Hedgehogs- when is it time to look at taking them to rescue.

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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?

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.
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.

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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.

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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.