Mama tuckered out?

[Tabi]

Lately, I've been giving my mama hedgie, Neytiri about 5 mealies a day spread throughout the day. She gets excited and comes out and gobbles them up and eats a bit of kitty food, then heads back in the nest. Today and last night, I noticed she kinda lays down to eat then stops eating and kinda lays there for a while. Not sure if it's normal. She has a healthy appetite and is taking care of her babies very well. Could it be too hot in the nest box?

[FiaSpice]

None of my hedgie where pregnant, but when temperature was higher than 30C (86F) they where a bit more letargic and more "slow" (and they would sleep ouside their hedgiebag). I hope someone with mama hedgie will help you.

[moxieberry]

You could try adding a small sprinkle of crushed Tums to her food. It could just be that she's worn out, but mamas can also get something of a calcium deficiency from nursing. Our breeder-mentor has said several times that the crushed Tums is the first thing she tries for a mama that seems to be a little lethargic, and it's already in our box of medical supplies/remedies for breeding. If it is a calcium issue, you should see her perk back up in a day or two with the Tums. Even if that's not what it is, the Tums won't hurt to try for a few days (though you don't want to necessarily give it for an extended period, because excess calcium can lead to kidney or bladder stones).

How old are the babies? After the babies are around 3-4 weeks, give or take, it's not uncommon for a mama to be feeling kind of "mothered out" and spend more time out of the nest. (The other day, one of our mentor's mama hedgies was trying to climb out of the cage, lol.) Since she has a good appetite, that's more likely what it is.