Hi all,
Great you are all talking about the hedgies. I have been in touch a lot
with Nic as well over various subjects. I feel now, with having observed the hedgies for some time I can share a few experiences. I prefer to give the hedgies the hard biscuit type of food. They then can forage for other items
they eat naturally. I found they dislike the moist type hedgehog food sold in shops. True the food put out does attract other animals but I have yet to see these fearless creatures curl up, except from their own kind e.g. male on male or female on female. We have foxes but they tend to stay in the background and occasionally come forward to take some of the food. They are wary of the plate more than anything. Feral cats come and go here but do not affect the hedgies in any way. Only the odd one stops to test a biscuit or have a drop of water. Certainly our hedgies do not even bother to curl up, when seen with them. Same again with the rats, they live in tandem. Our rats now tend to try to eat the food around the garden before attempting the hedgie house because of its’ enclosure. We have a badger set some quarter of a mile away but have only ever had one visit from one of them. Very fleeting actually as it is too near the house for them. We are surrounded by fields which are mainly occupied by horses and they do not disturb the comings and goings of the hedgies. Foraging deer have also not disturbed them. Some of the other fields are used for maize, wheat etc. It is relatively quite here but the M5 motorway is only a field or so away. This doesn’t seem to deter them either from their activites. At night we experience a fair amount of traffic roar and lights. Even more so once all the leaves have gone from the trees. The main culprit foraging for food are the magpies in the morning. They are usually accompanied by either crows or jackdaws. We have left dog food out occasionally only too see all that devoured at first light. They certainly hoover up anything the hedgies have missed. They even drink what water is left. I have resisted the temptation to put some form of netting over the hedgies eating areas incase it is collapsed by magpies or storms and wind etc. It is also a hazard for other smaller birds who could get trapped in it. I just accept that I am not going to get up before the magpies and the other carrion birds, to bring the food in at dawn. I think it is reasonably fair to accept that all the free roaming or flying creatures are entitled to what is left out there. Hope this helps those who are worried about the hedgies and their predators. I think that most people would get a real buzz out of owning a night digital camera to actually see what goes on in their gardens. They would be surprised by it all.
