What do hedgehogs eat and how to feed them?

Hedgehogs are very intelligent animals, in children's cartoons they are often depicted carrying mushrooms, apples or berries on their needles. Some fauna lovers keep dwarf ornamental hedgehogs at home. This is not to say that they are unpretentious, therefore it is very important to know how to take care of them, and most importantly, how to feed them properly so that they live a full and healthy life.

Next, we will take a closer look at the diet of hedgehogs in nature, find out how they can be fed at home, and also consider the basic rules for feeding them and prohibited products.

Hedgehogs can live not only in forests, but also in steppe and desert areas. Their diet varies depending on the specific habitat. Often, hedgehogs can be found at home, in garden plots and in summer cottages.

It should be noted right away that hedgehogs are real predators, even despite their seemingly harmless and cute appearance. They feed not only on vegetation (although mainly on it, because it is not always easy for them to catch the same lizard). We can safely say that they are omnivores. Hedgehogs will not disdain to feast on beetles, grasshoppers, spiders, woodlice, snails and worms, they often catch snakes, mice, and sometimes rats... That is why hedgehogs are so useful in summer cottages.

If hedgehogs find a ground nest of birds, then, most likely, they will also ruin it in order to eat eggs and baby chicks. Hedgehogs do eat wild berries and fruits as they are easy to get. Many experts call hedgehogs the orderlies of the forest., since they often eat the corpses of animals and birds, clearing the area from carrion.Before hibernation, animals must accumulate enough fat to survive the cold, and therefore they just need to look for any food during the waking period.

Today, domestic dwarf hedgehogs are not uncommon, many people are increasingly making thorny decorative friends, but not everyone knows how and what to properly feed them at home. Next, we will consider in more detail the diet of hedgehogs living with a person.

People are unlikely to hunt mice or frogs on their own to bring them to a hedgehog, although he will still need meat. That is why experts recommend that animals must be included in the diet beef, chicken or turkey meat and various offal... It is advisable to give them raw meat, never fried. You can give it boiled, but it's better to just scalded it with boiling water. It goes without saying that meat should be free of any additives such as seasonings and salt. Smoked products should not be given to animals.

Often, those who keep hedgehogs at home breed special worms for them. Animals, of course, love such a delicacy, but growing worms is a rather painstaking business, so not everyone spoils their wards like that. Sometimes the owners look for earthworms, for example, after a rainstorm, and sometimes they buy them in the appropriate places.

It is permissible to feed hedgehogs raw or boiled chicken eggs, and quail. But it is recommended to give them no more than one egg per week.

Recently, in pet stores you can find specially formulated food for hedgehogs... It is produced by different manufacturers. It is completely balanced and includes vitamins and minerals necessary for the normal functioning of the hedgehog's body at home. You can argue indefinitely about what is the best way to feed the animal: self-prepared food or ready-made food, since both options have their pros and cons, it all depends on the preferences of the owners.

Usually, dry food is given to animals no more than 40 grams per day (it all depends on the weight), but do not forget that the animal will need meat. A dry diet cannot completely replace fresh meats, fruits and vegetables.

Hedgehogs should be given fruits or berries every day. Such animals do not eat much, and therefore slices of a treat, for example, a pear or an apple, will be enough for them. Any citrus fruits are contraindicated for hedgehogs. The owners often replace fruit treats with baby food, but there is one caveat here. You can feed animals with such a treat only if it does not contain starch and sugar.

In the summer, the ward can be pampered, having treated them to caterpillars or snails. In spring, you can give to animals May beetles.

If a dead mouse or bird is suddenly found, it should not be given to a hedgehog in this form. In extreme cases, it is recommended to thoroughly boil such a "find", otherwise the animal may get sick. Sometimes it is not worth giving such "treats" at all, because the same mouse can be poisoned, this is especially common in summer cottages, where rodents are often poisoned.

If you had an idea to feed a hedgehog that wanders around the summer cottage, then you should read the stop-list of products contraindicated for this animal in advance. Also, this list is useful for those who keep such animals as pets.

Almost all people first of all run to the refrigerator for milk to treat the animal, but it is believed that hedgehogs are the hardest to assimilate. Many veterinarians even consider milk poisonous for such animals.

In addition, under the ban the following products.

• Any candy, chocolate and other sweets. It is believed that they can lead to diseases such as diabetes mellitus.
• Any products with colorants, thickeners and preservatives.
• Grapes, raisins and all kinds of dried fruits, especially with bones, they are also not recommended for hedgehogs, as they can get stuck in the throat of animals.
• Avocados, pineapples and other exotic fruits they can also be dangerous for hedgehogs, animals can be poisoned by them, because it is unlikely that a hedgehog will be able to find an avocado or sweet lychee in the forest. If there is no reliable information about whether a particular exotic fruit can be given to an animal, it is best not to risk it.
• Under a special ban, vegetable oils, any fast food, buns with meat, chips, croutons with additives, dry food for dogs or cats, onions, garlic.

If domestic hedgehogs roam freely around the apartment or house, then you should be very careful about the dishes from which they eat. It doesn't have to be plastic. Many animals gnaw it with ease, which in the future can lead to poisoning and even death. Such animals often gnaw through the wires, which can also lead to the death of pets.

If you are breeding hedgehogs at home, then it should be noted that in the first months of life they live with their mother and feed on her milk. In this case, you should take care of her complete diet so that the babies receive all the nutrients through milk. It also happens that people pick up a hedgehog without a mother and do not know how to feed them on their own.

Let's consider this moment in more detail.

• You need to feed babies aged 1.5 to 2 months several times a day, optimal - 2 (morning and evening). But pregnant hedgehogs are usually fed up to 4 times a day. They are also shown vitamins, but it is advisable to consult a veterinarian about this.
• Today in big cities you can find ready-made infant formula for little hedgehogs, which it is quite possible to feed babies. You can also use kitten mixes. As a last resort, they can be given goat's milk. There is also information that little hedgehogs love dog milk, but it is very difficult to get it.
• Only newborn hedgehogs should be fed with a pipette or small syringe. If they start to spit out the mixture or milk, then experts recommend pouring food into them, closing the spout. The first three weeks of life, complementary foods are carried out in 2-3 ml of milk or ready-made mixture every 2-4 hours. In the fourth week, you can try to put a saucer of milk, by this time the hedgehogs should already learn how to move around and eat on their own.
• From the fifth week, hedgehogs can be fed with specialized dry food. and try to supply them with drinking water. After 7 weeks, the hedgehog should be weaned from milk, transferring it to water, insects, fruits and food. They should be fed twice a day, preferably at the same time.

Adults living in the house are advised to allocate personal bowls for food. They should be washed after each meal. It is advisable to teach animals to eat in a specific place. They should not eat from the same bowl as cats or dogs, otherwise they may get some kind of infection.

You should not overfeed your hedgehogs, this can negatively affect their health. So, a large hedgehog (up to 1 kg) needs about 100-150 grams of feed per day. For pregnant hedgehogs, portions are usually increased, for them to eat more is the norm. It is best to leave most of the food for the evening, as hedgehogs are nocturnal animals. Most likely, in the evening they will rustle in search of delicacies.

It is undesirable to drastically change the diet of decorative or dwarf African domestic hedgehogs. If there is a desire to transfer them to ready-made feed, then this should be done smoothly, otherwise they may refuse to eat or they may have health problems.

If you want to feed wild hedgehogs in the country, then they should also be given a separate bowl where you can put food allowed for hedgehogs. But it's best to give them fruit, like chopped apples or pears - they probably won't hurt street guests.

In general, feeding a hedgehog is not difficult if you follow all the recommendations and do not give the animals prohibited foods.... Hedgehogs that eat well are usually active, but those with dietary problems can be very lethargic. Also, animals are lethargic before the beginning of the hibernation period. It is important to feed the hedgehogs properly until the end of October, after which they hibernate for the whole winter. But if the animal is lethargic and this is not due to an impending sleep, it is best to consult a veterinarian, perhaps the hedgehog is sick.

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