For food, give them a fresh potato, apple, or even a carrot and some lettuce to consume. When the insects are in their tubs, give them an oatmeal bedding to lay in. It is a great way to make the insects more nutritional and tastier for those pickier quilly eaters. Feeding hedgehog insects a special diet 24 hours before they are consumed by your hedgie will be enough time for the bug to process the benefits. How do we get those nutrients into them? Gut loading and supplements! Feeder insects may be high in fiber and protein but they are low on other nutrients. That's because of their lack of cecum which is needed to break down plant cells. Otherwise, your hedgehog may not benefit from vegetables and fruits when eaten directly. Gut loading is feeding the hedgehog insects the food and moisture that you want them to break down for your hedgie.
A study on amounts of taurine in some insects can be found here.ĭid you know that Chitin is also called animal fiber? And, its Greek name is χιτών, literally meaning covering. The amount of taurine your hedgehog receives in their their cat kibble or raw diet plus the insects a hedgehog can eat, helps with metabolic and neurological functions like eye health. Taurine is a naturally occurring essential amino acid inside of the insect's organs and skeletal tissue. Some worms have a heavier exoskeleton which gives fiber, some bugs are high in calcium naturally, others high in protein and amino acids like taurine. It basically helps hedgies digest their food.Īnother reason for feeding bugs is that when fed an assortment of types, your hedgehog receives all their essential nutrients. Why is that cool? Because chitin is a polysaccharide, which helps store energy gained from food and helps with healthy bodies and minds. Chitin levels in the mealworms and cockroaches were 45% their total body weight when water content was removed (called dry matter content).
The armored outer layer of mealworms and crickets were extracted and measured in the study. What is The Nutritional Value of Insects?Ī study conducted by the University of Helsinki revealed some interesting benefits of bugs.
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