Unexpected winter visitor

[Sandyn]

Wife was sitting watching the TV, always has the patio blinds open to see what wild life is about at night. We have lots of regulars. The usual fox appeared, had its chicken bones and left, then one of this years late litter hedgehogs appeared and started eating some bits of chicken the fox left.

It's -1C outside and we know from October, when it went into hibernation, it was just above the limit for hibernation. Decided to take it in and will take it to the SSPCA rescue when they are back after new year. We have a hedgehog cage and heaters for emergency, so one very comfortable hedgehog!

 

[TheUnicorn]

I don't think I've seen a hedgehog for about 15 years, like so much wildlife that used to be commonplace, I'm sure their numbers must be dwindling.

Just out of interest does the sspca replace the rspca in scotland or do you have them both?

 

[mikej460]

They do come out of hibernation occasionally in Winter but a big thumbs up for caring As soon as it gets milder let it go. Btw they love cat/dog food but don't give them bread or milk

 

[Droogs]

SSPCA replace. Though many people donate to the RSPCA here in Scotland not realizing they are not connected in any way

 

[Sandyn]

We have 4 hedgehog hotels in the garden. We cleaned them out in the summer and all of them had been used at some time and no dead hedgehogs! A couple of years ago, we had 5 hedgehogs on the patio feeding at the same time, but this year, only 3. There was a late litter of two. This is one of them. I'm happy to see it's survived hibernation since October. We were feeding it like crazy to fatten it up. It was just 500g in October, but it's now under 500g, so marginal survival chance if it gets really cold. It's difficult to know what's the best thing to do, normally we wouldn't interfere, but, this time, it's come out of hibernation when it's really cold, so something might be wrong. It looks pretty healthy though.
We feed them cat food, they love meal worms as a treat and this one loves chicken.
Hedgehogs are in serious decline, many get killed on the road.

 

[Sandyn]

SSPCA inspector called in by the house today, had a look at the hedgehog. It's perfectly healthy, just a bit on the light side, She offered to take it away, but also said she would be happy if we wanted to look after it ourselves. Suggested if the temperature rises above 5C for a couple of days, it would be OK to release it. She said It probably won't go back into hibernation. Some hedgehogs don't hibernate especially if they are fed regularly.
An emergency indoor hedgehog house was built. Found the bandsaw is perfect for ripping newspaper into thin slices and I found that my nail gun is able to fire 45mm staples clean through hardboard and into my hand which was 6 inches away. No real damage caused.

 

[Rorschach]

I have seen 2 dead hedgehogs on the road this week, one is just outside our house. So clearly they are active in winter around here.

 

[mikej460]

We have 4 hedgehog hotels in the garden. We cleaned them out in the summer and all of them had been used at some time and no dead hedgehogs! A couple of years ago, we had 5 hedgehogs on the patio feeding at the same time, but this year, only 3. There was a late litter of two. This is one of them. I'm happy to see it's survived hibernation since October. We were feeding it like crazy to fatten it up. It was just 500g in October, but it's now under 500g, so marginal survival chance if it gets really cold. It's difficult to know what's the best thing to do, normally we wouldn't interfere, but, this time, it's come out of hibernation when it's really cold, so something might be wrong. It looks pretty healthy though.
We feed them cat food, they love meal worms as a treat and this one loves chicken.
Hedgehogs are in serious decline, many get killed on the road.

My apologies for replying as if you didn't know what to do

 

[Sandyn]

My apologies for replying as if you didn't know what to do

Really-- no problem, it's all helpful. I know a wee bit about hedgehogs, but this situation was very unusual. I had no idea what was the the best thing to do. The SSPCAs advice was good. We happen to have a hedgehog cage, so the hedghog house is inside that now in a cool place (5C) with a temperature controlled mat for a wee bit of heat. I want to release it as soon as possible, but it needs to be 550g before it will be 'safe'.
My son had a pygmy hedgehog as a pet. THE cutest creature ever, but a useless pet, It only came out when no one was about at night and made a hell of a noise running on a wheel

 

[Sandyn]

I have seen 2 dead hedgehogs on the road this week, one is just outside our house. So clearly they are active in winter around here.

The inspector says some don't hibernate, especially if they have a regular feeding station. It could be that feeding them isn't the best thing to do?? We have a few hedgehogs in the garden, but the plants are hanging with slugs and snails. The hedgehogs are too well fed to bother with them!!

 

[Cabinetman]

We have a hedgehog sanctuary here, last year she had 50 young hedgehogs being reared and then released, people were very good at bringing her food stuffs and newspapers and hay, I don’t know how she did it the smell was appalling ha ha
I have two in my garden I think they live in the sort of wasteland bit behind my garage. Ian

 

[Sandyn]

The wild ones stink a bit. If it didn't cr@p so much it might put on weight faster! . I'm considering rehousing it outside in a poly tunnel where two other hedgehog houses are, but in a small enclosure, so it can cr@p on the ground. Still have the heated mat but give it a bit more freedom.

 

[Lons]

We had 3 hedgehogs this year, I'm sure one of them was tormenting the dog every night when I let her out for a pee, it never ran away or curled up and several times I saw it run towards her then stop just short. Curiosity or just short sighted maybe. I evicted one of them from the bonfire a few weeks before lighting it and built two houses but they haven't occupied either so must be under one of the sheds or in the hedges. I've never seen one wandering around in the winter though.

 

[mikej460]

I'm a huge fan of hedgehogs and made a hedgehog hotel when I built a raised fernery in our garden. The bed was supported by a low stone wall and the hotel entrance was a curved bit of stone that led into a tunnel that opened into a small chamber under the fernery. I laid a bit of old paving slab over the tunnel and chamber. They used it for a couple of years but not for the last 2 winters so I'm steeling myself to opening it up to check for any dead ones. Last year I found a very old nest amongst some old timber fencing with a long dead hedgehog in it.

Sandyn, could you post a picture of one or two of yours please?

thanks

Mike

 

[John Brown]

Which newspapers do they like?

 

[Cabinetman]

Good question, mine would have to like the Telegraph or do without!
Bigger pages mean longer strips I suppose lol

 

[Sandyn]

hotel entrance was a curved bit of stone that led into a tunnel that opened into a small chamber

That sounds fabulous! my ones are just designs I found on the internet,

I usually construct a tunnel and inner chamber. This is one (above) I made back in 2013. We opened it this year, the chamber was packed with bedding and a small circular bed in the middle. I really expected to see some dead ones, but none of them did. It's inside a poly tunnel.

This is one is out in the garden. Well covered. You can see the triangular entrance in the middle of the pic.

This is the view looking into the triangular entrance. It's difficult to see, but there is a hedgehog there. In the middle of the picture.

This was my son's pygmy hedgehog. It was really cute and very friendly. they only live for about 3 years.

 

[Sandyn]

Which newspapers do they like?

Has to be the Sunday Times!!!

The band saw is really brilliant for making bedding. I fold the paper flat (not round) and rip it into thin slices. The SSPCA inspector said newspaper is fine. We usually give them a supply of hay for bedding, but almost out of it now. I've read that wood shavings are not good,because of the dust, but not sure, The hoggys do a lot of housekeeping. they drag stuff out and new stuff in. The biggest problem is tick infestations. The all get ticks during summer months. we have tried removing with a tick twister, but it's impossble if the tick is down in the spines. I absolutely hate ticks, they give me the grues!!!

 

[Sandyn]

This is a still from a video, but a couple of years ago. Two foxes and two hedgehogs feeding on the patio. The foxes never really bother the hedgehogs, but they will steal food out of their mouths

 

[Billy_wizz]

I don't think I've seen a hedgehog for about 15 years, like so much wildlife that used to be commonplace, I'm sure their numbers must be dwindling.

Just out of interest does the sspca replace the rspca in scotland or do you have them both?

As the badger population went up the hedgehog population went down and oddly in most if not all areas where the Badger cull happened hedgehog numbers increased but apparently there unconnected