Our hedge hog friends
Discussion
A few years ago I had the pleasure of a small Hedgehog, close to hibernation time. It was only 300 G in November, but ( with help and a bit of dog food ,I saw it grow to over 500G and it sort of disappeared. But my rescue of 3 years tells me different. Madam has constantly patrolled the rear fence. This fence is now six foot as Madam can jump anything over 5ft 6 . Madam is a JRT/x Cairn Terrier, who looks at the rear fence as something to get under, now he JRT brain has decided she can't get over it. And there could be prey on the other side.
A few years later ,and I suspect I've got a gran kid of the old lady in my garden. In my garden I've got a rescued birdbath, which keeps getting fouled by pigeons, so I put out a small plastic tray for the smaller birds.At night, madam went mad. WE went out to find one very thirsty small hedgehog loving the bowl. Years ago I put out food for what I suspect is hog gran, but we found it attracted cats. I've now modified a plant trough ( cut holes in it) so that Hog can get in. Its placed under an old wheel barrow, to stop cats getting a free lunch/ pestering Hog . I've noticed hog has eaten off tray. I don't really want to give hog more food than it can eat, as I have snali/slug problems and hog cures these. So problem is HOW much food to put out?And what sort. We buy madam meat in Jelly, and madam leaves the jelly,and a lot of times the meat, which I recycle for hog.
A few years later ,and I suspect I've got a gran kid of the old lady in my garden. In my garden I've got a rescued birdbath, which keeps getting fouled by pigeons, so I put out a small plastic tray for the smaller birds.At night, madam went mad. WE went out to find one very thirsty small hedgehog loving the bowl. Years ago I put out food for what I suspect is hog gran, but we found it attracted cats. I've now modified a plant trough ( cut holes in it) so that Hog can get in. Its placed under an old wheel barrow, to stop cats getting a free lunch/ pestering Hog . I've noticed hog has eaten off tray. I don't really want to give hog more food than it can eat, as I have snali/slug problems and hog cures these. So problem is HOW much food to put out?And what sort. We buy madam meat in Jelly, and madam leaves the jelly,and a lot of times the meat, which I recycle for hog.
Last year I could hear a rustling in the flower bed outside our kitchen window and to my surprise there were 6 baby hogs scurrying around. They were there during the day and I had read this is not a good sign. The mother had abandoned them. So I set up a camp and feeding area for them.
I bought the dry hedgehog food from our local pet store and plenty of water bowls. I had one of these Ring cameras set up to keep an eye on them, cats weren't interested in the food but our local fox started sniffing around so a quick shout over the camera device when I was alerted to bigger animal movement sorted that. They all grew up and it was a great pleasure watching them.
Just to add this photo was taken when they were really small and we fed them cat food during the day, they didn't seem to mind me being around to keep an eye on things.
I bought the dry hedgehog food from our local pet store and plenty of water bowls. I had one of these Ring cameras set up to keep an eye on them, cats weren't interested in the food but our local fox started sniffing around so a quick shout over the camera device when I was alerted to bigger animal movement sorted that. They all grew up and it was a great pleasure watching them.
Just to add this photo was taken when they were really small and we fed them cat food during the day, they didn't seem to mind me being around to keep an eye on things.
Edited by BIRMA on Monday 25th July 09:03
I got woke up at 1am a couple of nights ago by the wife who was flapping as the dogs had found a hedgepig in our kitchen!
the dogs were absolutely fascinated by it, they're quite big dogs so the poor little bugger was scared s
tless.
I put him outside and let him run off. We have got a hedgehog house behind my shed as it used to be a regular run for a resident HH, but then my wife bought massive baytrees in pots and plugged up my access to it. I didn't really see him after that, but it's nice to know he's still about.
I will probably get some sort of shelter set up now, so I can put some dried HH food out for him.
the dogs were absolutely fascinated by it, they're quite big dogs so the poor little bugger was scared s
tless.I put him outside and let him run off. We have got a hedgehog house behind my shed as it used to be a regular run for a resident HH, but then my wife bought massive baytrees in pots and plugged up my access to it. I didn't really see him after that, but it's nice to know he's still about.
I will probably get some sort of shelter set up now, so I can put some dried HH food out for him.
Wife tells me she got up for a ciggie at 5 this morning and dog wanted out to find hog in garden snuffling around. I'd moved the cover over the dog food on the plate and found that half of the food had been eaten. From what wife tells me the Hog is bigger than she first thought, so perhaps it's the one we had as a hoglet a couple of years back. there's certainly been one in the back garden for that time as dog has being going daft in various places around the fence . At the bottom of the garden I've got a secondary fence to keep dog out of the bottom bit as it's full of leafmould etc so I think hog is bedding down in the leafmould and what grass cuttings we cant get rid of. Hog eating area has now been moved closer to the plant pot holder that is half full of water. I set it up as a secondary sparrow bath as the young ones could not get in the bird bath due to pidgeons. Hog thinks that a plant pot holder makes a great drinking place.
Wow- I've just been down for a cuppa and dog wanted out. Whilst she was looking for traces of next door cat at the fence, hog apprared from a hole in the other side and headed straight for the box cover I made for the food. Too fast for dog. I think I've got a racing hog. Perhaps a new sport for us PH animal fans. Time your hedgehog/Hedgehog sprints. I only moved the plate and cover yesterday , so they certainly learn.
Seems my Hog is not too worried about cameras. Looking at the photo I'd say it is the same one I weighed in at less than 300g a couple of years ago. The hole in the old garden trough is circa 2in in diamneter , but my gluton hog gets in and perished all the left over dog food madam ) x JRT/Cairn ) leaves. The orange thing containes water, which hog certainly loves in the heat. There is a birdbath for birds, but I've found that the tree sparrows and young prefer the bowl as it's not comtaminated by Pidgeons, as does the Hog.
The "raised bed" in the background contains a strain of Strawberies I refer to as "rabbit" variety. We started out with 6 plants, ow we have several times that amount . I dispared that hedghog had wandered off as we had a bit of problem with slugs and snails, but of late I've not noticed any slugs around young plants ,so Heggie is welcome back. The food is to help it as in the dry spell slugs are not in evidence . I do see evidence of empty snail shells, but we do have nesting Blackbirds and Thrushes in the garden trees , along with the odd Pidgeon chick which falls out of nest.
The "raised bed" in the background contains a strain of Strawberies I refer to as "rabbit" variety. We started out with 6 plants, ow we have several times that amount . I dispared that hedghog had wandered off as we had a bit of problem with slugs and snails, but of late I've not noticed any slugs around young plants ,so Heggie is welcome back. The food is to help it as in the dry spell slugs are not in evidence . I do see evidence of empty snail shells, but we do have nesting Blackbirds and Thrushes in the garden trees , along with the odd Pidgeon chick which falls out of nest.
I’m reading this thread with some sadness. Hedgehogs used to be a common sight for me when growing up in the 70s in Hertfordshire. Now in Islington and I haven’t seen one in decades. I feel sad that my children have never seen a hedgehog. Such gorgeous little creatures - hedgepigs, not my children.
Chubbyross said:
I’m reading this thread with some sadness. Hedgehogs used to be a common sight for me when growing up in the 70s in Hertfordshire. Now in Islington and I haven’t seen one in decades. I feel sad that my children have never seen a hedgehog. Such gorgeous little creatures - hedgepigs, not my children.
Part of the problem is that people these days seem to have tidy gardens and as such the hogs can't roam from garden to garden as we have concrete strips at the base of fence panels etc. There is no doubt building houses on land around where I live has caused a problem too. It seems every field in the area I have lived in for over 30 years is now full of houses. I've noticed we have pigeons by the dozen now on our bird feeders too.Birma- sadly that is a problem on my bird table. its a constant chore to clean up the bird table to let smaller birds have water and bath in the shallow ends of my sloping pool after the pigeons mess it up. That is one reason I keep a small plastic tray on the ground. The smaller birds love it and it's a good place for Hoggie to get a night time drink along with its nighttime feed( if it can't find any food on its night time travels).
Out front we've got house sparrows nesting in the eaves, with Pigeons/blackbirds and Tree Sparrows in the surrounding trees at the rear.
Out front we've got house sparrows nesting in the eaves, with Pigeons/blackbirds and Tree Sparrows in the surrounding trees at the rear.
The two were having a right dust-up on own front lawn last year:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9fAGy4CF2Y
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lj7yeK6mEyY
I'd told this is very unusual for them to fight in such as way, they are at it for a considerable time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9fAGy4CF2Y
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lj7yeK6mEyY
I'd told this is very unusual for them to fight in such as way, they are at it for a considerable time.
snuffy said:
The two were having a right dust-up on own front lawn last year:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9fAGy4CF2Y
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lj7yeK6mEyY
I'd told this is very unusual for them to fight in such as way, they are at it for a considerable time.
Never seen the hogs in my garden do anything like that.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9fAGy4CF2Y
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lj7yeK6mEyY
I'd told this is very unusual for them to fight in such as way, they are at it for a considerable time.
I've only got one. I seem to remember it from a few years ago, when our last dog found it. That was over three years ago, when I first weighd it at less than 300g in September. Next time I saw it it weighed in at 350g. If its the same one, its put on a bit of weight and not so shy. it seems to have found a route from where I suspect it beds down behind my secondary fence, through to next door and back into my garden through a hole in fence. And it has little fear of humans or terriers. And it can sprint. I spotted it one might heading from next doors fence to a feeding station I put in garden( Old plastic broken trough with two 200 mm circle holes cut in each end. ). I spotted out one night and went out with phone . Firdt flash it sat there looking at camera. Second photo it half curled up. Now its a regular event. Hoggie is an early bird. Comes out circa 2100 and goes through almost 50 G of dog food( duck +lamb +jelly). Any ideas how much food to give it so as not to make it dependant on us? Garden is a bit dry at moment, so I'd suspect its not getting much natural food.
We still use Wildthings hedgehog food it has dried bananas etc, there are feeding guidelines on it. I sank a 25mm deep flan dish into the ground for water and just refresh it daily as they are messy buggers plus worms and insects get attracted to the wet area which supplements their diet. I've found neighbourhood cats and foxes ignore the dried food too.
I'm not too keen on getting special food for our hog . One problem I've had is past years was that dog food in rear garden got eaten by stray cats, which made madam ( prey hungry JRT X Cairn, protective guard terrier) hunt for cats. Now I've got an old plant trough with holes in both ends, Hog has learnt that it's a safe place to eat. And it knows that there's always a drink out for it on a plant trough . Trough is big enough to hold enough for a good drink when it's warm, but stable enough for Hog not to upset. The trough also serves as a place for the resident Tree sparrows and Blackbirds to get a drink after the pigeons have messed up ( as they normally do) the birdbath.
[quote=Who me ?]I'm not too keen on getting special food for our hog . One problem I've had is past years was that dog food in rear garden got eaten by stray cats, which made madam ( prey hungry JRT X Cairn, protective guard terrier) hunt for cats. Now I've got an old plant trough with holes in both ends, Hog has learnt that it's a safe place to eat. And it knows that there's always a drink out for it on a plant trough . Trough is big enough to hold enough for a good drink when it's warm, but stable enough for Hog not to upset. The trough also serves as a place for the resident Tree sparrows and Blackbirds to get a drink after the pigeons have messed up ( as they normally do) the birdbath.
[/quote]
Looks like you have it about right to me, if it visits you every evening/night what more can you do other than enjoy seeing them. I always hear them before I see them as they rummage through the overgrown areas of the garden.
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Looks like you have it about right to me, if it visits you every evening/night what more can you do other than enjoy seeing them. I always hear them before I see them as they rummage through the overgrown areas of the garden.
BIRMA said:
Looks like you have it about right to me, if it visits you every evening/night what more can you do other than enjoy seeing them. I always hear them before I see them as they rummage through the overgrown areas of the garden.
I often see it on the path , just sitting there. We first noticed it when temps went mad ( up to 40) with little rain. I'd put out a house plant holder for the tree sparrows, as the birdbath was getting messed up by Pigeons. Hog found the bowl and loved it. Since then I've put out dog food under an old Plastic trough I'd cut two holes in.It's never "fresh dog food", just what a fussy pet dog thinks is a bit too old for her. To hog it's food, meat with jelly and a side dish of water. Out back I've got a secondary fence before a six foot sheet fence . I erected the secondary fence to restrict the wanderings of a rescue Cairn and then another. I need not have bothered as both decided that their garden was not to be got out of. But since then I've rescued a JRT/cross Cairn. Fence too high, I'll try and get over it, or perhaps I'll dig under it. That is problem with a JRT/Cross Cairn. Add in a cat next door and a hedgehog in and around the garden and you have one very active Dog. Gassing Station | All Creatures Great & Small | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff