[Yer_Daddy]

So I have read the posts about "junk food". So my understanding is that I should add some other foods to Spike's Delite.

What should I add?

Wellness dry catfood ok? (I have some laying around the house)

Is the Green Pea a dry food or wet?

Still a little confused...

I have fed my hogs mealworms & scrambled eggs. Tried fruits and peanut butter with no success...

 

[Immortalia]

Spikes Delight IS the junk food. So you really should add another 3 great quality cat foods to the mix.

Any on Reaper's list http://www.hedgehogcentral.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=15 is good to add.

Wellness, NB green pea and duck, Frommes, Solid gold, CSFCLS are all popular choices, to give you an idea.

 

[Yer_Daddy]

I thought Spike's was supposed to be a good food for hedgies? Wait....junk is good food right?

I'm soo confused!

 

[Immortalia]

I thought Spike's was supposed to be a good food for hedgies? Wait....junk is good food right?

I'm soo confused!

Spikes is an ok food. It wouldn't kill them, but it doesn't have ALL of the nutritional values that hedgies need. Which is why a mix of 3 good cat foods are needed.

 

[Yer_Daddy]

OK...just to be devil's advocate...

In the wild wouldn't our little friends pretty much eat only insects and pretty much scavage any thing else they could eat...

I not trying to start anything here, but just feeling sometimes we are going a little obsessive compulsive....

 

[Immortalia]

You are correct... At present there is no "one" food that seems to meet all hedgie nutritional needs so a mix of foods still seems to be the best. As I have discussed on other topics the average life span for a wild white bellied or Algerian hedgehog is about 2 years. The easiest way to increase the lifespan in captivity is diet. For a while many breeders and enthusiasts would feed the absolute "best" foods and it seems too good of food was "too rich". Once these breeders added a "junk" food to their hedgies diets they saw those hedgies living longer. Yes hedgies are insectivores but they are also opportunistic scavengers in the wild. So their diet should consist of several things. Gail Dick of Millermeade Farms describes it this way: "You don't want your children to eat nothing but french fries, but a few once in a while makes them happy and doesn't hurt them." So it is with hedgies as well. Many breeders add what I call a "junk" food in their mix. And many believe it has extended the lifespan of their hedgies. It makes sense and it may make our hedgies a little happier. So I add Spike's Delight Premium hedgehog food in my mix as my quilled ones were fed it at the breeders. They don't eat it all the time but will pick it out of the mix on occasion. So the consensus on diet still seems to be a mix of at least three(the more variety the better IMO) quality cat foods or African hedgie foods along with live bugs,cooked chicken, turkey, eggs, fresh fruit and veggies as treats will ensure the best possible diet to increase our quilled friends lives.

If you are only feeding Spikes, then you're not even giving the option of "scavenge" for other food.

 

[Yer_Daddy]

Ok sounds good!

Thanks Immortalia!

Thanks for your help!

Off to the petstore.....

 

[dorasdaddy]

OK...just to be devil's advocate...

In the wild wouldn't our little friends pretty much eat only insects and pretty much scavage any thing else they could eat...

I not trying to start anything here, but just feeling sometimes we are going a little obsessive compulsive....

African pygmy hedgehogs have NEVER existed in the wild, they are a captive cross breed of at least 2 and as many as 5 other breeds of african hedgehogs...Also, in the wild a hedgehog has an average lifespan of about 2 years, but through both diet and protection from predators that number is now closer to 5 on average and as many as 10 from many reports that i have read....which would you rather have?

 

[Yer_Daddy]

Which breed of hedgehog has a life span of 2 years?

 

[dorasdaddy]

the white bellied and the algerian both have an average lifespan of about 2 years in the wild.

 

[Lilysmommy]

Spike's Delite is the best hedgehog food available. However, as Immortalia said, a mix of cat foods is usually seen as better. Wellness Indoor, Solid Gold, Natural Balance Green Pea & Duck, Chicken Soup Light, and Fromm's are all ones that are used by many owners and breeders. They're all dry foods and can be found at stores like Petco. If you have a Petco near you, they're a good place to buy food because if your hedgehog doesn't like one of the foods, you can take the opened bag back (within a month and with receipt) and get your money back.