more than supplementing their food?
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I’ve been lucky enough to of attracted Hogs everywhere I have lived but not in the numbers I am seeing now. Initially there was just one, but word got out and now at least 5 hoglets have decided my back yard is THE place to be, which with the larger 3 makes 8!
I now have 3 (Cat) bowls of about 20/80 mix of hard/semi-moist food which was plenty before but now they gobble it all up between 9pm and 4am (I get up when I can to watch them)
But…It seems I am more than supplementing their food, I live in a village where it’s pretty much sterile i.e surrounded by farms and most of the houses closeby are concreted or just grass lawned so it appears they don’t have much options of places to find food or habitatwise.
Other issue I have is that I am likely to be relocating in the next 6-8 months and its unlikely the next tenant is going to be Hog friendly, so I might end up relocating them too.
So i’m not sure feeding them daily is an ethical thing to do??
Hi BLT
That’s lovely that there are lots of hogs there!
I hope you were only joking when you said ‘I might end up relocating them too’. The fact that you have so many hedgehogs around indicates that they are also finding some food somewhere else. They can travel up to 2 miles a night and get to know their ranges very well. So that if they are moved to another location, they would find it very difficult – as well as that area potentially not having sufficient suitable habitat for them, etc. This link particularly refers to rehabilitated hedgehogs but gives the reasons why relocation is not a good idea: https://www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/BHPS-Guidance-For-relasing-Rehabilitated-Hedgehogs.pdf
As you suggest, what we feed the hogs should be supplementary to other food they can find, but there may also be other people feeding them in an area and potentially they could come to rely on artificial food more than is ideal. That’s why high on hog lovers’ list of priorities needs to be making it easier for hogs to move between suitable habitats by providing hog holes and creating hedgehog highways, as well as creating better habitat for them by making our gardens more wildlife friendly. Ideally that would create more natural food for them, but as things stand, it seems there is not sufficient good habitat available – in many areas, at least – for them to easily flourish without us also offering some supplementary food. So offering them good quality supplementary food seems likely, on balance, to be helpful to them. But ideally at the same time as trying to improve their habitat and encouraging others to do likewise.
Good luck with your move. Fingers crossed your luck holds and there are also hedgehogs in the area to which you are moving.
Hello, I’d add to Nic’s that please, leave out water, hedgehogs eat and evacuate twice “nightly” and try to enthuse neighbours and any incoming people!
Thanks for what you are already doing/seeing.Problem is Nic they are too reliant on the food I put out. Neighbours (especially the white hair brigade) all just want lawned/concrete yards with dogs fenced up like alcatraz. Those that wern’t willing to make a hole have been dug under (the fence not the neighbours)
There were 2 wooded areas nearby that were lovely, but they has now been cleared and 2nd homes built in their place.
Today I’ve found a few hogs nesting in my shed.. which is sad, will monitor just incase and new microscope on order due to their feaces not looking great.
I’ve spoken with the local councilor if they can encourage any pro wildlife/nature behaviours but even they were doubtful.
I’ve just had my tenancy renewal which includes and inspection etc..
The ‘wildcorner’ (80cmx240cm) That i kept for bugs and pollenators and the hogs now has to be cleared… the knee high stone wall that I partially took down and build a ramp (for the hogs) has to be rebuilt.
Bascily I now have change my yard to be sterile and anti-hog. Which sucks for me and the hogs. I look forward to seeing them and they’ve definetly bring joy into my day.
Hi BLT
That must have been very disheartening for you. But does that mean that you are staying there after all?
Is it a private Landlord? Maybe you could replace the wild corner with things that the bugs, pollinators and hogs still like even if the area doesn’t look quite so wild? The hogs aren’t too fussy if things are a bit neat. What is actually there is more important than how untidy/tidy it is. Also maybe the wall could have a wooden ramp for the hogs? Seems worth a try as there are hogs already around. That is, if you are staying there after all. But, hogs are surprisingly good climbers, so depending on how the wall is made, may be able to climb it. But it is very frustrating how many gardens are concreted these days.
Fingers crossed that you can reach some sort of compromise.
It seems likely that the hogs are getting some food, at least, from elsewhere. Bearing in mind it could be a mile or more away, you wouldn’t necessarily know about it.
Good luck. I hope the situation improves.
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