Hedgehogs- when is it time to look at taking them to rescue.
Discussion
I used to put a mixture of puppy biscuits ( well ground down) / mince or Wainwrights Chicken & rice dog food . Problem was that resident cat found a nice source of food. Dog heard cat and charger out. Hog got no food and was frightened. i now wait til dog finds hog and then remove dog and add food+ water. What food is left gets put under the hole in the fence.
bomb said:
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.
Meal worms are really bad for them. DO NOT FEED HEDGEHOGS MEAL WORMS. 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.
mealworms can actually cause a painful bone disease in hedgehogs and, in worst case scenarios, result in them losing their ability to walk. The high phosphate levels in theses worms are sapping hedgehogs of calcium and reducing the strength of their bones.
Found this on beef.
Hedgehogs have not evolved to eat raw meat. Wild hedgehogs for the most part would not be eating raw animal meat such as chicken, beef or mince meat. For this reason they are not like dogs or cats (who can handle raw meat).
Phosphorus levels in beef are the issue according to Vale Wildlife Rescue who cared for our hedgehogs
Edited by blueg33 on Sunday 8th December 10:17
[quote=Who me ?]I used to put a mixture of puppy biscuits ( well ground down) / mince or Wainwrights Chicken & rice dog food . Problem was that resident cat found a nice source of food. Dog heard cat and charger out. Hog got no food and was frightened. i now wait til dog finds hog and then remove dog and add food+ water. What food is left gets put under the hole in the fence.
[/quote]
Build a feeding station and use bricks to build a tunnel puss cannot get in. Doesn't have to be bricks.
I have a dedicated hog house and a few plastic boxes with a suitable hole cut in the side. It will also keep biscuits dry but does turn into a slug fest when they are around though someone here used newspaper that stops that?
[/quote]
Build a feeding station and use bricks to build a tunnel puss cannot get in. Doesn't have to be bricks.
I have a dedicated hog house and a few plastic boxes with a suitable hole cut in the side. It will also keep biscuits dry but does turn into a slug fest when they are around though someone here used newspaper that stops that?
Who me said:
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.
Make it easy for yourself & the HH by using a plastic crate as a feeding station which will keep the food dry & keep the cats out. This from the other thread:Mr Pointy said:
Etypephil said:
The plastic box and paper sounds good, I'll try that. How big is it, and does it have a roof to help keep the food dry? Enormous slugs are a real PITA this year.
The box I use is about 580 x 390 x 180 or 29l (see earlier in the thread for a picture):https://www.diy.com/departments/kaze-clear-29l-pla...
It's not the strongest box but it was the most suitable one I could find at B&Q. Look for one that has an area on the end or side where you can cut a 110mm square hole without it falling apart because you cut through a rib. The idea is to put the bowls at the far end from the hole so cats can't reach them. The box I use is almost exactly the same width as the local weekly newspaper so it's an easy job to line it. A clip on lid would be good but failing that I just pop a brick on top which keeps everything dry & the lid stays secure.
The brick on top keeps the pigeons out. It works brilliantly:
Hogs are messy animals & will crap anywhere, including in the bowls, so keeping the feeding station clean is important. I feed them dry kitten food which seems ok & you can feed them wet cat food if you can put up with the mess.
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?
Our local wildlife hospital say that they use Pedigree Chum food for the many hedgehogs they have. 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?
Robertj21a said:
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?
Our local wildlife hospital say that they use Pedigree Chum food for the many hedgehogs they have. 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:
Robertj21a said:
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?
Our local wildlife hospital say that they use Pedigree Chum food for the many hedgehogs they have. 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?
paper on hedgehog deformity said:
Lucy Kells RVN had discovered some information which it appears is well known amongst the horse fraternity that calcium/phosphorus ratios (Ca:P) could be the cause of the problem and certainly the food exclusively offered to these hedgehogs has turned out to have a poor ratio which, as a sole diet, appears to be contributing to metabolic bone disease.’
‘For every milligram of Phosphorus you consume, you must consume another milligram of calcium. If you don’t then calcium gets taken from your body’s calcium stores – bones and teeth – in order to balance the phosphorus out.’
‘ The problem is to do with the Calcium/Phosphorus ratio (Ca:P) in foods which can actually strip calcium from the body and explains why we were getting deformed and ‘bendy boned’ babies
coming in from gardens where they chuck out mountains of mealworms “because the hedgehogs love them”.
‘For every milligram of Phosphorus you consume, you must consume another milligram of calcium. If you don’t then calcium gets taken from your body’s calcium stores – bones and teeth – in order to balance the phosphorus out.’
‘ The problem is to do with the Calcium/Phosphorus ratio (Ca:P) in foods which can actually strip calcium from the body and explains why we were getting deformed and ‘bendy boned’ babies
coming in from gardens where they chuck out mountains of mealworms “because the hedgehogs love them”.
Vale Wildlife Rescue said:
METABOLIC BONE DISEASE (HYPOPARATHYROIDISM)
Over recent years we have seen an increase in the number of hedgehogs (youngsters in particular) developing metabolic bone disease, a crippling disorder affecting the bones, often caused by an inappropriate diet. In the video below, our vet explains how it is caused and shows a juvenile hedgehog displaying signs of the disease.
When we started looking into where these hedgehogs were coming in from and what they were eating, we realised that they were all from urban gardens and local people were regularly feeding them.
Mealworms were being given in abundance, but so were other foods which can also contribute to MBD such as sunflower hearts and peanuts (see the table below which illustrates the calcium/phosphorus ratio of some commonly used foods. An ideal ratio should be 1:1 or 1:1.5).
At Vale Wildlife Hospital, we never give these foods to the hedgehogs in our care.
This vid shows the impact on bones of too much phosphorous, eg from mealworms and beef
https://youtu.be/RBjUhQN4STc
[\quote]
Over recent years we have seen an increase in the number of hedgehogs (youngsters in particular) developing metabolic bone disease, a crippling disorder affecting the bones, often caused by an inappropriate diet. In the video below, our vet explains how it is caused and shows a juvenile hedgehog displaying signs of the disease.
When we started looking into where these hedgehogs were coming in from and what they were eating, we realised that they were all from urban gardens and local people were regularly feeding them.
Mealworms were being given in abundance, but so were other foods which can also contribute to MBD such as sunflower hearts and peanuts (see the table below which illustrates the calcium/phosphorus ratio of some commonly used foods. An ideal ratio should be 1:1 or 1:1.5).
At Vale Wildlife Hospital, we never give these foods to the hedgehogs in our care.
This vid shows the impact on bones of too much phosphorous, eg from mealworms and beef
https://youtu.be/RBjUhQN4STc
[\quote]
blueg33 said:
Mealworms were being given in abundance, but so were other foods which can also contribute to MBD such as sunflower hearts and peanuts (see the table below which illustrates the calcium/phosphorus ratio of some commonly used foods. An ideal ratio should be 1:1 or 1:1.5).
Snip to keep quote small.Yeah, I know about meal worms. Didn't realise beef as a biscuit or loaf. Thanks for the info.
blueg33 said:
Meal worms are really bad for them. DO NOT FEED HEDGEHOGS MEAL WORMS.
mealworms can actually cause a painful bone disease in hedgehogs and, in worst case scenarios, result in them losing their ability to walk. The high phosphate levels in theses worms are sapping hedgehogs of calcium and reducing the strength of their bones.
Understood. They are OFF the menu !mealworms can actually cause a painful bone disease in hedgehogs and, in worst case scenarios, result in them losing their ability to walk. The high phosphate levels in theses worms are sapping hedgehogs of calcium and reducing the strength of their bones.
Edited by blueg33 on Sunday 8th December 10:17
Tonight our hedgehog alarm went off. Lexi ,my JRT/Yrky cross went mad in the garden. There I found it- close to a hole in the fence. At th moment hog is dining on best Wainwrights chicken & rice dog food, with a tray of water close by. lillte thing must have hungry as it felt the food being dropped beside it. I went out about five minutes later to find a nose finding the small lumps of dog food. No reaction to the torch, so it must have been hungry.
Temperature is still above 10c, but I think it's time to have a chat with local rscue centre. It's not a small one, it's almost the same size as Lexi's head.
Temperature is still above 10c, but I think it's time to have a chat with local rscue centre. It's not a small one, it's almost the same size as Lexi's head.
Hedgehogs don’t need ‘rescuing’ if they are 6/660g which it sounds like it is from your description. Too many hogs are picked up with great intention but they’re perfectly fine fending for themselves. Worst time is when babies are taken when their mum is probably close by but out of sight.
Mine have been coming for the dry food I leave out now every 4/5 days, usually when its milder.
I rest a twig in front of the entrance to the hibernation house which gets knocked to one side as they enter/exit so i can see when they are active. I live next to a 5 acre field which is overgrown and never used but sadly it appears as if the owner is looking at putting housing on it. I guess that might be the end of the "hogs" who visit us
, at least whilst its all being dug up.
I rest a twig in front of the entrance to the hibernation house which gets knocked to one side as they enter/exit so i can see when they are active. I live next to a 5 acre field which is overgrown and never used but sadly it appears as if the owner is looking at putting housing on it. I guess that might be the end of the "hogs" who visit us
, at least whilst its all being dug up.I built a hedgehog feeding station last week, using some block paving bricks and a few concrete paving slabs. I just stacked the bricks into a rectangular shape, with an entrance corridor to discourage cats/foxes.
Inside I put two shallow ceramic bowls: one with water, and the other with dry cat food. To my amazement, food was taken on the first night - but this left the nagging question of what had taken it. So what started as a nearly cost-free exercise got a bit more expensive when I ordered a trail camera, and after a few nights of experimenting with camera settings (and one night where I left the damn memory card out) I've finally caught proof of who is eating the food...
https://youtu.be/I6CK3-z8w-E
Yay! It's a hog!
Inside I put two shallow ceramic bowls: one with water, and the other with dry cat food. To my amazement, food was taken on the first night - but this left the nagging question of what had taken it. So what started as a nearly cost-free exercise got a bit more expensive when I ordered a trail camera, and after a few nights of experimenting with camera settings (and one night where I left the damn memory card out) I've finally caught proof of who is eating the food...
https://youtu.be/I6CK3-z8w-E
Yay! It's a hog!
Dr Mike Oxgreen said:
That’s awesome! More videos please 
A bit more hog action from last night. Loads of food was taken!
Hedgehog appears, but walks straight on past...
https://youtu.be/z1ZmMWo0aGI
But then he comes back a couple of minutes later, and enters the feeding station...
https://youtu.be/PKeCeoIiNe0
And then, after about half an hour spent inside the station, he leaves...
https://youtu.be/TqOhaHsD8Hg
Of course, the camera isn't as good at capturing hogs leaving the station, because the camera can't see them until they actually poke their heads out. For hogs arriving on the scene, they'll get caught by the sideways-facing PIR detectors, so the camera can generally start shooting before the hog actually arrives on the scene.
Hedgehog appears, but walks straight on past...
https://youtu.be/z1ZmMWo0aGI
But then he comes back a couple of minutes later, and enters the feeding station...
https://youtu.be/PKeCeoIiNe0
And then, after about half an hour spent inside the station, he leaves...
https://youtu.be/TqOhaHsD8Hg
Of course, the camera isn't as good at capturing hogs leaving the station, because the camera can't see them until they actually poke their heads out. For hogs arriving on the scene, they'll get caught by the sideways-facing PIR detectors, so the camera can generally start shooting before the hog actually arrives on the scene.
A hog came into our garden last week, at times it was lying on its back which is not a good sign, and he was very light. We tried feeding him with specialist hog food provided by a neighbour but he wasn't interested. We ended up taking him to a 'help for hogs' place into the next county but got a call the next morning to say that the little fella didn't even make it to the point where they could start rehydrating him.
Dr Mike Oxgreen said:
A bit more hog action from last night. Loads of food was taken!
Hedgehog appears, but walks straight on past...
https://youtu.be/z1ZmMWo0aGI
But then he comes back a couple of minutes later, and enters the feeding station...
https://youtu.be/PKeCeoIiNe0
And then, after about half an hour spent inside the station, he leaves...
https://youtu.be/TqOhaHsD8Hg
Of course, the camera isn't as good at capturing hogs leaving the station, because the camera can't see them until they actually poke their heads out. For hogs arriving on the scene, they'll get caught by the sideways-facing PIR detectors, so the camera can generally start shooting before the hog actually arrives on the scene.
Mine has a delay for the next activation. Hedgehog appears, but walks straight on past...
https://youtu.be/z1ZmMWo0aGI
But then he comes back a couple of minutes later, and enters the feeding station...
https://youtu.be/PKeCeoIiNe0
And then, after about half an hour spent inside the station, he leaves...
https://youtu.be/TqOhaHsD8Hg
Of course, the camera isn't as good at capturing hogs leaving the station, because the camera can't see them until they actually poke their heads out. For hogs arriving on the scene, they'll get caught by the sideways-facing PIR detectors, so the camera can generally start shooting before the hog actually arrives on the scene.
Wait till you get fights.
Only had one biting one, the rest are more sumo. Unfortunately my camera does 20 seconds at night and just missed the one where one hog was heaved ho into the water bowl.
Edited by Zirconia on Friday 29th May 08:50
Blackpuddin said:
A hog came into our garden last week, at times it was lying on its back which is not a good sign, and he was very light. We tried feeding him with specialist hog food provided by a neighbour but he wasn't interested. We ended up taking him to a 'help for hogs' place into the next county but got a call the next morning to say that the little fella didn't even make it to the point where they could start rehydrating him.
We had one recently that was crying in pain in the morning. Guessing slug pellets or some other poison. Got it to the vet pronto but it was not good news, our vet is on a national hog helper list and even in the lock down they would take it in. If out in the day (very few exceptions) they need specialist help quickly. Poor sod was crying in pain all the way to the vet. PTS.
That’s very sad . I really really wish they were illegal for residential (slug pellets). It really isn’t a huge amount of effort to stop slugs otherwise....bit of a pain but hardly worth poisoning other things imo.
Thanks v much for the additional videos - that is one chunky hog and chunkier after 30 minutes of scoffing!
. I really really wish they were illegal for residential (slug pellets). It really isn’t a huge amount of effort to stop slugs otherwise....bit of a pain but hardly worth poisoning other things imo.Thanks v much for the additional videos - that is one chunky hog
and chunkier after 30 minutes of scoffing!Gassing Station | All Creatures Great & Small | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff