All you want to know about hedgehogs....

Three last night, two large ones and younger one, family? do they stay together?

 

Good question and one Im sure our resident hedgy-hog GCer @luciusmaximus could answer @strongylodon

 

It's difficult to say what you saw as I didn't see it for myself. Mum raises the hoglets by herself so it's unlikely you were looking at mum, dad and baby @strongylodon,. The babies are independent by 6-8 weeks and generally seem to wander away to do their own thing. More research is needed into hedgehogs behavioural patterns. It's possible it might have been a mum and baby with a male hog interested in making more baby hedgehogs. Hogs don't live in social or family groups but they do appear to have loose associations when it suits them. I once found two hedgehogs sleeping together in a house ( don't know if they were related ) and have heard of other people finding the same. They will often eat together, I've seen 2-3 hogs all eating in my feeding stations. Earlier this year we found what I believe was mum and her two juveniles dead in an overturned dustbin . My neighbour noticed an awful smell in her garden and we had a look. The bin was hers and she didn't think to pick the dustbin up when it got blown over, so I think when the hogs went in to shelter their weight moved it and they couldn't get out. It was just awful and could so easily have been avoided. Mum had a mark on, so I know she was definitely one of mine and I had recently released my autumn babies, so think they were hers.

One of the sweetest things I have seen is one brother helping the other to build his hibernation nest before building his own . That is true brotherly love.

 

We have had one hog visit every night since late March, last night we had three together, first time since last Summer.

 

That is excellent news @strongylodon - word is spreading about the free food at your place . Rather crazy at mine . Lots of food being scoffed, food stations trashed on a daily basis, hogs caught on camera doing mating ritual and fighting over food/ territory, lots of hog poo all over the gardens . Houses are being used regularly. I'm still releasing juveniles, so their arrival in the garden makes a difference to the already resident hogs so the above behaviour is in part due to that. Enjoy your hogs and expect more to arrive .

 

That means more food!!!

 

Oh yes, lots and lots of food . I aim to put enough food out so that there is always a little left over. That way I know everyone who visits gets a fair share. . Buying in bulk works out the cheapest option. I have three feeding stations too so there isn't too much competition over occupancy rights - some hogs will share bowls and boxes, others think they are entitled to exclusive useage .

 

We have mainly had one hog recently but two appeared earlier this week, yesterday one tiny hoglet turned up and tonight two, with I assume, mum.

 

Hedgehogs, like a lot of the wildlife, are finding it tough with the hot dry weather. I have I increased the amount of food I put out and added extra water bowls. All the bowls are empty in the morning .

 

Feeding three hogs at the mow, cctv makes good viewing at night

 

Not seen any hoggies around here this year. None whatsoever :(

 

Really useful thread as we had been feeding for several week now. I have a trial camera out there and have some good video. |One evening we had four snuffling around. A bit of bullying and barking. They do carry on when they get together. We are feeding them on meat flavoured cats dry biscuits and there's normally none left in the morning. Always a pot plant saucer full of water with a couple of stones in to stop them putting feet on the edge and tipping it up! If I can post a link to my youtube channel you can see two with one of them barking at the other. Need to turn your volume up.

 

@capney your hoggies are thinking about baby making in the video . It's the female who does all the huffing and circling in reverse. It can last for quite a long time and sometimes even for a few days before she makes up her mind about the male. Is this a recent video?

I try to put out enough food so there is a bit left over. This ensures that everyone gets enough. Splitting the food into two or three bowls and spread around prevents dominant hogs from protecting the food. Do you use feeding stations ? The wildlife cameras are great fun aren't they

@Snorky85 what a shame about the lack of hedgehogs .

 

That answers the question about that behaver. Many thanks for that. I honestly did not know. The video was maybe a week or more ago. I put food out every night just in one spot and just piled on the stones near the water. No feeding station as such. That's something I need to look into. It was a few weeks ago we had four visit and there was much huffing and puffing but the camera did not record it as the memory card was full! |I now turn it off during the day to stop it recording endless videos of pigeons.
We have only seen the one visit during the last few days. Maybe she has made her choice of a mate.