baby hedgehog found need info

geordie graham · #1 (**permalink**) 25-10-2008, 02:53 PM

We have found a baby hedgegog foraging for food in the middle of the day on a green area in front of our house. He is very small only 11oz and devoured the food we put in front of him immediately. We have a hedgehog box in the garden which has evidence of a hedgegog having been in there but is empty at the moment, it may have even been him. We need to know what to do for the best for him, will we be able to feed him up, will he have time to fatten enough before hibernation if we put food out for him every night? If a cold snap comes will this send him automatically into hibernation, is it a temperature thing? or will he keep eating if we keep putting food down. We have read that if rescued and kept indoors they will not hibernate and will keep feeding but if this is the only way to save him would a shed in the garden where we could put the box if necessary be warm enough? Any help and advice much appreciated.

Graham

galanthus · #2 (**permalink**) 25-10-2008, 03:02 PM

They'll put on weight quite quickly if fed daily. Our hedgehog was really skinny around 2 weeks ago, however, with 2 pouches of cat food left for him every day he's around 3 times the size he was. Hedgehogs won't actually hibernate completely, they tend to come in and out of it according to the mildness of the weather.

If you can guarantee he'll take the food every day he wld probably be okay I think, espcially if he's using your hog house. The fact that he's out during the day indicates he's fairly hungry.

Hope that helps, we've had our hedgehog around 4 years now and he's still with us

Hedgehoggy · #3 (**permalink**) 25-10-2008, 03:22 PM

Just had to google metric conversion of 11oz! A 311g hoglet should ideally be taken into care at this time of year as it'll burn up all its precious calories just trying to keep warm. Your shed would be an ideal place to care for him. As he was seen out in daylight, that could also be indicative that he is poorly, so best to err on the side of caution and take him in.

geordie graham · #4 (**permalink**) 25-10-2008, 03:33 PM

We popped him into the hedgehog box in our garden and he curled up in the straw and went to sleep. We can put the hogbox into the shed and keep it there which would restrict him to the shed for living and feeding, would that be best rather than leaving the hogbox in the garden and letting him wander round the garden if he wants?

Hedgehoggy · #5 (**permalink**) 25-10-2008, 03:53 PM

I think it would be best to place hog box in your shed. You'd be able to keep a close eye on him and ensure that he is getting all the food intended for him. Hedgehogs often just take naps in hedgehog boxes in our gardens during the course of a night and if you leave the hog box outside, there is the possibility that another hog would enter the hog box at some point during the night and bully the little'un out!

If you can get the hoglet to a good weight (preferably 650g) there's every chance you'll be able to release him before the really cold winter sets in.

P.S. Keep a lookout in the place where you found this hoglet, as there's every chance he'll have siblings needing some help too!

Hedgehoggy · #6 (**permalink**) 30-10-2008, 12:03 AM

How's your hoglet doing, Graham?

K9photo · #7 (**permalink**) 30-10-2008, 02:03 AM

Having kept a hedgehog as a pet (african pygmy, not one from the wild) I would be failry confident that the little mite would be able to use a cat flap if you fitted one quite low on you shed door if you felt that way inclined. He can make his own choices then and stay in the shed if it's cold or amble around the garden. You could restrict the size of the hole too if you were concerned about half the neighbourhood cats moving in!!

I am sure other users would be keen for an update and probably some photos!!

geordie graham · #8 (**permalink**) 30-10-2008, 04:09 PM

We phoned someone who has been looking after orphaned baby hedgehogs for over 10 years and asked her advice.She said that because of his weight he would have little chance of surviving on his own so we decided to take him to her.He is now with 40 other hoglets in his own box with a fitted heat pad to keep him warm and plenty of food and attention.She was a wonderful woman who keeps details of every hedgehog she has dealt with and has a very high success rate of retuning them to the wild.We will be ringing her at the weekend to see how "Harry" is doing and will let you know.

Graham