How much fresh?

How much fresh food should a hog have?

sarah x

It is suggested that one teaspoon of fresh (meat, fruit and veg combined) is plenty. Fruit and veg to be chopped as small as possible.

Eliza has a heaped teaspoon of either chicken, mince, chicken with carrot and broccoli, scrambled egg, mealworms, crickets. She has one of these every evening. Fussy girl wont eat veg on its own.

I don't include insects as fresh. Fresh is mostly what we feel they should be eating (ie fruit/veg), combined with mince. Insects are another bowl entirely since I've found that the mealworms will poo over anything they are in with.

thanks, thats what i have been giving him he eats every bit and seems to love butternut squash!

go easy on the butternut squash it can cause loose bowel movements

Only a teaspoon? When mine get supplimental foods i.e. chicken, mince, egg...i just fill the bowl pretty much But cut down the biccies

I might try him on some scrambled egg tomorrow see how that goes down. He's such a good hog he always eats his fresh and is so clean and tidy lol

Jamiioo wrote:Only a teaspoon? When mine get supplimental foods i.e. chicken, mince, egg...i just fill the bowl pretty much But cut down the biccies

Since kibble is the core component, I don't limit it - there is always more than Bodhi could eat. With fresh, because they really wouldn't naturally be eating fruit/veg, I don't see the need to try to force the issue (and gut-load instead). I usually over-do it (teaspoon of mince, plus half a segment of cucumber, half of courgette, and about the same of apple - which was last night), but that is my inability to chop to demand - thankfully roaches eat whatever I feel is much-too-much.

If your hog is clearing their bowl, and doesn't have weight issues, then I can't see the issue with offering more - if they are able to self-regulate, then they simply will eat less kibble. The problem comes with the lazy, or unable to self-regulate hogs who will eat all of their fresh and all of their kibble, or don't wheel/run enough.

I might give him a little more he doesnt eat loads of biscuits and seems to like his fresh food and always clears his bowl. He is very active and not at all over weight. Fresh is a new thing for him as well his previous owners only fed him dried and occasional mealworms poor little thing wasnt taken care of as he should have been but i am making sure he gets everything he needs now. (mainly thanks to Kiania!)

Keep a monitor on weight, and you'll want to ensure that he is at least eating some kibble - it is the balanced part of his meal. But if he is keeping on a steady weight, as far as I am concerned, spoil him rotten. That is my goal - Bodhi is active, is investigative, and isn't putting on the pounds - ergo, as many roaches as she can wolf down in one sitting. And this has always been the case. It really has made me a believer out of the bigger-cage-more-active theory!