Disturbed hedgehog

scarepanda

We've just disturbed a hibernating hedgehog, what do we do? It was under a plant and it was the last thing we came across after cutting the plant out so it has no obvious shelter now.

sammyjo90

Replace the leaves and cover it back up

scarepanda

Thank you!

We had that done, but the nest didn't look the best and all the shelter that the plant would have given was gone.

I tried to contact some of the wildlife rescue centers to see if there was anything else we should do but couldn't get through to them. So i rang the ISPCA. The person there said that what we had done was all we really could do, but if we had access to hay and cat food to put some out. So we put out food and got some hay from a farmer up the road and also put an unused compost bin with no door over it to provide some shelter.

I'm so annoyed we disturbed him, but also delighted to know we have some hedgehogs around!

Tiercel Dave

My main concern would be it getting wet but your 'compost bin' should do the trick on that score. If you still have access to leaves they would be a good insulator.
Make a little lattice of light twigs across the entrance and you'll have an indication of when it awakes from it's slumbers and goes for a stroll.....

scarepanda

No, unfortunately no dry leaves. Good idea about the twigs, I'll do that now! Thank you!

Hopefully it goes back asleep for a few weeks, but the person i was chatting to said that if it does wake and is a good size it should be ok at this time of year with a bit of support food and water. It looks a fair size, or at least bigger than we would have thought, so hopefully it'll be ok. If I was to build a hothouse for it, what are the chances it would find the house if it was a little bit away from where it decided to hibernate? And also, if it does stay in hibernation, will us working in the area disturb it again? We're trying to tidy up the hedge by next week so we can install sheep wire to secure the garden for the dogs. We will ring fence the area if the hedgehog stays asleep to protect it from the dogs.

pottokblue

You're so lucky I've never seen a hog in my garden here. This morning I interuppted a frog minding its spawn in the garden pond

x567

You might get good advice here: https://www.facebook.com/TheHogsprickle

scarepanda

pottokblue wrote: »

You're so lucky I've never seen a hog in my garden here. This morning I interuppted a frog minding its spawn in the garden pond

Thanks everyone!

I know we are pottokblue! Raging we disturbed it yesterday, but delighted to see him there at the same time.

Well it looks like he (I don't know why we've started calling it that!) Stayed asleep. At least he's still under the hay. I lifted it enough to check if he was still there but didn't want to disturb the hay so much to see if he was still breathing. I'm going to leave out food again tonight for it. And tomorrow I'm going to try build a feeding station for it close by.

We were out in the garden again today, this time moving shrubs that were cut down last year out of the way, and we were both so nervous of coming across another one! Thankfully we didn't.

scarepanda

This is our makeshift set up!

fryup

re: the thread title - you mean he's got mental problems?

New Home

scarepanda wrote: »

This is our makeshift set up!

With the gap made by the bricks at the bottom of the bin, you could easily close the door, if you have it, it'd have plenty of room to crawl out of there - a hand-width would be plenty. Also, if you have some cloth (not j-cloth, something like an old t-shirt or a fleece (the smooth ones, not the furry-like ones), put it in there beside the hedgehog, when it wakes up it'd pick it up and use it to line its nest. They're gas little characters.

scarepanda

New Home wrote: »

With the gap made by the bricks at the bottom of the bin, you could easily close the door, if you have it, it'd have plenty of room to crawl out of there - a hand-width would be plenty.

I don't have it! We got the composter years ago on discount because the door was missing and never really used it. It only moved house with us because it was easier than trying to dump it during lockdown 1 . Sometimes our hoarding comes in handy
Aw class! I might just do that when I set up a hog house for it. I kind of don't want it to keep camp set up where it is currently as it's right in the way for my veg garden building

Mimon

fryup wrote: »

re: the thread title - you mean he's got mental problems?

Yeh, when I saw the OP was a little disappointed.

Was expecting some badass hedgehog who's had a tough life in battles with fox gangs and getting in over his head dealing magic mushrooms with a badger organised crime group.

New Home

Wait until it wakes up... then you'll know how disturbed it is... you can't really judge when it's asleep. Mind you, he could start sleepwalking and do all sorts... Doesn't bear thinking, really.

Mickeroo

Mimon wrote: »

Yeh, when I saw the OP was a little disappointed.

Was expecting some badass hedgehog who's had a tough life in battles with fox gangs and getting in over his head dealing magic mushrooms with a badger organised crime group.

Sound like a Nicholas Cage film.

Mimon

Mickeroo wrote: »

Sound like a Nicholas Cage film.

Better and more complex plot IMHO

scarepanda

Mr hedgehog is gone this morning

I have a feeding station set up beside where the nest was and something ate from it yesterday night and last night. I've no idea if it was him or not.

Do hedgehogs go back to nest in the same place/area once they have woken from hibernation? I'm wondering if there's anything I can/should be doing to help it out if it is still around, aside from keeping food out there.

magicbastarder

if he/she was disturbed, they might have toddled off somewhere else. at least the weather has been mild for the last few days.

scarepanda

chances are its toddled into the pile of shrubs I had planned to move when the weather picked up this week

New Home

Just make sure you don't start any bonfires with the stuff you've removed, it's very likely it's gone to hide under there!

scarepanda

No, no bonfires. The stuff is being kept to fill the bottom half of raised beds. Its currently sitting on where the veg beds will be which is why it needs to be moved.

Silly question, would hedgehogs eat much cat food? It seems to be the soft food that's been touched, and in total over the 2 nights about half of a small cat bowl has been eaten. It doesn't seem like a lot.

New Home

It depends on how hungry or how awake it is, but yes, the "hog" part of their name isn't accidental.

magicbastarder

our lad will eat whatever you put in front of him usually! but he's been active all winter, bar the 10 or so days during the cold snap around christmas, so he probably does need his food.

New Home

Just make sure it's not fish-based cat food. Beef is best.

Curious1002

Hey OP, is there any update about your little friend at this stage? Or he moved to the new quieter place. If the food you leave outside uneaten?

scarepanda

Curious1002 wrote: »

Hey OP, is there any update about your little friend at this stage? Or he moved to the new quieter place. If the food you leave outside uneaten?

He moved on from the nest on the Tuesday or Wednesday after we came across him. I have been leaving food out, and about half a small cat bowl is being eaten at night. But I've no idea what's eating the food.

Chances are he's crossed the path and moved into a pile of cut shrubs. I have to go moving them this week so I'll be keeping a close eye to see if he's there or not.