New hog feeding, advice needed.
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Hello everyone,
This is my first post and looking for some advice.
I’ve been feeding a hedgehog that has been visiting since last Wednesday night (20th July). He comes around 11.45 – 12.15. I’ve been feeding him a bowl of Webbox hedgehog food which I bought from B&M along with a couple of shallow bowls which I use one for water and one for food.
I had been looking into buying him a proper feeding station and today my partner came home with one which she had seen in B&M. It’s a decent size and has a compartment about 27cm x 27cm which fit the bowls in perfectly.
The only thing I’m concerned about is this box is on my front garden which is really only a hedge behind some railings. We live on a new build estate but toward the end of a no through road so there is limited traffic and is very quiet of an evening. The thing that has been bothering me the most is would there be a possibility that he / she could nest in there? Should I be concerned and as I’m not sure it would be a suitable location or would the hog just treat it as a feeding station only. We do live in a rural location and about 10 min walk away from some fields so I’m guessing that is where he is coming from.
I’ve also hesitated using wet food as there are alot of cats around the estate but the webbox food has not attracted them so have stuck with that. Is a dry diet good for the hog. I also considered about cutting up some fruit but not sure if that was a good idea.
I’d have loved to put the box in the back garden but having three small Jack Russell Terriers they would not have left the area alone as they obssess over things and continually bark.
I’ve added some pictures below of our visitor and also the products bought from B&M and the location of our front garden. Any advice greatfully recieved as I’m a complete novice and only want to help our little visitor. Feel privileged to have him / her visit. Also would there be a way I can tell the sex, I’m guessing maybe female due to size.
Hi Sharkster41
Welcome to the Forum.
Hogs will sometimes decide to nest in feeding boxes. The ones here, have so far been either for hibernation or for a couple of days over-day stays. Hopefully mother hogs would have more sense than to make a nest there, but there’s really no telling!
Not sure whether there is access to the back garden from the front or whether the road is the only access. The trouble is that quiet roads can be more dangerous than busy ones as the hogs can be lulled into a false sense of security when it’s quiet and they really don’t have any defence if cars come along and the only hope is for people to look out for them. Ideally you need to persuade everyone around to have hog holes in their fences so that the hogs don’t have to cross roads to find suitable habitat.
There is some information re. feeding here:
https://www.hedgehogstreet.org/help-hedgehogs/feed-hedgehogs/Don’t forget to leave water available all day every day. You never know when a thirsty hog might turn up during the day, or even the winter. Wide but shallow plant saucers are ideal for water. Hogs are very good at tipping narrower bowls/saucers of water over!
Good luck and happy hog watching.
Some more information:
Thanks for the info Nic.
The hog has been every night and have made sure that fresh food is out about 9.30-10. It seems to come around 11 now and comes back approx every 45 mins. Would that be an indication it’s a mum feeding hoglets?
My partner first noticed him a month or so ago and seems to have a route to follow. I would have it in the garden but the dogs would just never leave it alone. There is a gap in the bottom of out gate about 10cm so not sure if that would be big enough to get under.
I’ve tried some wet food tonight as something different so will see if that gets gobbled up. I’ve mentioned to a couple of the neighbours we have a visitor so hopefully we will get him a little highway going.
Hi Sharkster41
Not necessarily a female – they all tend to make multiple visits a night to a feeding station. There is also the possibility that it’s more than one. If there is one hog around there are usually others as well.
A hog would easily get under a 10 cm. gap. Even with lower heights they can sort of flatten themselves to get under.
Good luck with the wet food and well done re. the hog highway! You might be interested in:
https://www.hedgehogstreet.org/biggest-hedgehog-street/
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