering breeding, which i would strongly recomend against you do so right now untill you have alot more experience.


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## Shelbys Mom (Mar 27, 2009)

Well I'm not wanting to breed. not yet anyway. I want more experience before I try anything like that. Which I'm thinking about maybe doing in the future as a small hobby. After I get more experience with them. and know a lot more about them.
But from what I understand if you have 3 or more females that are not spayed then you have to have a USDA License?
And I'm going to pick up 2 more girls tomorrow so I was just wondering about it.

(FYI: the girl's getting or the one I already have are not going to be for breeding)


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## dorasdaddy (Dec 23, 2008)

i think it is 3 or more unaltered females "for breeding" im not real sure...you might check the hedgehog welfare society for more info


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## Shelbys Mom (Mar 27, 2009)

Yeah I was told since all 3 were "unaltered" I would have to get a license. So if I'm not using them for breeding I don't have to have one? 
and I thought that with all the breeders on here maybe they could give an approximate price for the license? I couldn't find a price on the HWS maybe I over looked it.


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## dorasdaddy (Dec 23, 2008)

http://hedgehogcentral.com/usda.shtml

Right here on our very site. And it is over 3 breeding females, not 3 or more.


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## Shelbys Mom (Mar 27, 2009)

I did see that but I wasn't sure if there was a License for just keeping them as pet's (not breeding) so I didn't know if I was missing something.
Since I was told I had to have a License to keep the 3 girl's. I couldn't find anywhere that said I did to keep them as pet's.
I knew people on here would know.
Thanks.


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## dorasdaddy (Dec 23, 2008)

It wouldnt apply to you anyway, since you only have 3...you have to have over 3 for the license


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## Shelbys Mom (Mar 27, 2009)

that's great and what I initially understood.
but she said I had to have a license to keep all 3 of them. 
which I really didn't understand since it is impossible to breed 3 females. 
but I wanted to make sure because I didn't want them to be illegal.

Thank you for clearing it up!


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## nphedgehogs (Apr 29, 2009)

So what happens if you have more than 3 females, but they are not all breeding age? For example, we have one that is going on 2 1/2, another that is only 2 months, 2 that are 1 year, and another that is 1 1/2. So would only 3 of these could be considered breeding females? The ones in between 1 and 1 1/2 years old. 

How does the USDA determine what a breeding age female is?


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## nphedgehogs (Apr 29, 2009)

Still wondering what the USDA considers breeding age...I asked in my last post that we have 6 females, and there ages range from 2 months old to 2 1/2 years old.


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

Not being from the US I have no clue about the USDA, but if you have 6 females ages 2 months to 2.5 years, they are all breeding age and you would need a license, especially since you are breeding.


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