Six or more hedgehogs in my garden
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Over the last few years I have tried to create a complete hedgehog friendly garden. I also have hedgehogs houses everywhere. This year has been extremely successful, I have at least six current resident hedgehogs. The hedgehogs love the Ark Wildlife hedgehog muesli and one in particular comes out earlier than the rest to eat as much of this as “he” can. I am so happy that I am able to help them from youngster to adult. There is nothing more satisfying and relaxing than watching them congregate around the food bowl and watch them and get to know them from a distance and help them on their way to survival.
Worry Iv lost my hedgehog 😢 I had one in our hedgehog house and it’s not come back
Iv done new bedding found leaves which I’ll also put round the house
Also put a couple of hedgehog treats in to try and get it backVery excited tonight to have three hedgehogs now feeding in the garden. I was a few minutes later putting out the hedgehog food and they were there waiting!
It’s good to hear about the hedgehog success stories, but sad to hear, winters10, that the hog there has disappeared. Hopefully that will be temporary. Whilst there are all too many hazards out there for the hogs, there are also other reasons why they might be absenst from your garden. The hog might be concentrating on another part of it’s range at the moment, someone else may have started offering food, hog holes in fences may have been blocked and a new way through need to be found, it could be a female concentrating on hoglets elsewhere, etc.
Just one small tip. It’s best to keep food and the feeding area away from where the nest box is, if you are hoping for it to be used for nesting.
New here what a great sight,I have many hogs in my garden and noticed a young one visiting last night,I have a covered feeding station and in the process of making a wooden nesting box,a word of warning I did have one of those wicker type ones and now have got rid of it,I know someone who had one of these and the poor hog got its spines caught in the wire netting,the hog is now fine.my hogs visit me about 1 o’clock in the morning,so I wait up for them sometimes for a glance at them eating,I use the ready made hog food,they love this and plenty of shallow dishes in the garden.my garden is pretty much a wildlife garden and safe for all the wildlife I get.my hogs bring me so much joy and my birds too,I have also made a small wildlife pond and lots of large rocks so the hogs can get out,looking forward to read ather ideas from like minded people.
I hadn’t heard of the tip to have the feeding station away from the nest box.
Do you know why it’s is best to keep it away and how far? I was thinking I was helping by having the feeding station near the hedgehog house.Hi Paulette
Welcome to the Forum!
That’s really sad to hear the poor hog got caught in the wire netting in a hogilo. The problem is there’s always someone who will try to make more money by creating them more cheaply i.e. not so well and that can lead to problems. Glad to hear the hog was o.k. after it’s ordeal. But definitely something to watch out for.
Your garden sounds brilliant. Very enterprisng making a hog house yourself! Hope you get a tenant soon. Good luck.
Hi Indy
Feeding away from nest, is partly not to encourage predators or unwanted visitors near to a nest box, and partly not to attract other potentially rowdy hogs, which a female might not appreciate right outside the door if she has young ones.
The distance really depends on your circumstances, so I couldn’t really give an exact distance, but if you know the reasons, you can probably work out the best place (depending on the layout of your garden, etc.) Hogs can walk up to 2 miles a night (males), so they need a bit of exercise to keep them fit and well. Hopefully the hogs are out and about looking for wild food as well.
Meant to ask last year, but is it possible to ‘overfeed‘ hedgehogs?
We have loads, but some come to have a quick ‘chomp’ for a couple of minutes and move on, but others come and settle their backsides and chomp away for 30/40 minutes.
Another question, why do some, after a good feed slowly amble off, while others hike their skirts up and disappear at a rate of knots?
Thought it might be the cats or other garden visitors, but they seem totally unbothered by their nocturnal associates?Hi Coley
The perceived wisdom is that wild hogs will not over-feed, although I believe it can happen when they are with a carer (i.e. have been sick or injured). It might be the males who are dashing off – potentially looking for females. When I see a male hog tearing around, I always think of it as him being on patrol. So tearing off to the regular places he visits to see who is there. So it might be the females who are taking their time about eating.
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