To tell you a bit about Hedgehogs?

[Halstead]

There was a thread very recently, asking for ‘controversial opinions’. It got zapped really quickly.

One posters completely nonsense controversial opinion was that ‘Hedgehogs are flea ridden vermin’

I rescue Hedgehogs. I therefore think I’m being completely reasonable in stating Hedgehogs normally only have fleas when they are suffering from a wider illness. Of the ones we rescue each year, perhaps 1 in 5 have fleas (easily treated but NEVER with cat/dog flea treatment as the active ingredient is lethal to hedgehogs).

I also think I’m not being unreasonable when I tell you Hedgehog fleas are host specific. They aren’t the same type of fleas that invade cats and dogs, and they don’t bite humans, so you don’t need to worry about Hedgehog fleas invading your house and living in your carpets should you come across these critters in your back garden.

Hedgehogs really are in serious trouble at the moment. If they continue to decline at current rates, it’s predicted they’ll be extinct in the UK by 2025.

The current weather really isn’t helping. The hard ground means their main food source (beetles, caterpillars) are very hard to come by. Contrary to popular opinion, Hedgehogs shouldn’t (and don’t generally) eat slugs. If they do, it usually means they’re starving. Slugs often given them illnesses like lung worm and fluke which can be fatal to hogs. It really isn’t a pleasant death, either.

So… AIBU to tell you about about Hogs?... and ask you to pop out water and… if you can… something like kitten biscuit (high protein, low cereal, no milk variety) for our spiney friends? They would very much appreciate it.

I'm amazed at how fast they run/walk as well.
I know! The first time we saw one my youngest and I were in a fit of giggles at the fast pace it had charging around the garden and the loud snorting.

When I do hedgehog releases I have to do it well aware from areas where there are Badgers. It’s hard because the location of sets has to be secret .
I am not completely sure what the badgers do to the hogs but I know they don’t mix well

@Halstead

"They will LOVE any cat food left overs you give them"

What do you do when Hedgehogs turn their noses up at the cat food?

We found a hedgehog on our back patio so gave it some cat meat. It ate it all up. So after a few days, I bought some Spikes semi moist food. We now have 3-5 regular visitors, but they will only eat Spikes. I've moved them onto the dry food (I think it has no sugar), but when I put out cat meat (poultry in gravy) or cat kibble, it goes uneaten. Last time, I literally watched the hedgehogs walk up, sniff the food and walk away without eating.

So any suggestions in what I can give them as an alternative, as Spike's is turning out quite expensive!

Here's one of our visitors

@StarDolphins
oh that’s heartbreaking - I’m so sorry 🥲
when my biggie went in pond (and me an NDN rescued him) I didn’t see him for two weeks NDN has a webcam and was telling me he’s definitely around but hard to identify on webcam, I honestly cried a bit every night when he didn’t appear it was as though I’d lost a pet, so I totally get that you wonder what happened to them .

@AlwaysLatte
is he On a cushion 🥰 so cute

I’m not 100% sure but yes I believe you’re right. Badgers somehow can unroll them which means their teeth can get to their soft fluffy tummies (they’re SO soft and fluffy) and then it’s game over for the poor hogs :(

@TwoMonthsOff no it's my garden gloved hand! We had to move him as my 1 year old Labrador was paying him too much attention. Not hurting him but not exactly giving him any space!

@goherbie
That’s hilarious - maybe try doing him a rib eye steak ? Not kidding even my fish are fussy and will only eat tetra pond sticks. At £24 a tub…..I think they’re all smarter than we give them credit for

Someone already posted a thread like this!

www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/4554774-to-help-hedgehogs-by-leaving-out-shallow-dishes-of-fresh-water-each-night?page=1

Nice to have another though!

I always leave food out for the hedgehogs, and water too. As you say, they struggle to get food as the ground is so dry and hard, and people have wrecked the vegetation and natural habitat somewhat over the years! After fucking it up for them the least we humans can do is help them!!!

The will need LOADS of extra food over the next 3 months as they will be hibernating, and will need to pack away loads extra to fatten up for their 4-5 months in hibernation.

Oh also, the birds appreciate being fed too. They also struggle somewhat. Plenty of reasonably priced bird food and seed in Wilkos and B & M, and also Home Bargains and Poundstretcher. Lots of bird feeders, and bird tables, and bird baths too!

Also, I put a shallow large saucer out (sort of a dinner plate size, and an inch and a half deep,) so they had plenty of water, and I caught them splashing about in it when it was really hot in July! So I put a couple more out, and a couple extra on top for drinking water! The birds use them all too. For drinking, and cooling off/cleaning themselves. (As well as the bird bath!) They all love it!!! And I love seeing all the birds and hedgehogs!

Thanks for posting this @Halstead 😘

I have a visiting Hog, comes into the kitchen between 9 and 10, has a good scoff of the cat food, makes a huge mess and toddles off. If we disturb him, he will scoot out the door and make return visits. He must hang around the door all evening.
He has been known to explore the house. On Tuesday I found him in the living room at 3 in the morning.
Not sure if its the same one, but we have had a visitor with the same habits for several years now.

@AlwaysLatte
i use my elbow grease rubber gloves when I’ve had to remove them from the kitchen but they are very soft underneath ….it’s a cute pic ❤️

DDs have worked at the local hedgehog rescue for a couple of years now (well, hedgehogs amongst other animals like llamas, sheep, pigs , Guineas, turkeys - I could go on😁). So we’ve currently got two in runs in the garden, feeding them up to weight before release. Thought we had a male and female but it’s become obvious they’re two males so let’s see how that goes. I won’t disturb them tonight but if this thread is still going when we release them I’ll come back and post some pictures. We’ve got a feeding station set up for when they’re out of the runs, and plenty of wild areas. We’ve also got a mother fox and three huge cubs atm (so big they just be almost ready to find they’re own territory) and we’ve been up for hours over the last week watching them in the garden, playing like puppies, utterly adorable. They were fascinated by the hogs (but couldn’t get to them in the runs obviously, but when the hogs got attitude the cubs ran off, so I think they’ll be ok 😁

They can be fussy little f*ers, can’t they?

So, they often prefer meat in jelly not gravy. No idea why but maybe worth a try.

My suggestion would be if they’re turning their nose up at it, they’re not that hungry so persevere. Eventually, I strongly suspect, they’ll acquiesce.

Our love these brands if you happen o shop at Tesco or sainsburys.

Our Hog friend

Is there anything we can do to improve the health of our local population?

we have plenty around here, large overgrown gardens etc. but last summer we found three babies, on separate occasions, out in daylight and underweight. We took each to the local wildlife rescue place and all three died 😢 there was clearly something not right.

none of my neighbours seem like the slug pellet types

@Ted27
stealing from your cat bowl 😭

Yes badgers paws are strong and tough. Fox paws and noses not so much so they aren’t usually a threat unless the hog is already in trouble and ill/infirm and not rolling up. Foxes will also scavenge dead gigs obvs. But yes, badgers are tough enough to get past the prickles that foxes don’t like.

I was going to build a little hedgehog house behind my garage - should I buy a house or can I rustle one together or is it just a daft idea please?
Is now the right time of year to do it?
Thank you

Thanks for all that you do @Halstead

I have 2 Riverside Gold nesting boxes in the garden, a feed station, meat flavoured wet cat food and biscuit, and Hedgehog Highways cut in or under the fences on all sides of my garden so the Hogs can travel to other gardens.

I leave fresh water put all year round for whoever needs it. I've also planted wild meadow seeds so a section of my garden is wild and more nature friendly.

Little things but it really helps the Hedgehogs.

@TwoMonthsOff ph that’s how I felt, I know exactly what you mean😢 kept thinking why aren’t they coming back the next year like they used to, they know they get food here.

One other thing, someone mentioned hedgehog food. If you want to feed the hogs it is better to leave meaty cat or dog food (in a hedgehog feeding station if you’re worried other animals will get to it first) because they are regulated foods unlike hedgehog food that is available to purchase and not necessarily nutritionally good enough. Also someone else mentioned peanuts, like mealworms they’re not great for hogs because they will choose to eat those to the exclusion of other foods (like me with chips) and they’re not necessarily giving them what they need.

The 3% who think you’re unreasonable are MONSTERS.

I had hogs in my old garden, lovely little beasts. I don’t think they’ll miss my dogs!

We have 2 hedgehog feeding houses in our garden. The hedgehogs turn up around mid May and scoff everything we put out. Most we've had in one go is 12, queuing up waiting for their turn to go in, from around 5.00 pm onwards. But at the beginning of August they all disappear and none come for the rest of the year.

Is this normal hedgehog behaviour or are ours weird? We're in Sweden if that makes a difference, around the same latitude as Aberdeen.

Monsters, or possibly badgers 🦡 😁🦔