STORAGE - Store in cool, dry conditions away from direct sunlight. Once open, ensure the bag is resealed to maintain freshness. Spikes and Brambles hedgehog foods have been formulated to provide the correct ratio of meat, vitamins and minerals. water So, if they’re not domesticated, and they aren’t being fed by a friendly neighbor, what do they actually eat out in the wild? And what is safe to feed them if one makes his way into your yard looking for some lunch? That being said, hedgehogs have a lot of flexibility in their diet and are very well adapted to eating whatever is available to them depending on their habitat. So, they’re more than capable of consuming proteins and fats, too.

You can help hogs further by making your garden attractive to their invertebrate prey. Allowing areas to become overgrown or adding a pond, log pile or compost heap will provide habitat. Birds and other wildlife that feed on these minibeasts will benefit too. Make a hedgehog highway Including some safe to eat fruits and veggies is a great way to include different tastes and textures and some lower calorie nibbles for your hog. The aim of providing supplemental feeding is not to try and replicate their natural diet – YOU CANT. But you CAN provide a nutritionally balanced food to support their natural diet. The recent post about poor little Gherkin, metabolic bone disease, and the issues with feeding mealworms, has led to someone asking if I could put something together about feeding wild hogs. I write this with the presumption that if you are reading it, you care greatly about the welfare of the hogs in your garden, and do not want to feed them things which are known to be harmful to their health. Please, on your part, also assume that this is written with the same aim, and with experience of caring for lots of hogs (hundreds), and also the shared experience of a huge UK network of wild hedgehog rehabilitators and wildlife hospitals. Cat biscuits are also good for their teeth, do not freeze in winter, or go off and attract flies in summer.

They are wild animals. The concept of treats is a human one, very tied into human emotion. Wild animals do not understand treats, they will eat what they are given. The best way of treating your wild hogs is to feed them safe, nutritionally balanced and appropriate food. There are so many easy ways to support and provide food for hedgehogs, that there are simply never reasons to offer milk, salted food or sweets. Hedgehogs may well appear to be enjoying them but you could well be killing them with kindness. Do not feed these items. It’s a good idea to keep weight records of your hog to keep an eye on unhealthy weight gain and make sure you are providing him with the correct ratio of nutrients as to not give him too much protein, fats or sugars.

Lots of people tend to think the only thing you can feed hedgehogs is cat food, but there are actually lots of things you can feed them. If you opt for store-bought hedgehog food, just make sure the ingredients list predominantly fresh meat and not artificial ingredients. This will add no nutritional value to your hedgehogs diet. Hedgehogs will drink water from natural sources such as puddles, but leaving out a shallow dish of fresh, plain water is the best way to ensure they stay hydrated all year round. What is Hedgehog Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD)? If so many hedgehogs are turning up with problems as a result of eating too many mealworms, etc. perhaps some of them are actually, now, using the food as more than just a supplement (the research was quite old). Whilst I appreciate that resources are limited, it seems to me that it would be a simple matter to amend the list of foods and anything which can easily be done to help hedgehogs should be. My feeling is that if we are trying to help hedgehogs, we should give them the best food for them which we can – regardless of whether it is only supplementary feeding..This year, we have already had two admissions prior to little Gherkin, with metabolic bone disease (confirmed by a veterinary surgeon), both barely able to walk, and in pain. Both of these, like Gherkin, were fed large amounts of mealworms. Hedgehog specific biscuits: Here, we feed our visiting wildies with a mix of two things: Ark Wildlife hedgehog biscuits, and Ark Wildlife hedgehog mix. This doesnt get eaten by the neighbourhood cats, the hedgehogs like it (please bear in mind that it WILL take them a few days to get used to a change in food), and the wild birds finish off any bits leftover. I have no affiliation with Ark wildlife, its simply that our wild hogs will eat it. There are other alternatives available. However, I have confidence that Ark wildlife have done their research and formulated a nutritionally complete and appropriate food – it was originally developed for hedgehog rescue centres and wildlife hospitals. Nutritional Additives (per kg): Vitamin A 19,000 IU, Vitamin D3 1,900 IU, Vitamin E 110mg, Iron (Ferrous Sulphate Monohydrate): 40mg, Copper (Cupric Sulphate Pentahydrate): 7mg, Manganese (Manganous Sulphate Monohydrate): 30mg, Zinc (Zinc Sulphate Monohydrate): 100mg, Iodine (Calcium Iodate Anhydrous): 1mg, Selenium (Sodium Selenite): 0.25mg. Store in cool, dry conditions away from direct sunlight. Once open, store in an airtight container. Place in a shallow dish and put out before dusk in a quiet area of the garden, along with a shallow dish of water. A mature hedgehog can eat about 20g each night. Ingredients

Much like we have to eat everything in moderation and only indulge in unhealthy foods as treats, hedgehogs should do the same. Hedgehogs need good-quality food with the appropriate calcium balance to avoid this condition. For more information, take a look at: A Guide to Hedgehog Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD) A little more about Hedgehogs in the garden. What can I do to help hedgehogs in my garden? My top 4: in moderation) has since been added after mealworms, but peanuts and sunflower hearts still remain. All WildThings foods are produced to ensure they provide a convenient and economical way of supporting wildlife, whilst also taking into consideration the wider positive environmental impact feeding these foods may have. Our range consists of: I ‘wonder if it is time to revisit this advice and consider (a) including hedgehog food in the list – there are numerous types available these days – and (b) excluding peanuts, sunflower hearts and dried mealworms or at the very least say that they should only be offered in small amounts.’ Milk is another foodstuff traditionally left out for hedgehogs. However, it will do them more harm than good due to their lactose intolerance. What harms hedgehogs?HEALTH BENEFITS - High in fibre with no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives. Ideal for maintaining healthy teeth and gums HEDGEHOG FRIENDS - Fed regularly, it will encourage hedgehogs to visit your garden all year round. No wonder it’s the most popular hedgehog food in the UK!