Feeding quantities

[Dizzydog]

I’ve always assumed I was feeding one hedgehog in my garden, but for the past few nights two have been visiting together (one seems quite large, and the other rather smaller, although since my wildlife camera stopped working I can only see dark shapes from my window). Every time I look, Large is in the feeding box and Little is scurrying around nearby. Thought I’d better increase the amount of food I put out (cat food, cat biscuits and special hedgehog food). However, I know the food we give them is only meant to be supplementary to their natural diet, and am wondering if anyone could advise me as to the right quantities to feed them.

[stef]

Hi
Everyone has varying thoughts on this. I personally put out more than they need ( the birds finish off the rest ). In my experience they eat as much as they want and then wander off to scavenge anyway so in that way they are self regulating how much they take ( as long as you don’t put out mealworms which they would polish off )
If the smaller one isn’t getting to eat then perhaps put out another dish in a different area

[Nic]

Hi Dizzydog

It sounds as if you either need another feeding box, or if it isn’t raining leave some food outside for the smaller one. They may not be happy both being in the box at once, but, I have found that some hogs just don’t seem to like going into boxes at all. I feed the hogs here, mostly, out of doors and have a Perspex sheet which I put up between two children’s tables to form a shelter if it’s raining.

I tend to adjust the feeding time-wise, as opposed to strictly quantity-wise, so that the hogs here tend to get their food for a few hours each night and then it is taken in. I vary this a bit according to the time of year, ie. leaving it out longer pre and post-hibernation, if it’s very dry and not so easy for them to find wild food, etc. I work out how much to put out on an almost daily basis, depending on how many hogs have been visiting and how much they are eating. So if there is loads left one night, I will put out a bit less the next and vice versa. I am usually watching, so on occasions nip out and top up the bowls. Water, of course, is always available – at various locations in the garden.

[Dizzydog]

Thanks, Stef and Nic for the advice. Wasn’t sure whether hogs are like dogs, and don’t know when they’ve had enough! Left double the usual amount of food out last night, plus an extra dish of water, and there was some food left this morning. However, if it all starts to disappear, I will probably go for a second feeding box, as there are too many cats around to leave food in the open.

[Author]

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