Hedgehogs- when is it time to look at taking them to rescue.
Discussion
Over the months, I've had a hedgehog or two find it's way in. One in April was about the size of a size 4 football. Next one was of a similar size ( possibly the same one ,as I tend to stick food ( dog food = Wainrights or mince) next to them. I've checked latr and hog has gone ,and food is not there. Tonight, dog (JRT/yORKY) went out and went mad. There was a size 3 ( football size) hog. We pulled terror off and I put an inch ball of best mince ( nothing but best for our visitors-they get rid of snails/slugs) beside it. I've checked and hog has gone and mince- it's gone too. But with garden showing circa 5-8C ,is it time to take hogs to rescue if they are wandering about. I've got little hog size tubs of water about the garden. I know where it's coming in. I've got a fence at bottom of garden, with a space to dividing fence. We use this space as a compost dump. All the grass cuttings etc end up in there. So possibly hog has a warm spot to kip in?
There's a lot of information here:
https://littlesilverhedgehog.com/2016/01/24/hibern...
Weight is the only way to tell if a hedeghog if fit to hibernate - they need to weigh at least 650g.
https://littlesilverhedgehog.com/2016/01/24/hibern...
Weight is the only way to tell if a hedeghog if fit to hibernate - they need to weigh at least 650g.
Weight- I'd say this bloke is above that , but I'd hesitate to pick him/her up, just to let it feel secure . My garden has two fences. One I built to stop a Cairn Terrier getting out, but has now been heightened to stop a JRT jumping over. But it has got a hole where hogs can gain access to my garden - they are welcome as they decimate slugs & snails, making the garden a safer place for my dog. Dog has seen hog and of course dog will guard against what dog sees as prey, but hog did get a large mince ball and after hog went, mince was missing. So hopefully it will return looking for food- it's welcome to slugs/snails etc. Al I'm bothred about is if it's time for hog to be hibernating. And if I find him in garden ,should I consider a rscue to help it through the winter.
Feed cat or kitten biscuits or dog biscuits. Mince will probably not have all that that hog needs?? Check that just in case. Watch out for food with meal worms (bad for hogs) peanuts and I think sunflower hearts (?).
And check for ponds etc. that can have a way out if you have any. Leave water down.
Any doubt then contact the help line who can advise. Little silver above will have the info and this below. I have had hogs about last november and I struggled to keep water from freezing for them. This year they seemed to have stopped some weeks ago. Camera trap empty and food not eaten.
https://www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk/found-a-hedgeh...
Another thought, I read that slugs and snails are a last reset. They carry parasites. I have seen the hog avoid a slug when there is plenty of food around (kitten biscuits etc).
And check for ponds etc. that can have a way out if you have any. Leave water down.
Any doubt then contact the help line who can advise. Little silver above will have the info and this below. I have had hogs about last november and I struggled to keep water from freezing for them. This year they seemed to have stopped some weeks ago. Camera trap empty and food not eaten.
https://www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk/found-a-hedgeh...
Another thought, I read that slugs and snails are a last reset. They carry parasites. I have seen the hog avoid a slug when there is plenty of food around (kitten biscuits etc).
Zirconia said:
Any doubt then contact the help line who can advise. Little silver above will have the info and this below. I have had hogs about last november and I struggled to keep water from freezing for them. This year they seemed to have stopped some weeks ago. Camera trap empty and food not eaten.
The food I put out was untouched for four days so I thought that was it & then suddenly this morning some has been eaten. I'll keep putting a little out in case they are still around.It definately had the mince and looking round the garden I think it's found a place full of tasty natural food. If the visits could be seen as regular, I'd remove the protection round the cabbages and let it in there . But at present, no way it's getting in there as it's fenced/ protected etc to keep pets out.
I bought a plastic box from a hog rescue place. It has two Chambers with a baffle between so you can put bowls of food in the inner one and the magpies, crows, cats etc can’t get at it.
I have been feeding ours ( think I have 4 or 5 ) each night over the summer and autumn, the food consumption has been going down over the last 3 weeks as one by one they hibernate with the last one stopping his nightly dinner visits about a week ago.
I have a small wooden hog house with some hay/leaves in it off to one side of the garden and it’s definitely occupied so there might be one or two curled up in that. You can buy them on eBay or they are easy to make.
Next year I’m going to alter the log store which is dry with lots of leaves in it so they can get in an curl up there as well.
My dog goes nuts when he finds them in the garden but he only sniffs them and runs about like a demented thing.
If you feed them dog or cat food is good, offer a bowl of water if you are just putting out dry food. Avoid meal worms or only put out a very few as they lack calcium and lead to bone disorders.
I have been feeding ours ( think I have 4 or 5 ) each night over the summer and autumn, the food consumption has been going down over the last 3 weeks as one by one they hibernate with the last one stopping his nightly dinner visits about a week ago.
I have a small wooden hog house with some hay/leaves in it off to one side of the garden and it’s definitely occupied so there might be one or two curled up in that. You can buy them on eBay or they are easy to make.
Next year I’m going to alter the log store which is dry with lots of leaves in it so they can get in an curl up there as well.
My dog goes nuts when he finds them in the garden but he only sniffs them and runs about like a demented thing.
If you feed them dog or cat food is good, offer a bowl of water if you are just putting out dry food. Avoid meal worms or only put out a very few as they lack calcium and lead to bone disorders.
Nute- at bottom of my garden is a JRT proof fence. 5 ft panels with an 18inch extension. For the summer month, my son has cut th grass and as we object to LA green bin collection fee, all our grass is put into this ara, along with the leaves falling from the trees on the fence line. but I've noticed a gap in the bottom of the fnce, where I suspect hog is coming through. It's welcome ,as my garden is ful of slugs & snails. I'd rather not put down chemicals as these could impact dog and hog.
AIUI Hedgehogs are not fond of slugs but will eat them as a food of last resort.
This little guy was in our garden a few weeks ago and looked tiny so I weighed him at 175 grammes. I took him to a local vet who has passed him on to a rescue centre and will contact us in the spring after he's been fattened up so he can be released into our garden where he came from.
Couldn't get image to upoload - sorry - he's cute!
This little guy was in our garden a few weeks ago and looked tiny so I weighed him at 175 grammes. I took him to a local vet who has passed him on to a rescue centre and will contact us in the spring after he's been fattened up so he can be released into our garden where he came from.
Couldn't get image to upoload - sorry - he's cute!
TT- my garden has been slug free ( and short of snails) all summer,thanks possibly to this bloke . I've found plenty of empty snail shells, so perhaps he's been getting the ones trying to reproduce at night. It's still active. We had a visit last night and he made a meal of the lump of dog food I left beside him. My garden has a two fence system. At the bottom I've got a patchy six foot fence with a lot of holes . A few feet from that I've got a five foot ( with an extra 18" JRT proof bit ), with a hog hole ,I suspect it's using . During the year, the trees growing at the boundary shed stuff, and we dump our cut grass in this bit, so hedgie has a lot of stuff to bury in . I'd stopped putting out food ( Wainwright dog food) as Ii thought it had hibernated, but as the temperatures rise again, I've started putting out food and little saucers of water.
We had a visit last night. I might even weigh it, but it's not a little one. It's at least as large as my JRT'S head.
As for their appetite for slugs- on other occasions I've had one in, I've collected some slug food and after Hog has moved on, the slugs have vanished.
We had a visit last night. I might even weigh it, but it's not a little one. It's at least as large as my JRT'S head.
As for their appetite for slugs- on other occasions I've had one in, I've collected some slug food and after Hog has moved on, the slugs have vanished.
https://thehedgehog.co.uk/feeding-hedgehogs/slugs-...
"How to help “The Hedgehog in YOUR Garden”
Gardeners wrongly think having hedgehogs in the garden is all they need to keep the slug and snail population down.
Hedgehogs mainly eat beetles and caterpillars, not slugs and snails
The idea that they only eat slugs and snails is very wrong. Only approximately 5% of their diet naturally will be slugs or snails.
They will only eat a lot of slugs and snails when they are starving and no other food is available.
A hedgehog that is forced to rely only on slugs and snails will not survive long. Offering a hedgehog additional food is the best thing for the hedgehog"
Careful with the food. Again. Anything with meal worms in, no. Same for peanuts, and sunflower hearts.
I feed them cat food, any flavour and usually tesco own brand kitten biscuits. Small for small mouths, though with their crushing gnashers that handle bigger biscuits they can eat the larger stuff. I put out soft food not as often as hard.
Wasn't aware of beef issue? Is that as an ingredient or just as a lump of the stuff?
I feed them cat food, any flavour and usually tesco own brand kitten biscuits. Small for small mouths, though with their crushing gnashers that handle bigger biscuits they can eat the larger stuff. I put out soft food not as often as hard.
Wasn't aware of beef issue? Is that as an ingredient or just as a lump of the stuff?
Zirconia said:
Careful with the food. Again. Anything with meal worms in, no. Same for peanuts, and sunflower hearts.
I feed them cat food, any flavour and usually tesco own brand kitten biscuits. Small for small mouths, though with their crushing gnashers that handle bigger biscuits they can eat the larger stuff. I put out soft food not as often as hard.
Wasn't aware of beef issue? Is that as an ingredient or just as a lump of the stuff?
Beef as an ingredient. Also apparently best to avoid lamb according to our local wildlife rescue place. I feed them cat food, any flavour and usually tesco own brand kitten biscuits. Small for small mouths, though with their crushing gnashers that handle bigger biscuits they can eat the larger stuff. I put out soft food not as often as hard.
Wasn't aware of beef issue? Is that as an ingredient or just as a lump of the stuff?
Our hedgehogs were rescued as babies from next doors garden. Nursed by the local wildlife rescue and one along with its mate given back to us.
OK. I was going on advice from elsewhere.
https://www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk/feeding/
https://littlesilverhedgehog.com/2015/12/23/hedgeh...
Few others as well mention food but not excluding beef?
https://www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk/feeding/
https://littlesilverhedgehog.com/2015/12/23/hedgeh...
Few others as well mention food but not excluding beef?
blueg33 said:
Do not give them food with beef in it. It’s not suitable. Ideally it needs to be chicken based.
Ours get chicken Sheba in gravy or hedgehog food which is like cat biscuits but better formulated.
We have a pair in our garden, they are still taking food every night.
blue - i've got one ( approx size 5-6 inches dia when curled). I was putting down food near the hole in the fence where he came through ( i suspect it's got a home inbetween the two fences where we dump the grass cuttings ) , but we had cat problems. So now we wait for dog to detect Hog in garden and leave food and water ( little tray ) close by. Anything left gets put under the gap in the fence. it's now Wainwrights Chickn and rice - top quality dog food. Ours get chicken Sheba in gravy or hedgehog food which is like cat biscuits but better formulated.
We have a pair in our garden, they are still taking food every night.
At th moment outside overnight temp is well above freezing, but I'm bothered that it might start getting too cold for hog.
i think that tomorrow it's time to chat to local rscue about plans for Hog if it shows up later in year.
We have 3 regular visitors. They get fed every night with cat biscuits, mealy worms ( very little calorific value but they love them !), and occasionally some cat food, (wet), but they don't tend to eat that.
I watch them on my cctv and they do enjoy a good drink of water every night too.
Sill feeding now, and busy until 0630 in the mornings.
I watch them on my cctv and they do enjoy a good drink of water every night too.
Sill feeding now, and busy until 0630 in the mornings.
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