food ?

[shirleytx]

With the dry mix food, do you put a small amount in the dish and top it up every day though the week before cleaning out the dish weekly? or do you replace all the food every day? If this is the case how much should 1 hedgie be eating in one day?

[Hedge_girl]

I think a tbsp or so of mix is about as much as hedgie will eat. It isn't very much. I put out about that much each evening and the next evening I dump what was left over and put in new kibble. (I leave it there over the course of the day so hedgie has something to snack on if she gets mid-morning munchies.)

[Ododad]

Me too. I usually put about a tablespoon in every night, and then leave whats left in all day because sometimes a hedgie will wake up during the day and take a nibble and a drink. Then the next night I will add to what's left over which usually isn't very much and every three days completely empty food bowls and wash them. For the water bowl, I dump out any remaining water every night and replace with fresh bottled water and also wash out water bowls every third day too to prevent any fungus build up.

[shirleytx]

I do replacee water every day I do that with my other animals daily anyway so it is easier to keep eveyone on the same schedule.

[shirleytx]

Ok so this is my rough draft at a feeding schedule.

Every day 1-2 tbsp of dry mix, emptying uneaten contents every day and adding a sprinkle of oat bran cereal every other day.


Day 1 1 tsp baby food
Day 2 2-3 Mealies
Day 3 piece fresh fruit/vegetable
Day 4 piece fresh cooked meat/fish
Day 5 1 tsp baby food
Day 6 cricket or mealies
Day 7 piece fresh cooked meat/fish

Thoughts/Suggestions?

[SherAlana]

I obtained the following information from a book my vet had:

Diet Choice No. 1(for adult hedgehog of 550g. BW)
- 1 heaping tsp. bird of prey diet or insectivore diet
-1.5 heaping tsp. high quality cat/kitten chow*
-1 heaping tsp. fruit/veggie mix**
-6-10 mealworms or 1-2 crickets (more if pregnant or lactating)

Diet Choice No. 2(for one adult hedgehog per day) ---This is the one I use!
-3 heaping tsp of high quality cat food (*1 tsp. CSFCLS, Royal Canin, Wellness)
-1 heaping tsp. fruit veggie mix
-6 small mealworms or 1-2 crickets
<Side note: What he has not eaten by morning I take out of the cage & start fresh in the evening again>

Diet Choice No. 3 (for one adult per day)
-3-4 tsp. commerical insectivore diet (Mazuri)
-5-6 mealworms or 1-2 crickets


I hope that helps!

[Moose]

I don't know about bird of prey or insectivore diet but 6-10 mealworms a day seems a lot to me. Hedgies are prone to obesity and mealworms have high fat content. If your hedgie really likes mealies, I'd suggest using mealworms as treats. I give two about every 2-3 days and give out other treats, but am pretty careful about how much treat I give. My bf 'guides' me in treat giving since I have a 'reputation' about giving too much treats in the past to my furry princess. :rolleyes:

[SherAlana]

Well, they mean small mealworms, and usually I either break the feeze dried ones in half or find the smallest ones in the container. And I alternate, crickets ones day and mealworms the other. Your right, I think 6 is a lot, so most of the time it is only 3-4.