The Hedgehogs & Hoglets Thread

[TheSeagull]

I check outside every night for 'my' Hedgehogs, it's always the same two together, came directly into my garden once, other times they just stay in the car park. They don't visit often, haven't seen them for 4 weeks, they usually come once a month or bimonthly. Was thinking about buying a house for hibernation, would they actually use it? I was going to put it into a hedge that they usually forage into, would that be ok?

[pattie may]

My hedgehog house is definately being used most nights now. I prop up twigs in the doorway and see if they are knocked over. Some nights they are and some nights they aren't. There is a trail of dried leaves into the tunnel this morning.

Do you feed your hedgehogs? I put food out every evening and put out more if it is eaten before I go to bed (most nights it is). I have seen four different hedgehogs in my garden. Only two at the same time a couple of times. Two have been relocated. One to heaven (it was run over) and one to a carer as he has pneumonia.

I'm going to have more houses built before the bad weather sets in so there's room for all.

[Marcia]

Hi TheSeagull, it's difficult to say for sure if the hoggies are going to move into your new house or not. But even if they don't use it for hibernation they might still be grateful to have a shelter anyway. I bought a nice house but my resident hedgehog only uses it as a camp site and toilet . He sleeps in the house for 2 or 3 hours at night but then leaves to sleep somewhere else during the day. It's a nice idea to place the house near a hedge, you can camouflage the house with natural material (moss, twigs, leaves) and leave some nesting material nearby for them to build a nest (hay, dry leaves, torn paper, etc). And I agree with Pattie, if you offer food and water every night you'd increase the chances of them to put an offer on the house . Best of luck.

[dickybird]

hi marcia.i was very sorry to learn of your loss-if you care about wildlife you want to do all you can in their hour of need.i found an ill hedgehog in my garden about 3 weeks ago.it was about 11 am.it was quite small but waswalking very shakily and panting for breath. i phoned the british hedgehog pres.society and they gave me advice on how to look after it-i had to improvise to some extent! as soon as it was settled in a warm box,in my conservatory,it immediately fell asleep--and i have to admit i found its wheezy snoring quite comforting. however it didnt want to eat or drink. it slept til about 9pm when it woke up and was desperate to get out. i then decided to put it in the cat carrier as it was a sunday and i had no other means of getting a bigger or stronger box. i regularly changed its hot-well,warm water bottle through the night but it just got weaker and weaker and was eventually struggling for breath. i rushed it to the vets in the morning but unfortunately it was too far gone and had to be euthanased.
my only doubt is that with hindsight i probably shouldnt have taken it to the vet and should have just let it die peacefully in my home.

however i couldnt have just turned a blind eye hoping it would stagger off out of view-and therefore out of mind.

i have several hedgehogs that i see at night in my garden-they seem to get on well with other visiting wildlife--indeed i have seen the hedgehogs eating alongside a fox and stray cat-all quite peaceably!!


dickybird

[pattie may]

Your trip to the vet was the right thing to do. The vet might have been able to make it better but in the end he helped to ease it's suffering.

I took my Snuffly (hedgehog) on an hour's car journey which I thought he wouldn't survive but he proved me wrong.

I pick up the hedgehogs in my garden (to sex them) and they still come back. Over the next few weeks I will be picking them up and weighing them to make sure they are the right weight to hibernate. Goodness is it that time again? Where has the year gone?

[Malx]

Originally Posted by TheSeagull

I check outside every night for 'my' Hedgehogs, it's always the same two together, came directly into my garden once, other times they just stay in the car park. They don't visit often, haven't seen them for 4 weeks, they usually come once a month or bimonthly. Was thinking about buying a house for hibernation, would they actually use it? I was going to put it into a hedge that they usually forage into, would that be ok?

Heck yes!!!
Definitely give them the option on a house in case they want it. Even if (as Sod's Law would have it)... they don't happen to turn up this month, they will certainly find it at some point, and will know it's always there as a place to rest/sleep/hibernate in if needs be. This is the best time of year too, since the weather's closing in and some may start to hibernate in a couple of months - it gives them time to sniff it out etc.

Currently I'm hogless, and my latest house seems to be occupied by some other gnawing animals - probably mice at a guess - but a chilly hog may decide to move in at some point if they evict whoever's in there now.

[Malx]

Originally Posted by dickybird

my only doubt is that with hindsight i probably shouldnt have taken it to the vet and should have just let it die peacefully in my home.

however i couldnt have just turned a blind eye hoping it would stagger off out of view-and therefore out of mind.

i have several hedgehogs that i see at night in my garden-they seem to get on well with other visiting wildlife--indeed i have seen the hedgehogs eating alongside a fox and stray cat-all quite peaceably!!


dickybird

I agree with Pattie May that if you're in any doubt it was best to let the experts have a crack at sorting him out - I'd probably have panicked and taken it there whether it needed to go or not. At least you had a go, and tried to make it comfortable. Not much comfort to you personally, though, I know... I'd hate to suffer that situation of loss.

Am amazed your hedgehogs get on with foxes... I thought hungry foxes were one of their few predators. Perhaps the fox was especially well fed at the time?

[dickybird]

hi. yes,i try to keep the foxes as well fed as possible. the man who owns the chicken coups next to me reckons that because i do,he rarely has any fox problems. he and others nearby, find man the greatest threat to their livelihoods/pastimes.

dickybird

[Marcia]

Hi Dickybird,

Hindsight is a cruel thing sometimes, it pains me to think that I could have done things differently... We both did the best we could to our poor hedgehogs, Dickybird. And like ValleyForge said, the most important thing is that we cared. No-one or nothing could have saved them but both our hoggies knew compassion, warmth and kindness in their final hours.

By the way, I've been following your thread about the injured vixen. Your commitment and determination to help her is really touching. I hope she gets better.

Marcia

[pattie may]

Just an update. Snuffly is still alive and a little better.

On a new note

My neighbour's dog was growling at something in their garden last night. What was she growling at? A small hedgehog. I went and fetched it and it spent the night in a carry box in my conservatory.

I weighed it this morning and it weighs 325 grams (12 ozs) so I'm guessing it's about six weeks old. Sould I feed it on anything special? At six weeks my Spikey was still having mashed up cat food mixed with a little goats milk.