Boskos GrazerWE004
Common Hippo
Hippopotamus amphibius
Natural diet Common Hippo
Common Hippos are herbivorous grazers that consume vegetation near rivers and streams. Grazing is largely done on land but occasionally some aquatic plants and browse is consumed as well. They have a slow digestion rate, allowing them to benefit from nutrient poor diets.
Feeding advice Common Hippo
Feed quantity per day
1,5-2%
Sample percentage calculation
If an animal weighs 1.700 kg and eats 2% of its body weight, it will get
1.700 x 0,02 = 34 kg feed in total per day
Feed composition
10% Concentrates
85% Grass, alfalfa, roughage
5% Browse
Proportions (fresh product)
0,1 x 34 kg = 3.400 g concentrates
0,85 x 34 kg = 28.900 g grass, alfalfa, roughage
0,05 x 34 kg = 1.700 g browse
Feeding advice Common Hippo
Feed quantity per day
1,5-2%
Sample percentage calculation
If an animal weighs 1.700 kg and eats 2% of its body weight, it will get
1.700 x 0,02 = 34 kg feed in total per day
Feed composition
10% Concentrates
85% Grass, alfalfa, roughage
5% Browse
Proportions (fresh product)
0,1 x 34 kg = 3.400 g concentrates
0,85 x 34 kg = 28.900 g grass, alfalfa, roughage
0,05 x 34 kg = 1.700 g browse
Diet Suggestions
Recommended
Grass hay
Salt lick
In moderation
Lucerne hay
Leafy vegetables
Not recommended
Fruits
Common diseases
An unbalanced diet may result in one of these more commonly occurring diseases/conditions:
- Obesity
- Arthritis
- Dental Disease
- Musculoskeletal
Additional advice
- Divide the “Feed quantity per day” over at least two feeding moments per day.
- Supplement the diet with ad libitum roughages (read more about browsers and grazers).
- Feeding fruits might lead to abnormal fermentation in the hindgut because of high sugar levels (read more about nutritional values of (wild) fruits and vegetables).
- Common Hippos are nocturnal species meaning that they mainly eat during the night.
- Stimulate foraging behaviour by feeding root vegetables in the water, scatter feeding or by hiding the feed (read more about feed enrichment and foraging behaviour).
Diet Suggestions
Recommended
Grass hay
Salt lick
In moderation
Lucerne hay
Leafy vegetables
Not recommended
Fruits
Common diseases
An unbalanced diet may result in one of these more commonly occurring diseases/conditions:
- Obesity
- Arthritis
- Dental Disease
- Musculoskeletal
