The ideal hedgehog world has long been out of joint. Destruction of their habitats and extensive use of pesticides have fatal consequences for the daily bread of the lovable spiked balls. Feeding is no longer a question of yes or no, but when and how. Read this guide on how to properly feed hedgehogs in the garden.

Hedgehogs like fresh cat food

Table of Contents

Show all
  1. the essentials in brief
  2. Do not feed all year round
  3. Feed temporarily
  4. Natural hedgehog food
  5. what to feed
  6. Weigh the amount of feed
  7. Ideal feeding place
  8. Feeding hedgehog offspring
  9. frequently asked Questions

    10. the essentials in brief

    • Year-round feeding has advantages and disadvantages; Above all, it makes sense to feed them in autumn and winter when food is scarce
    • Hedgehogs mainly eat insects such as worms, snails and beetles, but also fruit and vegetables if meaty food is scarce
    • Hedgehogs can be fed cat or dog food, scrambled eggs or oatmeal; fried fish or meat without spices can also be administered

    Feed hedgehogs in summer and in winter?

    Shrinking habitats, the death of insects and climate change do not leave wild animals unaffected. More and more garden owners are setting up feeding stations to compensate for the lack of food for hedgehogs and other insectivores. From the point of view of the experts, this measure is good and right as long as the support is limited to a clearly defined period of time. However, there are downsides to consider. The following table summarizes the advantages and disadvantages of year-round feeding for hedgehogs:

    benefits disadvantage
    compensate for lack of food food envy and social stress
    absorb the effects of drought source of infection feeding site
    mitigate habitat loss poor feed quality
    Prevent weakening of the immune system due to lack of food inbreeding
    mating fights
    loss of natural independence
    overweight

    Explanations of the benefits

    The death of insects and the decline in species can no longer be denied. Climate change is making matters worse with long-lasting heat and bone-dry soil. The crowd of insects and mollusks, which is already stagnant, often hides deep in the ground in summer, out of reach for starving hedgehogs. In order to be fed, the insectivores have to walk a long way. Shrinking habitats fragmented by roads, functional gardens in the form of heaps of gravel and insurmountable concrete walls make life difficult for hungry hedgehogs. The resulting malnutrition massively weakens the immune system, so diseases and parasites have an easy time. From this point of view, the establishment of feeding stations makes sense.

    Explanations of the disadvantages

    By nature, hedgehogs are solitary creatures who respectfully avoid one another. Meeting at feeding sites is unavoidable. Social stress and food envy create an aggressive climate that leads to regular boxing matches. Weakened hedgehogs, which are particularly dependent on additional food, lose out. Hedgehogs defecate where they are. This makes every hedgehog feeding place a dangerous source of infection, even with daily cleaning. When they are close together at the feeding bowl, pathogens are simply passed on.

    A feeding bowl can quickly become a source of infection

    The biggest disadvantage of feeding hedgehogs is poor feed quality combined with a lack of knowledge about species-appropriate feed. Cat food from discounters or hedgehog dry food as a complete feed are typical mistakes that, from a nutritional point of view, do more harm than good to hedgehogs. But even with high-quality ingredients, feeding hedgehogs all year round ultimately leads to nutrient deficiencies, diarrhea, loss of spines and tartar.

    If the richly laid table is within reach, male hedgehogs no longer go to more distant regions in search of a bride. Inbreeding and bloody mating fights are the consequences. In addition, fed hedgehogs fall into a disastrous relationship of dependence on humans at the expense of their natural instincts. Last but not least, the disastrous result of year-round feeding is severe obesity, because hedgehogs are insatiable.

    Temporary feeding is desirable

    Short-term feeding is the last resort for hedgehogs in need. You can avoid the problems of feeding all year round if you help hedgehogs with a temporary feeding station under the following conditions:

    • in the autumn: before hibernation, young hedgehogs often do not have sufficient fat reserves
    • in the winter: Hedgehogs awakened from hibernation are threatened with starvation
    • in the spring: after hibernation, as long as it is freezing and there are no insects around
    • in summer: found, injured or sick hedgehogs for 1-2 days

    If underweight hedgehogs have built up sufficient fat reserves and there are enough insects on the move again, feeding should be stopped. An exception applies to found, sick or injured hedgehogs. Affected animals should be taken care of by a veterinarian or hedgehog care station as soon as possible. Any waiting times of one or two days until delivery are bridged with additional feed.

    background

    Hedgehog friendly garden

    Hedgehog-friendly garden alleviates food shortages and housing shortages. Meticulously tidy gardens not only cause food shortages, but also rarely have a winter quarters to offer. With a hedgehog-friendly garden you solve both problems at once. Benjes hedges, piles of leaves, dry stone walls with cavities or even a hedgehog house that is safe for cats are perfectly suited for safe, snuggly retreats. In order for hedgehogs to make rich prey in the garden, the planting plan should be dominated by flowers, perennials and native flowering shrubs that attract hordes of insects.

    What does a hedgehog usually eat?

    Hedgehogs are primarily insect eaters, but they also eat worms, beetles and snails. Earwigs and centipedes are also high on the menu. During lean, insect-poor times, the spiked knights also enjoy carrion to cover their daily need for calories, proteins and vitamins.

    It belongs in the land of fables that hedgehogs eat vegetarian food. The carnivores are only interested in fruit or vegetables when succulent maggots or caterpillars are cavorting in them. When it's hot, these clever survivors cover their water requirements with berries or fallen fruit. Their special fondness for sweets occasionally tempts those with a sweet tooth to snack on ripe apples or bananas. The digestive system is not designed to process vegetarian food, so the small sins are excreted almost undigested.


    Caption: Hedgehogs like to eat insects, worms, snails and beetles.

    What can you feed hedgehogs?

    It is not an easy undertaking to feed hedgehogs in need in a manner appropriate to their species. No substitute food, no matter how expensive, comes close to the high quality of natural food sources. A suitable complete feed for hedgehogs has yet to be invented. You can buy hedgehog dry food in specialist shops, which, due to its high carbohydrate content, can only be considered as an ingredient. A balanced mixture of different components is primarily suitable for bridging acute nutritional deficits. The following table compares permitted and forbidden foods for hedgehogs:

    permitted forbidden
    Hedgehog dry food milk and milkproducts
    cat food cheese
    Dog food without sauce nuts, peanuts
    oatmeal raisins
    wheat bran apple, pear, banana
    Eggs (boiled), scrambled eggs raw eggs
    unseasoned, roasted meat seasoned raw meat
    unseasoned boiled fish seasoned raw fish
    mealworms Lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, potatoes

    Please serve hedgehog food in a flat bowl. Fresh, still water, which you set up in a smaller bowl at the feeding place and change every day, is essential. The best time for feeding is during the evening twilight, when hedgehogs are out looking for food anyway.

    youtube

    Recipes for tasty hedgehog menus

    Prickly boarders in the garden love a varied menu. The following recipes make little hedgehog hearts beat faster:

    • Mix 100 g of cat food with 2 tablespoons of dry hedgehog food
    • Cut 100 g poultry meat into small pieces, mix with 2 tbsp oat flakes, fry in 1 tsp vegetable oil
    • Fry 30 g ground beef and 1 beaten egg in 1 tsp oil, stir in 2 tbsp oats
    • Fry 60 g unseasoned minced meat in 1 tsp oil, add 1 tbsp wheat bran
    • Fry 60 g scrambled eggs with 1 teaspoon oil, stir in 2 tablespoons dried hedgehog food

    digression

    baby hedgehog

    Baby hedgehogs belong in expert hands. Orphaned young hedgehogs found outside the nest with their eyes and ears closed have lost their mother. Laypersons are overwhelmed when it comes to rescuing the helpless boulders. Feeding baby hedgehogs requires special knowledge that goes far beyond the normal supplementary feeding of adult hedgehogs. Take hedgehog babies to the nearest hedgehog sanctuary or to a veterinarian as quickly as possible. For safe transport, pad a box with torn newspaper or paper towels. It is important to note that you note the location and time of discovery as important information for the experts.

    Weigh the amount of feed

    After it has been clarified what you feed hedgehogs species-appropriate, the question of the right amount of food arises. The cute prickly animals are insatiable and know no feeling of satiety. Please weigh the daily ration carefully so that supplementary feeding does not lead to unhealthy obesity. The specific amount depends on the age and size of the invited guests. Proven empirical values are summarized in the following overview:

    • young hedgehog: 120 to 150 grams daily
    • adult hedgehog: 200 to 230 grams daily

    Your prickly pet's weight will determine when you stop feeding. When young hedgehogs have eaten 600 grams and adult hedgehogs have eaten a whopping 1,000 grams, it is time to put an end to the table. With this fighting weight, the spiked bears are well equipped for the independent search for food and an undamaged hibernation. Please do not clear the feeding station abruptly. Weaning is gentler if you reduce the amount of food by a third each day.

    tips

    When hedgehogs wake up from hibernation, they haven't eaten for a long time. In the first three days, it is strongly recommended to gradually increase the amount of food. If the starving insectivores feed the normal daily ration of 180 to 200 grams from the start, serious stomach and intestinal problems are inevitable as a result of overloading.

    Tips for the ideal feeding place

    A properly arranged feeding place is not accessible to uninvited guests, such as cats, dogs, martens or foxes. Meticulous cleanliness prevents the spread of diseases, parasites, mold and rot. The following tips may inspire you to set up the perfect feeding place for hedgehogs:

    • Best location: sheltered, hidden spot in the garden
    • Ideally as a bird feeder made of wooden box or composite bricks
    • Base about 30x30x30 cm with entrance hole 10x10x10 cm
    • Roof weighted with stones
    • Floor secured with wire mesh against attacks from below

    Hedgehogs often defecate where they eat. If the feeding place is above open garden ground or lawn, please move the superstructure from time to time. A site on sealed ground should be cleaned regularly. Hedgehogs don't eat where they sleep and vice versa. It is advantageous if the feeder and sleeping quarters, especially the winter quarters, are in the immediate vicinity. In the best case, both entrances are next to each other or opposite each other.

    Special case: feeding hedgehog offspring

    Baby hedgehogs and very weak hedgehogs are unable to eat solid food on their own. In order to bridge any waiting time until you are admitted to a hedgehog sanctuary, feed your little one by hand. This can be done with a pipette or disposable syringe without a needle.

    Puppy substitute milk, which is available from the veterinarian, is ideal as liquid food. In the meantime, low-lactose cat milk from specialist retailers or pureed Hipp meat preparation (imprint: from the 4th month) is suitable. Take the hedgehog, which is lying on its back, in your hand so that it assumes a slightly sitting position. Use your thumb to carefully stabilize your posture. Drip the liquid food four to five times a day into the side of the hedgehog's mouth in a dosage of 10 to 30 milliliters each time. Please wait after each drop until the hedgehog has swallowed.

    A misunderstood love of animals must not lead to hedgehogs being fed all year round and spending the winter in the basement for no reason.

    frequently asked Questions

    Are hedgehogs insectivores? I recently observed how a hedgehog was interested in fallen fruit.

    Hedgehogs feed mainly on insects, worms, beetles, snails etc. However, they cannot resist a sweet snack in between, such as a fully ripe berry or a piece of apple. However, the insectivore's digestive system is not designed to digest plant-based food, so fruit is excreted almost undigested. If a hedgehog is interested in fallen fruit, it usually has the maggots in its sights in its sights.

    Should you help hedgehogs with additional food when they are dry?

    Many years of experience from hedgehog centers and hedgehog care stations have shown that feeding hedgehogs should be prohibited from spring to autumn. It is an old wives' tale that the insectivores can't find any food when it's dry and hot in the summer. Replacement food of any kind never reaches the quality of the natural prey. Feeding hedgehogs is only necessary in exceptional situations, such as early onset of winter or late winter when there are no food animals in the wild.

    When does a hedgehog hibernate?

    Under normal weather conditions, hedgehogs hibernate from November to the end of March/beginning of April. Females usually go into hibernation a month later because they need more time to build up sufficient fat reserves after the strenuous rearing of their young. The duration of the winter dormant phase is about the same in both sexes. As a result, female hedgehogs wake up later in spring than their male counterparts.

    After hibernation, we made the start of the season easier for the hedgehogs in our garden with cat food. Can we continue to provide food in May now? The whole family enjoys watching the hedgehogs feed in the evening.

    Please stop feeding now. Understandably, it is a pleasure to watch cute hedgehogs feasting. However, you are doing the insectivores a disservice. Cat food is only conditionally and temporarily suitable as hedgehog food. If a set table is ready every evening, hedgehogs no longer go hunting for insects, they become fat, lazy and, in the worst case, sick. Feeding hedgehogs should only be an emergency solution to bridge periods of poor nutrition in late winter.

    tips

    The Nature Conservation Union (NABU) underlines the urgency of species-appropriate protection measures for hedgehogs. As part of the citizen research project "Hedgehogs in Bavaria", it was demonstrated that the destruction of habitats is increasingly forcing hedgehogs into the vicinity of human settlements. The sad result: of 28,000 hedgehogs counted in 2015, more than a third were dead, mostly sad victims in road traffic.

Category:

Animals in the garden