Hi Sarah
It sounds as if you have quite a set up there! Many hogs prefer to make their own nests, even inside boxes we have provided. So don’t be surprised if you find the boxes are emptied. They might just re-use the contents in a different way. They are naturally expert nest builders. The best thing to do is put a small amount of nesting material in the box to give them the idea and then leave piles of suitable materials nearby for them to take in themselves. The things you have used sound just the sort of thing they might choose to use.
Sadly, it is entirely possible to see photos of hedgehogs eating all sorts of things which aren’t necessarily good for them.
My own feeling is that feeding fat is not good for them. It is not the sort of thing they would be eating naturally, and can I refer you to my previous message (just before yours) which included a quote from wildlife online about the problems eating a high fat diet can cause to hedgehogs.
Sunflower hearts, in particular, are considered to be ok as part of a properly balanced hedgehog food, but they have an imbalance of phosphorous and calcium, similar to mealworms but to a lesser degree. This means that fed exclusively or in large amounts they can contribute to bone problems.
Hogs are thought to eat some fruit in the wild, but I believe it forms a fairly small part of their diet, so personally, I wouldn’t feed apples to them. For the same reason sultanas are best avoided, and for the sake of the hogs teeth.
I would stick to the cat biscuits you are already feeding. Most of the hogs who aren’t already will soon be hibernating. If you have one that doesn’t, cat biscuits are one of the easiest things to feed through the winter because they don’t freeze.
Good luck.
