Hedgehogs, please help

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Beebo

Firm and Fruity
Location
Hexleybeef
I used to see loads of squashed one, but I havent seen a hedgehog, either dead or alive for ages. They must be very rare in south east London.
They just havent evolved quickly enough to deal with the internal combustion engine!
 
A great help is to foster a hog - that is feed and bring on a small or underweight hog over winter.

http://www.hartwildlife.org.uk/index.php?page=foster-a-hog

Hart wildlife are in central Hampshire but I guess similar setups will be near you.

Good to do with kids as it is only commitment over one winter. We did it with ours and they loved it. Need to be outside in shed or garage though. Just need an old rabbit hutch and some cat food.
 
It's a real shame. A few years ago we had loads ambling through our garden in the evening and into the night. This year I have seen just 1. And 4 run over on the roads within a 50 mile radius. Not good stats.
I took one in the winter before last. Found it on the back doorstep in the middle of the day. Weak and underweight - none of the animal shelters would take it, so I kept 'Piglet' until spring. Pretty long stint of hedgehog looking-after, but very rewarding. Sweet little thing it was. And a very good escape artist as it got bigger. Came back a couple of times to find the utility covered in hedgehog poo :ohmy:
I ended up looking after it for pretty much 6 months.
 

Spinney

Bimbleur extraordinaire
Location
Back up north
How big should the hole in the fence be? We have a few holes between us and the field next door due to the bottoms of some of the planks rotting, but I could make sure they were big enough to let the prickly ones in...
 
I have three, possibly four, hedgehogs in our back garden. There are two adults and a juvenile. The adults were attempting to mate but blushed in embarrassment and shuffled into the shrubs when they realised that they were being watched.
Had that a few years ago. Could hear some very strange noises, went out with a torch, and found two hedgehogs getting friendly. Very interesting it was :blush:
 
OP
OP
nappadang

nappadang

Über Member
Location
Gateshead
How big should the hole in the fence be? We have a few holes between us and the field next door due to the bottoms of some of the planks rotting, but I could make sure they were big enough to let the prickly ones in...
About 4 inches will be about right. Ours is about 6 inches and Foxes get in. A corridor is the idea, two access points at opposite ends/different side.
I watched a huge (1kg plus) hog squeeze under our gate which is a about a 7 cm gap
 
I want hedgehogs! But I have a very stupid dog, he's not a hunter and wouldn't hurt a hedgehog, but would the hedgehogs be put off by his idiotic presence?
Doubt it. We've got three cats who are very good hunters, but they have learnt to treat hedgehogs with caution. Although scarce at the moment, they've not been put off in previous years by our beasties.
 

Sara_H

Guru
Oooh I'm up for it. I want to build a hog house in my garden. When is it best to start, presume there's no point now as they're all abot to hibernate?
 
U

User169

Guest
OT and nothing to do with Hedgehogs, but still a funny picture (not sure if it's real)...

hedgehog.jpg
 
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