What Do Baby Hedgehogs Eat?

Although hedgehogs are similar to other small pets in many ways, they are distinctively different when it comes to their appearance and care as tiny pets. Because hedgehogs are insectivores, they require nutrients that may not be found in many other pet foods. Originally, pet baby hedgehogs were often fed with cat food. However, foods that are particularly suited to baby hedgehogs are now available in pet stores which include all of a hedgehog’s nutritional demands. You may make better food choices for your pet by learning what a hedgehog should eat.

Depending on which source you consult, hedgehogs are classified as omnivores or insectivores. If you look at a hedgehog’s real diet, the omnivorous description is more accurate because hedgies in the wild eat a range of foods rather than just insects.

Depending on the region where they live and thrive, different species of hedgehogs will have varied diets.

What Do Baby Hedgehogs Eat?

Hedgehogs already have an adequate diet that they can thrive on. When it comes to newborns, things become even more difficult. So, what do baby hedgehogs eat?

Baby hedgehogs begin life by drinking solely their mother’s milk, as do most other mammals. If a mother’s milk is unavailable, substitute fluids, such as puppy or goat’s milk, can be given. A baby hedgehog will begin to eat solid food at 3-4 weeks old.

Hoglets require all of the vitamins, fats, and minerals found in cow’s milk. They should not be fed with cow’s formula since it will kill them. A goat’s milk and colostrum is wonderful and nutritious food that just has to be used carefully. If nothing else is available, it may be taken for a brief period of time.

Cimicat is a good example of this, as it’s merely big enough to support the hoglets for a few days or weeks at most. We’ve discovered that, while human baby formulas are less successful than cow’s milk-based alternatives, they’re still ineffective and will always suggest you not to use them.

We discovered that the powder milk replacements must be thoroughly blended to ensure that everything dissolves, so we combine them with Fennel Tea rather than water as we’ve discovered it aids in reducing bloating. We’ve already created enough feed for the whole day the night before, stored it in the fridge, and remixed it the next morning. Use an electric whisk or blender instead of one that employs blades since this adds too much air.

What Do Baby Hedgehogs Drink?

You must hand-feed a hoglet if its mother is missing or if the mother hedgehog has abandoned her young. Instead of the mother’s milk, you may give hoglets sheep’s milk. It would be ideal if you avoided giving cow’s milk to your hoglet since it can cause diarrhea.

They can also be fed milk alternatives such as Esbilac. This milk will contain all of your hedgehog’s essential nutrients and vitamins, allowing it to develop properly. Growth is a necessity for young hedgehogs.

The hoglets will need to be fed using a tiny syringe. The majority of hedgehogs will recognize the food and feed themselves, while others may require some time. Allow the hoglets to get used to the milk before offering them too much of it.

It’s also important to never feed hoglets milk on their backs, as they might inhale it and choke. One vital thing to do after feeding your hoglets is to stimulate them so they can urinate and defecate.

Chocolate is also poisonous to hedgehogs, so be sure your kitties aren’t eating it! You may give chocolate to your hedgehog by offering him or her one of the following foods: tinned cat food, special hedgehog food, or biscuits.

What Do Baby Hedgehogs Eat 4 Weeks After Being Born?

Insects are not only a source of food for hedgehogs but also their primary source of dietary fiber. Chitin is found in insect hard exoskeleton and is primarily a protein source, although it does provide some fiber. Chitin is a vital element of a hedgehog’s diet, but it isn’t the only thing required by a hedgehog. Various items should be given in addition to insects because, while chitin is necessary for a hedgehog’s health, it isn’t the only ingredient needed in its diet.

Mealworms

For hedgehogs, live or frozen-dried mealworms are a good source of chitin. Worms also provide mental stimulation because they move about and make it more difficult for a hedgehog to catch its prey.

Waxworms

Mealworms have a lower fat content and greater chitin content than waxworms, making them a superior choice as an occasional treat for hedgehogs.

Crickets

The chitin within crickets can also be baked into a diet, providing extra nutrition as well as mental stimulation for your hedgehog. To ensure that crickets are properly nourished, gut-loading should be performed before feeding them to your hedgehog.

Fruits

Dried fruit should be avoided, but a little amount of fresh fruit may be used as a treat for your hedgehog. Apples, berries, bananas, melons, and berries are popular hedgehog treats.

Vegetables

Fresh tomatoes, cooked squash, and green beans are all things your hedgehog might enjoy. Vegetables that are starchy, such as corn, carrots, and potatoes, should also be avoided.

Cooked Meat

A pet hedgehog can be fed a low-fat, high-protein canned cat or dog food in addition to cooked chicken.

Cooked eggs 

A hedgehog’s diet should include a lot of high-quality protein, plus portions of scrambled or hard-boiled egg on occasion.

Pinky Mice

If you don’t mind your hedgehog eating a newborn mouse, you may give him a pre-killed pinky mouse as a treat on occasion.

Cat Kibble

A high-quality kibble for a cat or hedgehog should have at least 30 percent protein and less than 20 percent fat. The best diet for a hedgehog is one that satisfies these nutritional needs, however, few created diets are accessible that don’t include raisins or seeds, which are not suggested.

When it comes to hedgehogs, age is critical. Baby hedgehogs weighing less than 300 grams should not be fed dry food. Soft foods are more popular with baby hedgehogs, especially during weaning.

How To Feed Baby Hedgehogs?

It’s easy to learn how to feed a hedgehog, so don’t be afraid. Many breeders, owners, and rescue centers practice this every day all over the world. You can do it! It doesn’t imply that they’re defective if they were rejected as a hoglet. It’s possible their mother was overwhelmed.

We want to begin by telling you that we do not recommend using commercial cat food for this information. We suggest that you contact a local experienced breeder for assistance beyond this article, but we’d like to share what has been demonstrated and proved effective first. This section is about nutrition, stimulation, and warmth, which are all crucial when it comes to feeding.

Hold the hoglet in one hand and the syringe in the other. Hold them on their backs with your thumb under their chins for tiny newborns. If they’re still too young to see, bring the nipple tip of the syringe right to their lips. By the second week, their eyes should be open. By 3 to 4 weeks, your hedgehog will be able to go up to it and the hedgie will chew on it with his new teeth, which he’ll use by then. As a result, keep it at a safe distance from them and allow them to reach it on their own.

The best strategy to feed a hedgehog is to slowly squeeze the formula out and never squeeze it too much. It should drip from a nipple, just like it would in your mouth. Give them 4-5 drops of multi-vitamin with each feeding once a day. Keep the pee pad on their bottom and stimulate their belly down to their genitals when they are done each time. Place them back in their warm, dark sleeping area after you’ve delivered a light warning.

How Much Do Baby Hedgehogs Eat?

You’ll need to set an alarm to wake you at night and give you notice of some sort throughout the day. Because food is so essential for a baby hedgehog at this age, failing to feed him would be disastrous. Hoglets require a feeding schedule of 1-3 ml every two hours, or on-demand, from the start of their lives until the second week. Between the third and fourth weeks of life, they should eat every four hours. They should cease their daily day feedings after five weeks and only self-feed at night.

What Are The Natural Predators of Baby Hedgehogs?

Hedgehogs have sharp, hooked spines all over their bodies to defend themselves against predators by curling into a ball when threatened, making them appear to be a very unpalatable meal. Certain predators are capable of hunting and consuming hedgehogs, including birds of prey, several species of carnivorous mammals, and snakes, while the spines deter some attackers.

Owls

Owls are known to hunt hedgehogs, particularly the European eagle owl. Nocturnal animals, like hedgehogs and owls, are active at night and sleep during the day. The Eurasian eagle owl, like many other species of owl, has the ability to flap its wings softly while hunting, depriving the hedgehog of any opportunity to curl into a defensive ball due to the lack of warning noises.

Canines

A hedgehog may be attacked and consumed by members of the Canidae family, including wild and domestic dogs, jackals, and foxes. A dog may use his nose to push the hedgehog back open if it has curled itself into a spiny ball.

Mongooses

Although the Indian gray mongoose is not a direct predator of hedgehogs, it does prey on them indirectly. The Indian hedgehog is one of the many species targeted by this mongoose. Mongooses are notorious for attacking odd prey, such as cobras, which explains why they use innovative methods to get into the prickly hedgehog. The mongoose’s aim is true. The named prey is picked up with its forearms and hurled at a solid object to shatter the shell or shock and harm the hedgehog enough that it uncurls, giving the mongoose access to its soft underbelly.

Mustelids

Weasels and ferrets, which are in the Mustelidae family, are notorious hedgehog killers. Hedgehogs were discovered to be a major food source in a study of wild ferrets in New Zealand. Ferrets in Greece have also been observed consuming hedgehogs.

How Do Hedgehogs Protect Themselves From Predators?

Quill Protection

A hedgehog’s quills are his spines, and he knows how to use them. When they sense danger, their quills go up in a hurry. The hedgehog has muscles on either side of his body that aid in the deployment of his spines. The quills Crisscross and interlock with one another. When hedgehogs sleep curled up, their spines are intertwined, which means they’re safe while they snooze.

Hissing

Hedgehogs make a lot of noise. When rummaging through a forest for tiny insects to consume, they don’t make any efforts to be quiet. They frequently emit gruntings and nudge their fellow hedgehogs when a possible threat approaches them. They will make a loud hissing sound if an attacker gets too close to them.

Curl Up

The hedgehog has created a sturdy armor of quills around his prickles after plucking them out and interlocking them with one another. The hedgehog curls his head and feet into his body, forming a ball to protect his delicate, sensitive underside at this stage. The hedgehog subsequently appears to be a thorny ball. Many predators may find the prickly ball unappealing for supper time because it resembles a prickly ball that might not look very appealing. If a predator attempts to open the prickly ball, it will be difficult for him or her to do so and may give up.