# hedgehog substrate question...



## Rach1 (May 18, 2010)

might soound silly but...
if i wanted to create a more 'natural' looking set up for my hogs what could i use as substrate?
i was thinking i'd quite like to create a more natural eviroment for my hogs if possible?


----------



## mat_worrell (Sep 20, 2009)

Not particularly natural but aspen is a good way of encouraging foraging, finding food in it and having them dig it all up to find the food. 

The other thing I found good, again not particulary 'natural' but dried leaves, again great fun for foraging and hiding.


----------



## Rach1 (May 18, 2010)

ah a few good ideas there...
maybe some sort of mix?


----------



## hippyhaplos (Jan 12, 2010)

I use finacard with mine... it doesn't affect their skin, and they can burrow and make mountains out of it


----------



## Rach1 (May 18, 2010)

finacard?


----------



## hippyhaplos (Jan 12, 2010)

shredded cardboard... it's pennies... £1 a bale, but p&p is steep.


----------



## hippyhaplos (Jan 12, 2010)

,FINACARD PET RAT ANIMAL BEDDING - JUMBO 220 LITRE SIZE on eBay (end time 25-Apr-11 08:00:45 BST)

that's where I got mine...


----------



## Rach1 (May 18, 2010)

hmmm...
i wonder if anyone uses anything such as earth, grasses etc?
i just fancy a more natural set up...


----------



## mat_worrell (Sep 20, 2009)

I might be wrong but, since the 'APH' would not occur naturally in the wild it is kinda hard to create a 'natural' set up for them. I was lead to believe the 'APH' is a hybrid and so the nearest you could probably get to a natural set up would be to research the north African hedgehog and possibly create a set up according to those requirements??


----------



## Rach1 (May 18, 2010)

yeah... i know that bit..but as you say maybe researching the conditions of the original lines...
i may look into a combo of some card, and aspen or something such like!
i was thinking of creating a series of tunnels under some sort of substrate they cannot flick about thus creating a kind of burrow type thing?

maybe a manmade outta shell...?
with traditional bedding on top of.


----------



## Lozza.Bella (Apr 24, 2010)

*Hiya Rachel,*
*I wonder if you could use some large plastic tubes, like drain pipes? You would have to check the diameter..... Then maybe you could put some big bits of cork bark and wood over them to make platforms and hides for underneath.... Good luck and keep us posted on what you do *


----------



## Meko (Apr 29, 2007)

i'm considering using hedgehog crap. She appears to love rolling in it, running in it and splattering it all over the place... and produces it like nobody's business; it'd be a lot easier if i used it as a substrate.


----------



## Jamiioo (May 8, 2010)

Lol @ comment above. Do Algerian hogs/white bellied hogs in the wild actually burrow? I was under the impression they hid among rocks, crevices in the environment etc as opposed to burrowing


----------



## Rach1 (May 18, 2010)

Yeah I used the term burrow for want of a better term to be honest. I know in my head what I mean... I suppose as you say kinda hidie hole places and little tunnels.... Mine do love their tunnels! 
I'm gonna investigate more and will post if I decide anything.


----------



## Jamiioo (May 8, 2010)

Ok i am curious to hear opinions about this now actually. 

I took one of my hogs to the vet for a check over and when speaking to her she said as opposed to keeping my hogs on liners/flat surface that i should actually be lining their cage with a deep substrate so they can BURROW and forage as thats what their natural instinct would be. She also said that mealies and other bugs could be mixed or sprinkled through to encourage this behaviour....

So yeah............*confused*


----------



## Rach1 (May 18, 2010)

i think it would be good to see what could be used?
maybe i may try some different mixes to see what works best?


----------



## Shell195 (May 31, 2007)

Jamiioo said:


> Ok i am curious to hear opinions about this now actually.
> 
> I took one of my hogs to the vet for a check over and when speaking to her she said as opposed to keeping my hogs on liners/flat surface that i should actually be lining their cage with a deep substrate so they can BURROW and forage as thats what their natural instinct would be. She also said that mealies and other bugs could be mixed or sprinkled through to encourage this behaviour....
> 
> So yeah............*confused*


 
I use finacard and they love to snuffle about in it and forage but Ive never seen them burrow or dig.


----------



## em_40 (Sep 29, 2010)

I don't have an APH, but I always wandered why there wasn't more naturalistic vivs for the small mammals like there are in reptile and amphibian keeping. I asume there s a hell of lot more waste fom hedghog than a reptile, but could you use springtails and woodlice to keep it cleaner? Only problem I see is that there might be so much waste that they would thrive too well and over run it perhaps? 
Woodlice, milipedes and worms keep enclosures clean though and your hedgehog could eat those, to keep the numbers down.

I would love to see a fully naturalistic APH viv, I think you should give it a go and see how well it works. could get turf for a grassy bit, tunnels under some clay-like substrate and a bit with deep leaves.


----------



## Jamiioo (May 8, 2010)

Shell195 said:


> I use finacard and they love to snuffle about in it and forage but Ive never seen them burrow or dig.


I have been thinking about trying that, but i heard it gets mouldy if left wet for too long. (i like spot cleaning and then full clean out once or twice a week as requires) I think that would be a problem as Kiwi hasn't completely learned to use her litter tray yet. Would be fine for Munchie though i think he poops and pees in his tray.

As for having a realistic environment i think it would be ok, however, adding live things like woodlice etc etc is a bit too far in my opinion :/ yuk lol


----------



## Shell195 (May 31, 2007)

Jamiioo said:


> I have been thinking about trying that, but i heard it gets mouldy if left wet for too long. (i like spot cleaning and then full clean out once or twice a week as requires) I think that would be a problem as Kiwi hasn't completely learned to use her litter tray yet. Would be fine for Munchie though i think he poops and pees in his tray.
> 
> As for having a realistic environment i think it would be ok, however, adding live things like woodlice etc etc is a bit too far in my opinion :/ yuk lol


 
Hmmmm my babies were all reared with finacard and chinchilla sand in their litter tray and they all went to new homes using a tray.
I always spot clean and only strip out once a week or so, its much easier when they use a litter tray isnt it?
Does Munchie get a dirty wheel as Marvin only wheels and uses the tray for his toilet so I dont need to leave the wheel in his tray.
The only bugs mine get are mealies but Im thinking of getting some of those mixed dried insects.


----------



## Jamiioo (May 8, 2010)

Yeah Munchie gets a poopy wheel, that has to get cleaned all the time  , the poops etc falls into his tray that way. I havent tried him with his wheel elsewhere so i dont know if he would remember that the litter tray is to poop in and not the wheel lol. 

I think i will try some of the finacard, i think you get testerbags for 1.99. Hope its not too big though i dont have much storage space haha, have heard the bales are huge

I also want to try the mixed insects but im not sure yet :lol2:


----------



## Lozza.Bella (Apr 24, 2010)

*Mine generally use their trays too, but their wheels are in the trays and Lionel hangs his bum off the wheel so he can poop and run at the same time.*
*It only gets messy when I have hogletts as they poop everywhere!!! and trying to litter train them is difficult it's like a hurricain of little poops everywhere!! LOL.*
*I'm gonna try the dried mixed insects as mine wont touch mealies :/ Weirdos.....*


----------



## Muja (May 7, 2011)

Have found a site that sells Finacard in 1kg, 5kg and 15kg bags at a relatively cheap price. I am getting an APH soon so I am looking for substrate ideas  I am going to use finacard when I get him home then fleece liners later on 
Here is the link: Search Results : ratRations.com, Rat food, base mixes and herbs


----------



## naturalee (Oct 15, 2009)

Hi! I have an egyptian long-eared hedgehog. I have provided him with a fake rock work habitat with a few nooks and crannies which helps to keep his nails filed down and gives him something to investigate as I hide livefoods amongst it. As a substrate I use a reptile sand mixed with dry topsoil. I provide him with Timothy hay for bedding in his "burrow". The substrate can be sieved of poop and wet patches which makes it low maintenance and surprisingly odour free provided you do this everyday. I find this method of keeping hedgehogs much better than the usual "unnatural" methods especially since mine isn't into using a litter tray, and just "muck spreads" quite freely! Although he does use is water bowl as a toilet (much like a GPR) so I have to change this 2-3 times per day.

I've been considering using the zoo med excavator substrate, which is a clay-based yet dry substrate which reptiles can burrow in without it caving in. However, I'm a bit concerned about how easy this is to keep clean, especially as its pretty expensive.

Hope this helps!


----------



## vikkig (Oct 5, 2010)

Hey I use carefresh on mine lasts longer than other substrates and you can get it in bulk off ebay :0


----------



## Jamiioo (May 8, 2010)

Ooooooh do you have a link? As just now i am buying the small £5 bags and each viv gets a whole bag each so its costing me like a tenner a week in replacing substrate X(


----------



## morganb589 (Jun 18, 2011)

Rach1 said:


> hmmm...
> i wonder if anyone uses anything such as earth, grasses etc?
> i just fancy a more natural set up...


i dont see why it cant be done, aslong as they are free of parasites, fertilizers and other chemicals then they would probably love it, my hedgies allways like a trip out into the garden.
for a more natural bedding you could mix some dried leaves, hay and woodchip (the sort used in reptile setups) : victory:


----------

