I have a question for us hog watchers. These are my two regulars at the moment clearly different sizes. Big one I assume is male as it keeps doing the circle dance when they meet, making the little one female. All assumed. My wonder is just how early could a litter be this year. The little one is half the size of a regular adult female, has been around since beginning of May, but doesn't appear to have got any bigger. We had babies "dropped off " last August of a similar size, who grew and made the weight to over winter and survive. But that took three months, and this one has already had two with no sign of growth. It seems healthy enough to come every night to feed and drink, and have a root around the garden, but the size is puzzling. And yes by its behaviour it is the same hog.🤔
To be honest l couldn't answer that @purplerallim, there maybe someone here who may know. Failing that you could contact the BHPS, l have found them very helpful with queries in the past, or maybe a local rescue 🦔
That b****y ginger cat was out stalking the hedgehogs again tonight. I think the hog might have sensed it as it ran off, the cat saw me and ran the opposite way luckily. P.S. the little hog just came back .
This does happen @JamesSB , for some reason they suddenly stop visiting and then just as I'm about to give up, they reappear. Hedgehogs can cover a very large area in one night, so if there are other food sources available l assume they just fancy a change. Keep on putting food and water out and l'm sure they will reappear eventually, if not at least keep putting the water out for any passing creatures 🦔 Might be worth investing in a trail cam, that can prove fascinating.
We are also coming up to the baby season @JamesSB . So mothers may bring them to a quiet garden and leave them. This is how I had two overwinter in my garden last year, plus the adult visits. 😁
I heard one running across the gravel at the bottom of the garden.
He came running up the garden towards the patio, bypassed the food and water completely, ran right by me (about a foot away) and back under the hedge into next door.
I thought I'd make another thread, as the other had become longer than expected after all the interest from your wonderful gardening selves.
I've recently spoken to my local rescue manager, Gill, who has come across research suggesting excess amounts of mealworms, sunflower hearts & crushed peanuts are rotting the hogs teeth. Instead, a meat flavoured cat or dog biscuit is recommended, as this helps condition them. Mealworms can be used as an occasional treat but not a staple of their diet.
Hedgehog feeding stations are ideal to keep cats and foxes away, follow the steps in the Youtube video below (not so sure on the music taste ) and face it towards a shed/garage/wall, with a small enough gap for the hog but nothing else. A brick on top will also help.
We should be expecting them to wake earlier this year, especially in the South due to the milder weather. Typically it's anywhere between March and April. It's the perfect time to make food available, open up hedgehog high ways in your fences & leave long grass/wood piles for beetles/heaps of garden material for nesting.
I know Tetley and many others of you on here are knowledgeable, so please don't be afraid to ask any of us questions they need all the help they can get at the moment & are a gardeners best friend.
Last edited: 20 February 2017 21:33:04
We live in Lincolnshire and have been feeding hedgehogs 🦔 since we moved here almost 2 years ago. They come every night around 9-10pm. We used to feed them on mealworms and nuts unwittingly and they became addicted to them. We since weaned them off as apparently, it’s not just their teeth that are affected,(although that’s bad enough). Meat cat food mixed with kitten biscuits, a few mealworms in the mix and any other home hog food we have. The problem is that they come every night for dinner and now we worry when we go away. Currently my niece comes to feed them when we go away only for a couple of days, but she’s moving away. Does anyone know if it’s a big problem for the hogs when we go on holiday (properly) without leaving out food? I add that they are totally wild, they don’t live in our garden and I think they come from all over. Suggestions please?
I find that they do ok when we go away. They eat just as much wild food as hog biscuits, my only wonder was water as they drink as much as eat in my garden. They seemed to cope with the weeks we have had away without harm, so enjoy your break away without worrying. 😁
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These are my two regulars at the moment clearly different sizes. Big one I assume is male as it keeps doing the circle dance when they meet, making the little one female. All assumed.
My wonder is just how early could a litter be this year.
The little one is half the size of a regular adult female, has been around since beginning of May, but doesn't appear to have got any bigger.
We had babies "dropped off " last August of a similar size, who grew and made the weight to over winter and survive. But that took three months, and this one has already had two with no sign of growth. It seems healthy enough to come every night to feed and drink, and have a root around the garden, but the size is puzzling.
And yes by its behaviour it is the same hog.🤔
P.S. the little hog just came back .
Hedgehogs can cover a very large area in one night, so if there are other food sources available l assume they just fancy a change.
Keep on putting food and water out and l'm sure they will reappear eventually, if not at least keep putting the water out for any passing creatures
Might be worth investing in a trail cam, that can prove fascinating.