How do I know if it's a hedgehog?

[AintNobodyHereButUsChickens]

When we moved into our house 4 years ago, we had 2 hedgehogs in our garden both within a few weeks of each other. I got excited and immediately purchased a hedgehog house and set it up in the front garden. However, the house remains unlived in and we haven't seen any hogs since, until last night when DH spotted one running across the road from our garden to over the road neighbours garden.

I put some dog food out next to the hog house and this morning it's all gone! How do I know if it WAS a hedgehog and not just a rat or something? I don't want to keep putting food out just to discover I'm literally putting food on a platter for the local rat population (FYI, we've never seen a rat nor had any sign of them even though we feed the birds!)

Forgot to add, why are wildlife cameras so expensive?!

There’s likely to be hedgehog poo somewhere near the bowl if it’s hogs.

www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/blog/2020/03/hedgehog-poo-tracks/

Thanks for that ClaraEccles, it's answered the question of what the extra bits of poo on my lawn are when I've been picking up the dog poo the last few weeks.
We normally have hedgehogs in the garden over the summer, but because the dog goes mental at them I don't let him onto the grass in the evening so hadn't realised they were out and about yet.

Thanks, I'll go poo hunting in a bit then 🤞🏼 The footprint tunnels look great too! Is wet or dry dog food better? I put both out because I wasn't sure and it's all gone! If it's definitely hogs I might invest in some proper hedgehog food for them.

I like that you put you saw one 'running across the road'

They are quite sweet.

There were some wildlife cameras in the Lidl garden event recently, not that expensive.
Mine was £47.00 from Ebay a while ago, I have identified where the poo on the lawn comes from and watched all the visitors to the garden. Had hedgehogs when we moved here but they have gone in spite of ensuring there were hedgehog holes in fences, water supplies etc. but could do with more undergrowth to encourage them so am working on that.

@ouch321 in DH's words 'It had a right stomp on'

We have lots of cats so I could never be sure if it was our hedgehog eating the (dry) cat food I put out so I googled and came up with a hedgehog cafe feeding station. I cut a hole in a large lidded plastic box put it on the lawn and put the food in that with a bowl of water next to the box, the dimensions for the hole were online but it’s big enough for hog to go in but too small for cats. To be sure it was the hog I bought a trail camera off amazon for around £40 and when we set it up saw that indeed it is our hog scoffing it every night. He is huge (all that food?) so no idea how he gets in there. DS who is practically nocturnal too 😁 reported seeing two last night for fingers crossed for baby hogs.

We bought a trail camera off Amazon for about £60. We've left hedgehog food out and other food and have had rats, mice, foxes, cats and indeed hedgehogs eating it!

We then bought a hedgehog house and stick with the hedgehog food largely and the rats have gone for the most part.

But yes, when the hedgehog has been around there has been an abundance of hedgehog poo!

Just came here to say I read the thread title initially as ‘How do I know I’m a hedgehog?’

Okay, I've just been out to check and there is actually a couple of bits of kibble left, would there be anything left if it was rats? No sign of any poo but we do have a thick privet hedge which could be hiding any poo?

How exciting, I saw a strange poo on my lawn yesterday and looking at that link it's hedgehog poo! Do they come out at dusk usually, or when it's completely dark.

I saw a huge one in our garden several years ago but nothing since. We back onto a big park and we're the only house that doesn't have a solid gate, so they'd be able to come and go very easily here.

I have a trail camera, think it was about £35 on Amazon.

We used to leave a little wet food out for our Hedgehog but stopped after the camera revealed the cat had first dibs, followed by a couple of magpie, the fox and finally the Hedgehog got a tiny tiny amount if he was lucky.

I know I mentioned how huge our hog is and after some googling have discovered that hedgehog obesity is an actual thing so tonite hector is on short rations, might encourage him to eat some of the bastard slugs he seems to ignore 😂

Oh I just got excited about seeing a photo of hedgehog poo, need to get out more.

Some people breed them for food. I'm told they are lovely, but haven't tried one yet.
They are full of vitamins and really good for you.

Some people breed hedgehogs for food?!

If you have hedgehogs you will also have rats

confuxzled

Yes, they aren't wild ones with fleas and god knows what germs.

You cover them in clay and roast, when you crack the clay and pull it off the spikes come with it and you are left with the flesh.
My extended family eat them and fed a full village in a famine once.
They are full of vitamins, minerals, iron etc.

I can't bring my self to try it, but was raised on rabbit.

A large hedgehog is probably an old male. They will eat slugs if they have to; but slugs give them lung worm. Hedgehogs can cope with some lungworm, but a heavy load will kill them. So, it's better for them to have alternatives to slugs. However the food we put out for them, is only part of their diet - they will still forage mainly for their natural diet.

Devlesko

Wow I never knew that

If you’re putting down kibble as well as wet, are there ground up bits of kibble powder in the bowl? Hedgehogs often leave kibble dust behind as they chomp their food.

confuxzled

It's certainly not common place, but there are a few left.
They threaten to slip some in my tea when I visit. I don't go very often.
But it is true about the goodness, and they would stop you starving in a famine.
I just couldn't unless I had to. I'm not vegetarian though.

@ClaraEccles yes there were crumbs but not sure if I put them there as I used the last handful of kibble out of the old food bag. I will check again tomorrow. Currently googling outdoor cameras, we need cctv anyway...

@ UhKevin