Hedgehog nutrition
Hedgehog nutrition
Wendy Graffam, Ph.D.
Wildlife Conservation Society
Introduction
Hedgehogs are generally found in
* Africa
* Europe
* Hedgehogs are generally classified as insectivores. However, they have been known to eat some plant matter
Insectivores
* An animal that eats primarily insects
* A specialized type of carnivore
* Insectivores, in general, are poorly studied
* Often consume the entire insect
* This includes intestines
* Exoskeleton
Insectivores
* Eat primarily insects
* There is low vitamin A in insects
* Insectivores may or may not have requirement for preformed vitamin A
* Insects contain fiber!
* Up to 15% fiber (NDF) – similar to Bran Flakes or Fruit and Fiber cereal!!
Like humans, may benefit from fiber in the diet
Hedgehogs in the “Wild”
* African species eat
o Beetles
o Ants
o Termites
o Grasshoppers
o Moths
o Centipedes
o Earthworms
Hedgehogs in the “Wild”
* Generally, seem to have a preference for soft-bodied insects (centipedes, millipedes)
* Eat other insects when easier to catch than soft-bodied
* Hedgehogs will forage long distances (miles!)
* Researchers have noted 2 periods of foraging activity per night
Hedgehogs in the “Wild”
* Eat approximately 57-71 g per night (European hedgehogs)
* About 6% of body weight (wet basis)
* Stomach capacity is only about 32 g
* Therefore, theory is that they must fill their stomachs 2 times per night
Hedgehogs in Captivity
* Need to forage for food?
* Hunt for prey
* Burns calories
* Exercise
* We offer high-calorie, high-fat diets and no exercise!
Hedgehogs in Captivity
* Often fed
* Cat or dog food (canned or dry)
* “Hedgehog” food
* Produce
* Milk products
* Meat
* Invertebrates
Basic Hedgehog Requirements
* Water
* Energy
* Protein
* Fat
* Fiber (often not included)
* Vitamins
* Minerals
Water
* All animals require fresh, clean water
* Water is the most important nutrient
* Hedgehogs probably get some of their water from their food too
Energy
* All animals require energy
* How much should I feed my hog?
* Hedgehogs require around 70-100 calories per day
* Based on body size (I used 400-600 g)
* kcal/day = 2(70*body weight0.75)
* Insectivores may run lower
* Other eq say 30-40 kcal/day
Energy
* Hogs are known to consume up to 1/3 of their body weight per night
* If offered, they will consume many more calories!
* Ad lib mealworms: 1 animal (650 g) ate 1880 g in 19 days – increased weight by 68%!!!
Vitamins and Minerals
* Animals in the wild
* From prey
o Muscle
o Intestine
o Bones
* From soil (accidentally ingested)
* In captivity, we must provide all of these
Commercial Diets
- Pellets or Extruded diets
Pros
* Tooth abrasion
* Contain vitamins and minerals
* Generally low in fat (not cat foods)
Cons
* Hard to chew
* May be plant based
* May not be palatable
Commercial Diets
- Seed/Grain Diets
Pros
* Inexpensive
* Variety
Cons
* Generally high in fat (seeds)
* Plant based
* May not be as palatable or well digested
* Vitamins and minerals may be dusted on
* Allows self selection
Commercial Diets Nutrition Suggested Requirement
- All values on a dry matter basis
Commercial Diets – Protein
Suggested requirement – 22%
Commercial Diets – Fat
Suggested requirement – 5%
Commercial Diets – Fiber
Suggested requirement – 15%
Commercial Diets – Calcium
Suggested requirement – 0.9%
Commercial Diets – Phosphorus
Suggested requirement – 0.9%
Commercial Diets – Iron
Suggested requirement – 75 ppm
Commercial Diets – micromineral
Hedgehog Diets Cat Food Sugg. Req.
Copper (mg/kg) 4-23 7-16 3-7
Manganese (mg/kg) 11-146 11-70 5
Zinc (mg/kg) 20-175 100-190 30
Suggested requirements are based on domestic cats, dogs, foxes and mink
Cat Food
* Dry food
* Select food with meat as first ingredients rather than plant products
* Feed dry if at all possible
* Canned food
* Does not provide tooth abrasion
* Very palatable
* Cannot be left in cage for more than 4 hours (due to bacterial growth)
Insects
Pros
* “Natural” feed
* Palatable
Cons
* Not a nutritionally complete food
* May be expensive
* Some high in fat
o Earthworms contain 9 times the energy than other major prey items!
Insect Supplementation
* Often purchased insects have not been fed
* This means they are “empty” shells rather than nutritious food
* Empty insects are likely imbalanced in calcium to phosphorus
* All insects should be handled and supplemented properly
Ways to Supplement Insects
* Buy Premade cricket/insect supplement
* See reptile dealers for these products
* Some crickets or mealworms will come on a nutritious bedding: so check with your supplier
* Buy poultry layer mash and use as bedding
* Make your own
* Grind up dog food and mix with Ca supplement
* Recipe
Insect Supplementation
* Recipe
o 80 g ground dog food/poultry mash (1/4 cup)
o 20 g Ca Carbonate supplement (4 tsp)
* Store in a sealed container in the fridge
* Use as food or bedding for insects
Invertebrates
* Cricket housing
* House in large aquarium
* Feed high-calcium cricket food
* Provide water via vegetables or shallow dish with a sponge
* Mealworms/waxworms
* House in plastic container with holes in fridge
* Bed on high-calcium cricket food
All-Meat Diets
* Do NOT feed raw meat
* Unsupplemented lean meat does not provide
o adequate calcium
o balanced minerals
o tooth abrasion
o adequate vitamins
* These are provided naturally by the intestines and bones of the prey item
All-Meat Diets
* If feeding a cooked meat diet
* Supplement each kg meat with:
o 8 g beef liver
o 10 g of calcium carbonate
* Abrasives at least 1-2X/week insects?
Dairy Products
* Should I feed dairy products to my hog?
* Probably not
* Adult mammals not designed to digest milk well
* Really just a food for baby mammals
* Can cause diarrhea
* High in fat and calories
* Limited quantity OK as an occasional treat
Fiber
* How can we increase the fiber in hedgehog diets?
* Add hard-shelled insects (crickets)
* Add other fiber sources
o Chitin?
o Cellulose?
o Bran?
* Feed light cat food?
Fiber Trial – WCS
* 4 hedgehogs
* 3 diets
* Canned cat food alone
* Canned cat food with cellulose (fiber) added
* Canned cat food with chitin added
Fiber Trial – WCS – Results
* Hogs were able to digest some of the fiber
* Chitin in diet increased hog’s ability to digest fat (opposite of human claims)
* Fiber seemed to improve fecal quality
Nutrition Summary
* Always have clean water available
* Provide a balanced diet, if possible
* Cat food
* Hedgehog food
* Provide a source of fiber
* Provide a variety of insects and produce
Basic Food Safety
* Be careful not to handle hedgehog feces or insects before handling your own food or dishes, etc.
* Do not leave produce, soaked food or canned food out for more than 4 hours at room temperature
* Keep insects contained
* Do not feed raw meat or eggs
Health Issues
* Obesity
* Hedgehogs can eat 33% of their body weight if allowed
o Like a 150 pound human eating 50 pounds of food
* Propensity to obesity in captivity
* Many die in extreme states of obesity
* Range long distances in the wild
o Provide a wheel or opportunity to run in captivity
Health Issues
* Cancer
* Beta-carotene vs. vitamin A
o May or may not help to prevent cancer
How Can I Help?
* Weigh regularly; maintain body condition
* Develop body condition scoring system
* Keep detailed records of food preferences
* Monitor diet effects on fecal quality
* Summarize handrearing and growth info.
* Fund nutritional research
Dead pent subject material, Really enjoyed reading.