Fresh water every night?

[Emily]

Hi,
I know I’ve been commenting on these forums a lot recently but I’ve had so many questions and I find these really helpful. May I request that a questions category is added as I and probably many other people have lots of questions and it’s difficult knowing what forum category to write in.
So my question is, should I change the water in the dish and put fresh water out every night before I go to bed, for the hedgehog or is it okay to leave the water for a few nights without changing it as it’s a bit of an inconvenience for me emptying and refilling the water dish with fresh water every night (I clean the water dish about once a week of course) And the water dish is in the home made hedgehog box so it doesn’t get rained in or anything like that. I do have water outside 24/7 for hedgehogs just in case.
Thanks!

[5sandown]

Hi Ellie2016
The advice usually says fresh water and I change the water and clean the bowls every day even though it’s kept mostly under cover.

[stef]

As they would happily drink from puddles I think you can safely leave the water dish until you clean it out each week
Obviously if they poo in it you may want to change it

[Emily]

Thanks for your responses, I’ll take that into account, I have put out more dishes with fresh water in around the garden for the Hedgehog.

[steevo]

I clean the dish and provide fresh water most nights and I think they appreciate it. If they’re thirsty and contaminated water is all that’s available of course they’ll drink it.

[Nic]

Some people reckon that the hogs aren’t keen on the chlorine in tap water, so if you put it out in the morning, there’s more time for it to evaporate by the time the hogs arrive. But hogs, like cats and dogs, will often drink out of puddles, whether there’s fresh water available or not!

[Emily]

I have a water butt in my garden that collects rain water, would it be worth using that water instead of tap water?

[Nic]

Hi Emily

There are conflicting views about water butt water. Some people think that it may not be good – it does get a bit mucky sometimes if people don’t regularly empty out the sludge in the bottom. But I tend to top my ponds up with water butt water and the hogs sometimes drink out of those (although I do tend to empty out the sludge at the bottom every time they’re nearly empty).

Others claim they don’t like the chlorine in tap water – hence my mentioning the idea to put it out in the morning. But they seem to drink tap water fine here. I think it’s one of those things that we can over think. As long as they have access to water that’s the main thing. I would stick to to tap water – that should be fine.

[Emily]

Okay, I will do. Thanks for your advice!

[Emily]

Is it better to leave the water dish in the feeding station box or outside of the box?

[Nic]

Hi Emily

It doesn’t really matter. I leave mine outside, but I have several different plant saucers with water in at both ends of my garden, plus a small pond. So they have plenty of choice. But if the water is out all day try to leave some in the shade. It’s a good idea to leave some out all day every day, just in case a dehydrated hog comes out during the day desperate for a drink.

[Author]

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