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Help Save the Hedgehogs Part II

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  •  It would appear that on the whole they are thriving here, unlike in the U.K.?
    It is down to everyone paving their front gardens so they can fit 4 cars on the driveway, chopping down trees so they can put a fence up and removing their grass and replacing it with either slippery wooden decking or artificial grass because they would rather burn in the sun cooking a BBQ with no suncream on than lawnmower.

    Oh and they also whine about having "no time" to garden but have plenty of time to sit on their phones catching up on the latest thing Kayne West has said or trying to beat the next level on Candy Crush  :/

    What you can achieve in a Garden in 10 minutes is quite a lot! Do that daily basis and you've spent over an hour in the Garden that week.

    So YAY for mindset and diminishing wildlife :(
  • Ladybird4Ladybird4 Posts: 37,905
    Hi Anna33 I have two courting hedgehogs too - noisy little things - but so pleased to know that they are happy in my garden. I've had hedgehogs here for over 30 years but am concerned that nearby building is reducing their habitat and ability to forage.
    Cacoethes: An irresistible urge to do something inadvisable
  • Anna33Anna33 Posts: 316
    So glad to hear you've got them too, Ladybird! It's still a real novelty being able to see hedgehogs up close and personal (so to speak), and for them to be revisiting the garden several nights in a row, that I'm completely enthralled. Goodness knows what my neighbours think of me standing at the end of the garden in the dark most nights, shining a (dimmed) torch. Hey ho. You must have a lovely garden if you've had them for 30 years - lucky you!

    Last night was the most entertaining of the nights - the amorous male was back trying his luck again with the female. At first she seemed kind of interested, but later when I went to check on them, she was merrily tucking into her food whilst he was still snorting at her. What a brush off!

  • Anna33Anna33 Posts: 316
    And Guernsey Donkey - the good news is that after speaking to others, a good handful of people lately have been having them in their gardens too, for the first time in ages, spread across various parts of Sussex. I'm really cheered by this as it's such a good sign, so I hope that things aren't quite as dire in the UK as a few years ago.

    I'm choosing to be optimistic, anyway!
  • Guernsey Donkey2Guernsey Donkey2 Posts: 6,713
    That is encouraging news Anna33 - and long may they continue to thrive in Sussex and throughout the U.K.  We also have a courting couple here although the amorous behavior appears to be all one sided at the moment.  
  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,889
    I too heard snorty,snuffling noises the other night.
    Fingers crossed here too.
    Devon.
  • Guernsey Donkey2Guernsey Donkey2 Posts: 6,713
    We feed the hedgehogs regularly and were given a large bag of Wild Things hedgehog food, and now my OH has purchased a smaller packet of Spikes Dinner.  Is anyone familiar with either of these foods and are they both safe products for our hogs?  I ask because in the past it was mentioned that meal worms and some seeds are not suitable.
  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,584
    edited May 2018
    @Guernsey Donkey2 ,I gave some Spikes dinner to our local rescue (as "our" hedgehogs turned up their noses at it), and the lady who runs it said it was fine. Mealworms are a definite no. After a later start this year we now have at least 2 hogs visiting each night  :)
    Edited to add, rescue lady recommends any meaty cat or dog food, ours will only eat Pedigree original "loaf" - and believe me l have tried to get them onto cheaper stuff. Bless!
  • ShepsSheps Posts: 2,236
    Hi GD...I give my Hoggies Spikes Semi Moist food, which is like a soft pellet and they love it, always empty bowls in the morning.
  • Dave HumbyDave Humby Posts: 1,145
    Mine have Spikes Delicious Dry which I think is what the (former) Dinner name now is. The hogs love it. Spikes have a good reputation so I would say whichever type you have will be fine. 
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