Hedgehogs in Spring/Summer - by Kay Bullen of the B.H.P.S.

Lapping warm goats milk
(NEVER give cows milk)

Baby hedgehogs (hoglets) will continue to be born throughout this month. If you see the same

hedgehog around then it is likely to be a female.  They often have regular routes that they follow when they are foraging, so if you see a hedgehog by the shed at 10pm then it may well be there again the next night at or around that time.

There is a great deal of worry amongst hedgehog rehabilitators that there are so few hedgehogs being admitted. Whilst it is good not to have them needing care it also means that there are not so many around. This is also confirmed by the lack of kills seen on our roads. Mortality was probably high during the extended winter hibernation so every hedgehog seen is even more precious and its well-being is necessary to aid the hedgehogs’ dwindling population.

We can all help by making our gardens safer for hedgehogs (see the BHPS’s leaflet 'Gardening ‘with’Hedgehogs') and by providing food and water for them.  To protect the food, from both cats and the weather, make a feeding station, for example try putting a paving slab on bricks (leave a gap between 2 of the bricks as an entrance hole); or use a rabbit hutch with its door wedged partly open; or an upside down plastic dog bed. As a final suggestion try to get one of those deep plastic mushroom boxes or an under the bed storage box. Cut a 5 x 5 inch hole in one of the short sides so when the box is upside down the hole becomes an entrance. Put water and food (meat based dog or cat food or a propriety brand of complete hedgehog food or dry cat biscuits – again meat based) at the far end and weigh the box down with a stone.

If you have a shed or summer house that is raised off the ground slightly food can be put under this.  However this is also a favourite place for a female to make her nursery nest so before using it as a feeding station check there is not a nest there. The female hedgehog will not be happy about other hedgehogs coming to a food source so close to her babies.

If you want to find out more about hedgehogs visit the British Hedgehog Preservation Society’s web site at www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk or scroll up and click on our info pages.

If you find a hedgehog needing help or if you need more advice call the BHPS on 01584 890801 – it is better to be safe than sorry.

Thank You to Ark Wildlife

I was feeling low, I'd just made the very difficult decision the battle our latest guest was fighting was one he could not win. Although I'm still feeling low (I always do when we lose a hog) there is now a little lightness to my mood. I've just taken delivery of 15kg of donated hedgehog food from Ark Wildlife.  We'd been nominated by Janet Gerrard (thank you - thank you - thank you) as a Hedgehog Hero and because so many of you voted (again thank you) we are now looking at the marvellous results. This will really make a difference and greatly reduce our food bill over the next few months.

One huge bag of donated hedgehog food from Ark Wildlife

However your support does not have to end there. We plan to join Ark Wildlife's Charity Partner Scheme. Basically every time you make a purchase from the Ark Wildlife website they donate 5% of the total value of your order to us. On average it costs £25 per hedgehog and as a small non-funded not-for-profit organisation every penny counts. So as they say watch this space and once we're signed up to this scheme we'll let you. In the meantime visit their website and check out how you can help all the visitors to your garden. 

  

Get Ready For Hoglets - by The British Hedgehog Preservation Society

Although the natural world is a little behind schedule this year, there will still be some hoglets born in June.  Mum will have 4-5 hoglets in a litter.  They are born blind, deaf and naked; however the first set of prickles starts to poke through when the hoglets are just 2 hours old.

Hand reared hoglet lapping goats milk NEVER give cows

If you have a regular visitor to your garden at this time of year it is likely to be a female rather than a nomadic male.  Be aware that she may have chosen your garden in which to make her nest and take extra care when gardening, so you do not disturb that nest.  Should you accidentally disturb a nest then recover it as best you can.  With luck the female will return and over the next few days she may well move her litter to a new nest.  If however she does not return, then the litter will need to be taken into care.  You can tell if she returns by making an opening into the nest and putting a small object that will be pushed aside as she enters the nest.  Do not keep checking the nest by opening it up (this applies to undisturbed nests as well) as extra disturbance may well make her disappear altogether or even attack her young. 

In general any small hoglets found in the garden squeaking or just lying about will need to be rescued.  Bring them indoors, put in a high-sided box and most importantly provide them with a covered warm hot water bottle (keep replacing the water so it does not get too cold).  If there is only one hoglet, please search for more.  Call us or the British HedgehogPreservation Society ASAP for advice.

If a nest is in an inappropriate place or a dog will continually disturb it and it needs to be move please do make sure you catch the mother first as she is the one that will run away.  Without mum the chances of the litter surviving will be reduced, especially if they are new born.  There is no substitute for the real mum with real hedgehog milk.

Note - putting an object at or in the entrance of a nest box will also tell you whether it is in use without opening it up and checking.

If you want to find out more about hedgehogs visit the British Hedgehog Preservation Society’s web.  If you find a hedgehog needing help or if you need more advice call the BHPS on 01584 890801 – it is better to be safe than sorry.

October Babies Now Released

On the 10th October 2012 we rescued an entire litter of four hoglets (who were still suckling) and their mother. If you didn't read their story click here.

Mother and four hoglets 

It's unusual to have such young hoglets come to us that late in the year and even more unusual for their mother to come with them. It caused a slight problem in that none of our indoor hutches were big enough for such a large family. So we had to be a little inventive and create a large indoor run using a pet carrier as a house and sheets of A2 mount board as the walls.

Their new home

Thankfully their mother wasn't too stressed and did a great job of looking after them. They grew and grew and soon we were able to take them away from her and she was released (during a mild spell) into a gorgeous garden that belongs to Di and Rob (two of our fab carers).

Just a small part of Mum hogs new home

Soon those little prickly balls were big prickly balls, well three of them were; you always get a runt in the litter. So these three were packed off to the same garden as their mother to fatten up and hopefully hibernate.

The little hog who stayed at HQ rather than go 'out' with his brothers and sisters

They spent the winter putting on weight and eventually when all were nearing or over 800 grams they were placed outside in a large escape proof run.

What a run!

The problem was there was already a hedgehog in there hibernating. So a wall was created centrally along the length of the run. They were given two lovely houses to live in and loads of interesting things to sniff in and around.   

Their cosy new home

After a couple of days Di decided to check  on them and started to root around in the hay filled houses. The couldn't be found anywhere! Out of desperation she decided to look in the hutch on the other side of the fence. To her astonishment all three had moved into the hog home with the hibernating hog in. 

Four bodies in one hog house - not a lot of room left!

We decided to leave them together as they appear to be getting on and Di took down the wall. All four continued to live together until they were released over the bank holiday weekend. Food will be left out for them and they will still have access to the houses. So with fingers crossed they'll quickly make the adjustment to being wild hedgehogs. 

A night camera has been set up to monitor the comings and goings over the next few weeks. So watch this space!     

The Hedgehog Shed Re-vamped

At the beginning of the year we applied for a grant from the Stansted Airport Community Trust to cover the cost of new hutches and shelving. 

The 'before' shot

We were delighted when they contacted us last month to inform us we'd been successful in our bid.

As a small not-for-profit organisation it has meant our old wooden cages could be replaced with easy to maintain plastic cages plus provide some much needed storage space. So over the last couple of weeks we have been busy spending our grant.

The first step was to source six new hutches suitable for hedgehogs. Thankfully we have Fin & Fur pets stores almost on our door step. So we contacted them and Karen not only took the time to find us just the right cages, deliver said cages but supported our work by selling them to us at cost.

Six new hutches just delivered

The next step was to empty the hedgehog shed ready for the work to start. We also took the opportunity sweep, scrub and re-home a myriad of spiders.

Almost empty - hedgehog still hibernating!

Keith of Orchard Carpentry & Property Maintenance arrived and started to work his magic with wood and nail.

Half of shelving in place

Within a few short hours the job was complete. We made up the new cages, slipped them onto the shelving and stood back and admired the:

drawers that are just the right size for storing tins of food,

shelving that's ideal for storing newspaper, hay and towels

and a hutch all ready for it's first 'lodger' 

The last thing to do was to move Grundy (who'd spent the day snoozing in the garage, away from all the noise) into one of the new cages with clean towels (he'd had an eye removed, so is on towels whilst he heals).

Grundy sleeping the afternoon away

We would like to thank the following people for their help:

Stansted Airport Community Trust - for covering the cost of the new hutches and shelving

Fin & Fur - for sourcing, delivering and supporting our work

Keith of Orchard Carpentry & Property Maintenance (Waltham Abbey) for his carpentry skills

Pippa King Ceramics and The Bishop's Stortford Chiropractic Clinic for sponsoring our new hog houses.

The 'after' shot - what a difference!