Hi Loracenna
Great news about the hogs there. It sounds as if the hoglets are now old enough for Mother hog to leave them to their own devices.
You don’t say what kind of feeding station you have, but have you tried offering some food outside. Some hogs don’t like going into boxes to feed and the hoglets may be a bit wary. I have some feeding boxes, but also have a sheet of perspex balanced on earth filled pots which even the hogs who prefer to eat outside don’t seem to mind. But you might find if the hoglets eat from any food outside that you can gradually move it into any box you might have.
Hog nesting boxes are useful, because the hogs aren’t always able to find suitable sites to build their nests. Just bear in mind that the materials to make a nest are important as well. So lots of leaves (medium sized preferred) grasses etc. available nearby. Hogs use far more in the way of materials than most people probably expect to build their hibernation nests, so think of how much you think they might use and multiply that several times. The leaves etc. aren’t just piled into the box – a well built hibernaculum has the leaves layered a bit like tiles so that the structure is waterproof and well insulated.
Probably the most useful thing for the hogs is to have access to as many gardens as possible – so hog holes in fences/walls to create a hog highway are good. But also making your garden wildlife friendly is helpful for them, so that the hogs can find plenty of food for themselves – what we offer them by way of food is only supplementary. Some tips here: https://www.hedgehogstreet.org/help-hedgehogs/helpful-garden-features/
Also most important is to leave water available all day every day. Wide but shallow plant saucers are ideal for that.
Good luck and happy hog watching!
