You'll find that the general consensus on this forum is that hedgies should be free fed. Which means that they should be given as much food as they are willing to eat, that there is always food available to them.
For the most part, hedgies run on their wheels enough so that they will not become overweight. If you have a hedgie that is less active, or has a rounder body shape(remember, a "teardrop" shape hedgie is perfectly healthy...this is aerial view) then you should chose foods that have a lower fat content.
If you have a runner type hedgie, then you may want to chose foods that are higher in fat.
If you notice your hedgie to be gaining too much weight, then you will have to try to reduce the fat content in her diet some more, or eventually restrict. But from my (brief) knowledge, most hedgies are fine to be free fed.
Also, just because they are "free fed" doesn't mean that you should fill the bowl without knowing how much gets eaten. Some here weigh the amount of kibble, or use tablespoons to measure.
Some count kibble... I'm a counter. For example, my hedgie eats approx 50 pieces of kibble per night, so I give him 70 kibbles nightly. It gives him the option to eat more if he wants.
For the most part, hedgies run on their wheels enough so that they will not become overweight. If you have a hedgie that is less active, or has a rounder body shape(remember, a "teardrop" shape hedgie is perfectly healthy...this is aerial view) then you should chose foods that have a lower fat content.
If you have a runner type hedgie, then you may want to chose foods that are higher in fat.
If you notice your hedgie to be gaining too much weight, then you will have to try to reduce the fat content in her diet some more, or eventually restrict. But from my (brief) knowledge, most hedgies are fine to be free fed.
Also, just because they are "free fed" doesn't mean that you should fill the bowl without knowing how much gets eaten. Some here weigh the amount of kibble, or use tablespoons to measure.
Some count kibble... I'm a counter. For example, my hedgie eats approx 50 pieces of kibble per night, so I give him 70 kibbles nightly. It gives him the option to eat more if he wants.
