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Baby hedgehogs spilling out of hedgehog house?

emerbemerb Posts: 28
in Wildlife gardening
I don't regularly check on our hedgehog house. It's hidden out of sight behind the compost bins and I thought only one male hedgehog visits our garden. But yesterday my boyfriend found a baby / young hedgehog huddled outside the the door of the house, which is partly hidden by twigs, and more hedgehogs inside. 

This morning at 8am I checked and saw an adult hedgehog apparently walking away from the house. At lunch I couldn't resist checking again and saw a baby hedgehog climbing over another baby in the doorway to get in. How many hedgehogs are in there that they can't all fit?!

Is there anything to worry about here? I'm very worried that the young stray cat we're trying to home will attack them, even though we've seen him leave adult hedgehogs alone.

I did order a better hedgehog house yesterday so fingers crossed it gets delivered quickly.
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  • emerbemerb Posts: 28
    Hopefully, below is a photo from yesterday showing a couple of blobs!
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    The only worrying thing is that they're out during daylight. Is there adequate food around for them? In dry weather, when the ground is hard, it's difficult for them to access food easily, so if that's the case, it might be worth supplying some extra for them, as long as you can ensure the cat doesn't just eat it. Make sure they have access to water as well.
    Young hogs are out and about foraging for themselves at this time of year, as they're old enough to be 'going it alone', without mum. 
    Maybe your new house will offer more accommodation though - you must be doing something right if there's a load of them! 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • emerbemerb Posts: 28
    @Fairygirl the weather is definitely not dry around here! It is unusually warm and humid though; I wonder if it got too stuffy inside their house (if that makes sense). We do put out cat food in a plastic box feeding station every night, plus whatever the fussy cats leave behind in their bowls. I could hear a lot of digging and munching from the flower beds last night too.

    I do need to put out a shallower water bowl for them though.

    To think I thought that I was throwing my money away when I bought that first hedgehog house! It's amazing what cutting a few holes in a fence can do!
  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    I would keep a very close eye on them, and if mum hasn't returned l would contact your local hedgehog rescue ASAP, or alternatively the BHPS.
    https://www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk/
    If mum went off in daylight and hasn't returned it's possible she's in distress somewhere,  or has even been handed in to your local rescue who are now trying to find the location of the hoglets. 
    Better to be safe than sorry and give them a call, if only to put your mind at rest 🦔.
    If l can help any more, let me know  :)

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I did wonder about ground, even as I wrote that @emerb :D
    Wee souls arent they?
    They sound like they're getting everything they need food wise, but they still need mum.
    I think @AnniD's advice is excellent though. She knows what she's talking about when it comes to hogs  :)
    It would be very sad if mum has had an accident. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • emerbemerb Posts: 28
    @AnniD could the mum be inside the house and that be why the hoglets can't fit in? The mum is massive, to my eyes anyways. Should I be on the look out for the hoglets moving further out from the house? I'm concerned that all my looking will cause more distress. It's impossible to get in there without making noise.   :s

    Unfortunately, since I'm in the west of Ireland the nearest hedgehog rescue is hours away. If they need veterinary attention, it'll just be the local vets. I'll contact the Dublin hedgehog rescue anyways.

    I'll have a look on the laneway too, just in case.
  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    It may be nothing to worry about,  but it very much depends on whether she's returned or not. You may hear the hoglets calling for her if she hasn't returned (and if she's just arrived back).
    There's more hoglet info here
    https://suffolkprickles.org/hoglets/
    @Fairygirl, my local rescue has had a couple of mums brought in with the very best of intentions,  this triggers a race against time to try and find the hoglets before it's too late.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    They don't seem to mind you being nearby @emerb. I had a little family of them a few years ago, who I think had been displaced from their home. They were quite happy tootling around when I was quite near. 
    I expect if mum is big, it will be quite hot and stuffy in there!
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    edited September 2020
    Sorry @emerb, cross posting.  I appreciate that you don't want to stress them, if there's no sign of mum in the immediate vicinity, give Dublin a call and see what they say.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    That's very sad @AnniD, re the mums. I suppose there's been a lot more coverage about hedgehogs, and with people maybe being out and about more [being at home] perhaps they haven't understood how hogs 'work'. They won't realise about them having offspring at this time of year etc. 
    The best of intentions, as you say.
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
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