Hog behaviour?

[vbforvendetta]

Hi all,
This is my first post on the forum. We saw a hog the other week and had been meaning to build a house for them anyway so I did and a few days after I put it in place with a feed-house too it was using both! This was great news and the food every day had been either totally eaten or mostly gone. I have logged it on the map.
Then the other day before I left for work at 5am I saw the hedgehog crossing the lawn and going through to next door, hotly followed by another, even better!
My question is; they keep pooing in the entrance to the house, and today one had pooed in the water dish. Obviously I cleaned the bowl but is this normal? I didn’t know if it was a way of marking what’s theirs? I’ve read it’s best to leave it rather than cleaning it out, unless it gets too much. Any advice please?
So pleased to have them though and doing our little bit for them is very rewarding, apart from the pooing in the water bowl! 😀

[Nic]

Hi vbforvendetta

Welcome to the Forum!

That’s good that your hog houses are being used already!

Not sure where you heard it was better to leave the hog poos. In a feeding station, they should be cleaned out regularly. Hogs often poo in bowls etc. – not sure they would understand the concept that it was a food bowl, as such, just that it’s somewhere they find food! It seems they are more likely to poo in feeding areas if there are other hogs around. As to why, is really speculation.

If the poo in the entrance is easily accessible without disturbing the hog, I would remove that, too. They don’t normally poo inside actual nests.

It’s brilliant that you are keen to help the hogs and it sounds as if they are appreciating your efforts. Maybe the next step is make your garden more wlildlife friendly. Some tips here if you haven’t already seen them: https://www.hedgehogstreet.org/help-hedgehogs/helpful-garden-features/

Good luck and happy hog watching.

[Author]

Posts