All you want to know about hedgehogs....

Discussion in 'Wildlife Corner' started by Spruce, Dec 3, 2013.

  1. Spruce

    Spruce Glad to be back .....

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    Hi All
    With Approval from high "administration" I will be creating a Hedgehog thread and all the questions that many of us ask on what to feed... what should we do if... whom to contact, please PM me and I will edit and add to the list ...

    Please feel free to add to at any time and lots of pictures ...

    Spruce
    [​IMG]
     
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    • lost_in_france

      lost_in_france Total Gardener

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      Excellent. Will watch thread with interest as I love my spiky lodgers and would hate to think I harmed through ignorance. Though the contact details won't relate to me as, sadly, there are no wildlife centres near me.

      Pics I can do though

      279708_10150232918318691_627133690_7602391_5176097_o.jpg
      277616_10150233059578691_627133690_7603941_5164072_o.jpg

      What's your experience re 'families' though? I read that they are solitary creatures and don't live together as a pack or family. Yet I have had three of them living here at the same time - which is the three above, the first one being the youngest and very much smaller than the other two so I assumed was their baby.
       
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      • Grannie Annie

        Grannie Annie Total Gardener

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        Love HedgehogsSpruce - These are my 2

        P1020009 (640x471).jpg
         
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        • joolz68

          joolz68 Total Gardener

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          Ive got one:dancy:i put chicken cat food out for it,im not sure how much they should eat of that thou?im going to make it feed area from a large plastic container so the cats and fox dont eat all the food,what else do they like eat?:)
           
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          • Spruce

            Spruce Glad to be back .....

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          • Scrungee

            Scrungee Well known for it

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            British Hedgehog Preservation Society http://www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk/

            They used to have useful info on their website (or maybe I phoned them?) such as the size of hole you need to leave under fence panels so that hedgehogs can move freely through gardens (but haven't checked recently as I formed the holes a very long time ago). Same applies to height of gap under side gates between houses so hedgehogs in the street can gain access to rear gardens.
             
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            • Spruce

              Spruce Glad to be back .....

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              thank you I have added , amazed at how many we have across the UK

              Spruce
               
            • "M"

              "M" Total Gardener

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              " ... Ensure there is easy access in by 13cm (5”) square gaps at the bottom of boundaries ... "
              That comes from within their PDF leaflet: "I would like a hedgehog" :)
               
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              • Scrungee

                Scrungee Well known for it

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                That seems to be a mistake as they don't need holes 130mm/5" high to squeeze through, more like only 75mm high. Puppies, pet rabbits, etc. could get through a hole that size and make you unpopular with your neighbours. Time to email them for confirmation? [email protected]
                 
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                • Jenny namaste

                  Jenny namaste Total Gardener

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                  In a quiz last night it said that hedgehogs like melons !
                  Jenny
                   
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                  • Victoria

                    Victoria Lover of Exotic Flora

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                    I love hedgehogs and we actually (and surprisingly to me) have them here ... sadly usually seen as road pizza on the road near us ... :cry3:

                    Whilst in Buckinghamshire, my good friends were next-door neighbours to Les Stocker where he started St Tiggywinkles in his garden before he opened St Tiggywinkles Hospital in Haddenham, which was about ten minutes away from my home. Nothing but admiration for the work they have put in over the many years.
                     
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                    • lost_in_france

                      lost_in_france Total Gardener

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                      1499601_10151860875928691_332019342_n.jpg
                      Sorry, not a brilliant pic.

                      One of the hedgehogs was wandering around the garden earlier this evening. He scurried under the decking when he sensed our presence.We've had temps of -5 during the night here the past few days - will he be ok? He was snuffling around the bird seed that the fussy birds chuck out of the seed feeders so does that mean he's hungry? Should I put out something for him to eat? And if so, what? Our dogs only eat dry kibble so I don't have any tinned dog food to hand.
                       
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                      • Spruce

                        Spruce Glad to be back .....

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                        yes they are hungry as thats how I found mine under the bird feeder picking up the bits of seed etc
                        I would slightly moisten it beforehand if using kibble but I think that contains everything they need , I look at it as its better than nothing , mine is having alternative night of dog food and then dry chicken flavored cat biscuits which he loved you can hear him nibbling into them in the dark
                         
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                        • lost_in_france

                          lost_in_france Total Gardener

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                          Thanks Spruce, I've put some moistened kibble out now. Think I'll get some tinned dogfood as standby tomorrow. Just hope the rats that come in from next door don't get there first!
                           
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                          • Spruce

                            Spruce Glad to be back .....

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                            Put the food out in the most open part of the garden middle of the lawn as rats will be nervous and wont stay long basically grab and run , will give the hedgehogs more time to feed

                            Spruce
                             
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