Still feeding
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Hi,
I’ve continued to put out food and water for the hogs since my sightings of mum and babies over the summer. I had two hoglets and an adult nesting in the boxes in the garden.One of the boxes was abondoned around September time, so I emptied it and gave it a clean with boiling water, it’s still lying empty. One box still has a large nest in it and it seems to be still being used , a scrunched up ball of newspaper is regularly moved (might just be the wind or a wee mouse I don’t know ).
For the last few weeks the food is being left uneaten for 3 or 4 nights and then just when I think they have stopped feeding it’s gone again ! I check every mornings to see if it’s still there ( it’s in a feeding station so cats can’t get it ).Is it unusual for the hogs still to be feeding at this time of year , I thought they’d be hibernating by now ?
I will keep on putting out some food and water for the next few weeks and keep an eye on it .Also wondering if the large nest is still in use, but I’d thought a summer nest would have been abandoned by now and not used for hibernating. Yet no sign the empty box being readied for winter .
Thanks ☺️
Hi Gr8mums, not unusual for hedgehogs to be out this time of the year especially juveniles. They will keep coming in for food, sometimes all through winter, as long as they can get around.
That is why it is important to keep putting food out. Don’t know what food you are using, but if it is dry food can just put it out overnight, and bring it in during the day to dry off. And don’t forget the water.
I myself am still feeding juveniles and they are of a good weight. Shall continue as long as they keep coming. Then once they stop I will still leave food in one or two feeders, as hogs are known to wake up and come for food, then go back to sleep again.
Willpar.
Hi Gr8mums
Whilst I suspect most hogs are hibernating by now, it isn’t unusual for there still to be some left out and about. I have found that the hoglets tend to go latest and I still have two visiting here. There is, also, the occasional hog who decides not to hibernate at all. Last year one here didn’t. He had made a very elaborate nest but he only used it for over-day stays and then not every day.
Having said that, I wouldn’t like to guarantee that cats can’t get into your feeding station, unless you have gone to great lengths to prevent them. The cats here are very resourceful and seem quite able to get into the usual feeding stations and eat the hog food cats aren’t supposed to like!
Thanks Nic and William.
I use Ark Hedgehog food, it’s dry and looks like small crunchy biscuits ( I used to add some water to it to make it softer for the little ones during the summer). The boxes are from ark too, one is empty one has a large nest in it and I’m using one to put food in. I don’t think a cat could get in to eat the food as the boxes have a small internal tunnel but you never know I suppose !
I’m thinking of getting a camera so I can see what’s going at night, I used to enjoy watching the hedgehogs but now it’s too dark . Anyone have any recommendations of a good one , not too expensive?
I will keep putting out food and water for as long as it keeps being eaten, I’ll need to buy some more as I’m nearly finished the bag now 🦔🦔.
Aldi do a great camera, but they only stock them a couple of times a year so you’d need to check when in stock
I’ve still got one big brute refusing to go to bed but I suspect it’ll be gone next week with the forecast east winds. It just makes one visit per night at 02.40 precisely and doesn’t eat a whole heap so I think it’s probably just winding me up on purpose.
Hi-
We also use ARK food and have one of their houses (The Royal I think).
Although the house has the tunnel we did catch footage of a fox getting in. Probably only a cub . We then extended the tunnels length by building a narrower brick tunnel into the house. Amazingly a cub also got into this once, so we narrowed a little more. So far so good. The hedgehogs that have used the box don’t seem to have a problem with it.
Re the trail cam I will look up the one we bought. However I didn’t factor into the cost buying rechargeable batteries and the charger!Hi Gr8mums
I don’t think an internal tunnel in a hog house is much problem for a cat either. I had double tunnels put in mine and a cat still got in. I now put bricks in to make it shallower as well. The hogs can easily climb over the top.
Hi simbo65,
Re camera batteries. I invested in good quality high power rechargeable batteries just over a year ago. At first they worked great, but now they don’t even last a full night and need charging every day – when there are hedgehogs around that is! I don’t know what others think, but I have now decided that it is more economical to buy packs of 48 Logik batteries from Currys PC World, they are usually on offer at just £9.99 and last around 3 to 4 weeks in the Bushnell, but not quite as long once the weather turns cold.
Thanks everyone 😊.
It’s the royal box I’ve got from ark too, so will maybe have to add some extra cat proofing !
I got a camera from amazon and have set it up facing the box , no idea if I’ve set it up properly – it seemed simple enough so fingers crossed it will pick up some activity , even if it’s just a cat .Now to wait a few nights and see if the food disappears …..
Well I didn’t have to wait long, 108 pictures of Mrs Hedgehog! Interesting that she’s still living in the original box with the nest that was built in summer .
She was in and out the box a few times from 7.20 pm to .5.30 am. and ate about half the food.
Just one appearance from a cat, he just walked passed the boxes and didn’t pay any attention to the box or food.
So far so good, will see what happens the next few night !🦔
Great news. Keep us posted.
We have the camera on 20 second video clips and it also picks up good sound.
I am addicted to watching. We only have one visitor at the moment- Cyclops. He/ she has only one eye. I am verrry protective of it .
Have fun watching the gorgeous hedgehogs.
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