# how long does a 5lb bag of food last?



## Avedan (Apr 6, 2009)

Hello. I'm doing some financial planning before I get my hedgie, and would like some input from other owners.

From what I can tell, a 5 lb bag of cat food (I've been searching primarily for Wellness brand) runs about $20 US. I know that different hedgies eat slightly different amounts, but what I am looking for is a ballpark figure for how long a 5 lb bag would last one hedgehog/how often you buy food and in what quantities/how much per month do you pay for hedgie dry food?

Also, do figures differ for babies? I remember hearing that they eat more than adults and sleep more.

Thanks for your comments.


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## Herisson (Jan 7, 2009)

I bought the smallest bag of Wellness Indoor I could find (2 pound 8 oz) in mid January. I need to open a new bag in a couple days. I'm going to stay with the small bag myself so it stays fresh. I also mixed in a different food but he stopped eating it after a few weeks. Herisson LOVES his Wellness 
I suppose that makes it hard to say how long it would have lasted....


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## Immortalia (Jan 24, 2009)

Lets see... *thinks*

My 3lbs bag of Wellness lasted approx 3 1/2 months, and that was from feeding ONLY Wellness, though in the beginning, there was his old food, and in the end, NB was getting added in. Also, that was his "baby" time, where he finished the entire bowl(smallest ceramic bowls from dollar store(2in x 2in x 1in) of food per night. Then he's decreased to half a bowl, and now about 50 kibbles a night. 

Keep in mind that it's better to mix a few (2's ok, 3's better, 4's even better etc etc) different brands of cat food off Reaper's list. 

So in the first few months, the 5lbs should last approx 5 months, and after that, I'd suggest buying smaller bags as you mix in other foods. 

So, assuming you buy another brand, say 3 lbs bag of food, to add after 2-3 months(give hedgie time to adjust to new home, food, etc etc) you'll then have approx 5lbs of food again. Though the initial food would be eaten quicker, as it's still the "primary" food until the hedgie gets used to the new food. The final % mix of each would be up to you. 

While it is more logical to buy the bigger bags, you also have to keep an eye on the expiry date, especially once you start mixing, hence buying the smaller bags. If you look on the bags, the expiry dates are approx 6 months(some shorter, some longer) after buying. So going back to initial approximations from above, your first bag of 5lbs food will expire before it is finished. 

>.< I hope that wasn't too confusing, I think I confused myself a little for awhile there :lol: Forgive the braindead university student who just got home from class. XD


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## Avedan (Apr 6, 2009)

Immortalia-- thanks! Your point on buying the smaller bags and paying attention to expiry dates is well taken.

Herrison-- it helps, and thank you. I basically wanted some personal anecdotes, so your contribution was just what I was looking for.


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