Should I put more food out
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Hi-
I have a hedgehog that comes to our feeding station (caught on camera) regularly every night. He is the first visitor and I think he eats all the food. The next visitors are caught coming in and out of the station within a minute as I guess there is no food left. If we put more food in, will Mr Greedy eat that as well or will he stop when he is full? The others do have a very long drink, so that is good.
ThanksHi simbo65
Normally I would think he would stop when he’s full, but there are always exceptions to any rule! Is there any chance you can nip out and put some more there when he’s gone, or is he visiting too late? In this weather when we have had an exceptionally long dry spell, I would put more food out. The later comers might really welcome it. Hopefully Mr. Greedy isn’t as greedy as you fear. I would leave out enough food that there is a little bit left in the morning. That way you’ll know everyone had a chance to have some.
Having said that, it’s possible that the others did find a bit of food. Whilst some hogs may stay around for 30 minutes or more alternating between eating drinking and having a wander, some of the hogs here do only eat for a very short time before dashing off again.
Thank you Nic,
We will put more out tonight and if that all goes we will try putting more out at later.
He is an early visitor, regularly between 10 and 10.15 but he hangs around for about 40 minutes.
Will keep you posted.Hi simbo65,
It may also be an idea to split the food between 2 or 3 feeding stations. I’ve found that sometimes, when i hog turns up to feed and there’s already a hog filling his/her belly, they’ll wander over to the other feed dish and dine there. I’ve found it does away with some of the conflict, and the more submissive hogs get a chance to eat too. Some of the greedier hogs may cherry pick the best bits with this system, dashing between feed dishes, but at least most hogs get something. 😋Hi simbo65,
I have a hog living in my hog house and has been now, on & off, for around 7 weeks.
He (and it is a he) has been coming out to feed around around 9pm and, although I spread the food around in several places in the garden, he is now well versed in doing a garden tour and hoovers up all the food on offer (i guess that great sense of smell is always going to find the food wherever i put it although the one area he doesn’t venture to is the food on the patio as its still light at that time and a bit too exposed probably). I then top up the food around 10pm but I now know he isn’t moving far away as i think he may have cottoned on to the fact if he waits more food will appear and sure enough he comes back around that time and helps himself to more food!
Around 10.30pm other hogs arrive in the garden and also have a nice long drink (I have 4 water dishes spread around the garden – very important in this hot weather) but they also do get some food although the resident hog, having returned, gives them a bashing although this is much more subdued than a month ago which I’m glad about.
The above said i have grown very affectionate to this paritucular hog as it has made home in my garden and is enjoying the food and water on offer and his scratching antics often put a smile on my face – in a particular excessive scratching session he fell sideways, which i have seen often, but this time he was laying on his back and decided to still keep on scratching – i almost felt like reaching out and giving his belly a good rub like you do with dogs!
Before i go to bed i then put out some more food and what happens then i don’t know but, if I do get up in the night, i do peer out in the garden and i have seen a hog or two foraging so they must still be finiding food either what i have put out or natural food and, more improtantly, there is still water in some of the dishes come morning so they are keeping hydrated.
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