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Original poster

Can you train a hedgehog?

89 replies

mineofuselessinformation · 11/11/2021 19:09

I have one, sometimes two hedgehogs that visit my garden regularly to eat. I'd dearly love for them to hibernate in my garden and make it their home - I've bought a good quality hedgehog house in anticipation!
I've moved the food bowl a bit and they know where to find it, so I'll move it a bit every few days, hoping to end up at the hedgehog house.
Does anyone know if they will investigate the house if I can eventually put the food on the entrance?
I appreciate this might be a bit niche! 🦔🦔🦔🦔Grin

OP posts:
Thread gallery
14
squee123 · 16/11/2021 23:03

You can clicker train chickens, so I reckon a hedgehog would be no bother

Original poster
mineofuselessinformation · 17/11/2021 12:18

@squee123, how would I keep them there long enough to do any training? They're shy enough as it it. Grin

OP posts:
Original poster
mineofuselessinformation · 17/11/2021 12:19

@CannotDrop, mine would say 'One star because the manager is a nosey bugger who lurks around every time I come out of my room' 🤣

OP posts:

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Other pets & animals
Original poster
mineofuselessinformation · 17/11/2021 12:20

@joangray38, I really have to take my hat off to you - those look brilliant. Smile

OP posts:
Enb76 · 17/11/2021 12:24

I was envisioning them rolling up on command, or doing very small agility courses.

I would watch Britains Got Talent for this.

TheCreamCaker · 17/11/2021 12:44

I bought a hedgehog house, filled it with bedding (all from Amazon), bought special food (Amazon again). The soda ignored the house and bedding, preferring instead to sleep under next-door's shed

Bialystockandbloom · 17/11/2021 13:09

Oh what a lovely thread Smile

AmyDudley · 17/11/2021 13:45

I love hedgehogs, in my old house I had about six who would come onto my patio to eat the food I left out for them, We had names for them all and they were very recognisable because of differences in size and colour. There was one male (I presume) who was very territorial and he was always getting into fights - fighting hedgehogs make a hell of a noise. He'd usually win and his rival would scuttle off down the garden at great speed (they can really move when they want to)
I don't know if you can train them though - just hope they come across your house and take a fancy to it.

I used to have a toad house and after a couple of years of it being ignored, my XH got frustrated and started putting toads in the house when he found one in the garden. They never stayed - turns out you can't train toads.
We also had a bat house and that was always occupied - swallow nest box that was always used as well, so we had some wildlife successes.

joangray38 · 17/11/2021 23:28

[quote mineofuselessinformation]@joangray38, I really have to take my hat off to you - those look brilliant. Smile[/quote]
Thanks it took several years of trial and error. The houses are now perfectly dry, no damp and lifted up from possible rain and puddles getting in. there are studies that show increasingly hoggies are living closer to houses, researchers think they feel safer and they are closer to food sources. I got full time residents once I moved the houses nearer my house.

Nobranothanks · 18/11/2021 07:00

About ten years ago I lived in an area with incredibly long standing rumours of a big cat. I was minding my own business one night when I heard these very strange noises from the garden. To being with I thought I was imagining things but the noises got louder and louder and I began to get very concerned that said big cat was in fact real (house backed onto woodland.)

I went upstairs armed with a torch and hang out the bedroom window trying to catch sight of the aforementioned big cat. Nothing. The noises continued and sounded very close to my house so I put on my big girl pants and opened the back door.

Imagine my surprise when I saw 2 hedgehogs going through the bin 😂

I honestly had no idea they were so noisy!!! I grew up in the countryside and we'd never had them at our house

Original poster
mineofuselessinformation · 10/12/2021 00:19

Just resurrecting this to say:
I do indeed have a resident! I was pretty sure anyway, but had a peep inside the house tonight and there is definitely signs of it being used. SmileSmileSmile

OP posts:
Original poster
mineofuselessinformation · 29/04/2022 21:29

Just a quick update:
Lo and behold, at least one hedgehog slept over the winter in the hedgehog box.
I have seen a larger one (mum I think) and a smaller one, which I think is the baby from last year (but still big enough to hibernate).
I was so shocked I didn't get a picture of the one I think is mum, but a very grainy picture of the smallest one is attached.
I've had a very difficult few months recently and this has really made me smile.

Can you train a hedgehog?
OP posts:
SoftSheen · 29/04/2022 21:36

How wonderful 😀Thank you for sharing this!

vipersnest1 · 29/04/2022 21:40

You're welcome, @SoftSheen!
As I said, this has been an event that has truly brightened some dark days, along with the hen blackbird and the wagtail that know I'm putting out food and come to visit, even coming very close to me as long as I move slowly. Smile

katseyes7 · 29/04/2022 21:47

My friend made this feeder for me. It keeps the food dry and away from cats, etc. I thought l only had one hedgehog. Until l found two in there.
And then a few days later, another one. This one doesn't go right inside the feeder. I've seen it two nights running with it's bum in the doorway. The others all go right inside. (Photos taken from inside the house)

Can you train a hedgehog?
Can you train a hedgehog?
katseyes7 · 29/04/2022 21:53

mineofuselessinformation · 29/04/2022 21:29
Just a quick update:
Lo and behold, at least one hedgehog slept over the winter in the hedgehog box.
I have seen a larger one (mum I think) and a smaller one, which I think is the baby from last year (but still big enough to hibernate).
I was so shocked I didn't get a picture of the one I think is mum, but a very grainy picture of the smallest one is attached.
I've had a very difficult few months recently and this has really made me smile.

I'm with you on this, OP - l lost both my house rabbits on the same day last year, and l've really missed having 'something' to take care of. It's really cheered me up.
And like another poster, one of my friends (on the South coast) has about five or six visiting hedgehogs. She's named them and says they have very different 'personalities'!
I can't tell the difference between any of mine yet. I'm really hoping to be able to get a hibernation box for later in the year. I knew l had a hedgehog last year (saw the poo in the garden) and l was so thrilled when the first one appeared a few weeks ago. It's just lovely.

hedgehogger1 · 29/04/2022 21:58

What sort of house is it? Some are just dangerous. 2 out of my 3 got used over winter :)

vipersnest1 · 29/04/2022 22:01

@katseyes7, put some food out for them - they know which side their bread is buttered! I also put a metal dog bowl out turned upside down with water in it )so effectively it's in the rim part), to reduce the risk of them falling in and getting into trouble. The little one ran away last night, but crept back to hide behind the bowl and then pop its head up to have a drink.
As per my original post, I knew I had hedgehogs around (had seen them and their poo) last year, and was desperate for them to go in the house I bought), and at least one did!
The best houses are the ones with a U-turn in them to keep out the wind, and don't buy the ones made from wrapped round twigs - hedgehogs can get caught in them and die.

katseyes7 · 29/04/2022 22:04

My friend who has visiting hedgehogs, and a hedgehog cam, which is amazing, recommended this to me. Not cheap, but safe and robust.
My neighbour is a woodworker, and l'm going to ask if he can make me something similar.
I'm not suggesting anyone has to spend this much, but l've been told that this is the kind of quality and size that's best for them to hibernate in and keep them safe through the winter.
Hedgehog House, with weatherproof lid : Riverside Woodcraft

katseyes7 · 29/04/2022 22:06

vipersnest
I've been putting out decent quality kitten food since last year, but it's been much better since l've started putting it in the feeder. I've moved it closer to the house on the decking so l can see them. (see photos on previous post)

vipersnest1 · 29/04/2022 22:06

@hedgehogger1, something like this, although mine has a longer corridor IYSWIM:

Can you train a hedgehog?
vipersnest1 · 29/04/2022 22:07

Ah well NC fail!
I can't be bothered to get it changed, and having said that, I haven't said anything particularly controversial under either name... BlushConfused

vipersnest1 · 29/04/2022 22:09

Oh, and I absolutely agree with you, @hedgehogger1. The ones made of wrapped round twigs are lethal as hedgehogs can get caught in them and starve to death.

ittakes2 · 29/04/2022 22:13

I thought I read once that hedgehogs don't eat food where they sleep.

Annabelle69 · 29/04/2022 22:17

@mineofuselessinformation lovely to hear you've had hedgehog hibernation / visitors.

To anyone interested in them, I managed to immediately attract hedgehogs to my garden by making sure there were hedgehog highways in or under fencing (cut a 13x13cm CD sized hole). People say they don't see hogs, but you won't if they can't get into your garden.

I've got 2 Riverside Woodcraft Gold boxes www.riversidewoodcraft.co.uk/hedgehog-houses/ in my garden which I part filled with Finacard and the hogs did the rest. Ive raised them a bit on bricks to keep them well off the ground. They only like them in certain positions and shaded in undergrowth. The one pointed north east they didn't like til I moved it facing west. The other one faces south.

They have a separate feeding house, well away from their nesting boxes, and I feed them poultry flavour go cat biscuits and cat food. Plus fresh water.

I've got two enormous Hog-zilla sized ones at the moment.

It's like having outdoor pets.