Why oh why did it walk across my garden....

Hope the hedgehog survives for you. I haven't seen one for ages.

phoenix

Apparently janerowena if a female hedgehog does not want to mate there is NO WAY the male will get his way. FYI the males 'bits' are where you expect his belly button to be. Must make for easier mating with all those spines.

I do hope he survives, chickens love mealworms too. They are quite tasty. Green poo, that must have been exciting...

2 males to one female! Now there's a thought... I always thought harems were the wrong way round. If you had two males there might be a chance of getting all the DIY finished.

Is he on contract or pay as you go?

He is colour coded dusty as are all the rescued hedgehogs. Each one has a difference coloured marking on the head. That way they can be identified when being weighed and medicated.

I wonder why they renamed him Orange?
I hope he does well and survives to come back to your garden Flower

Colin now renamed Orange, has his own medical and weight diary, in quarantine at the moment with a big dish of dried meal worms and a bed of straw. A wonderful man who is a dental technician and spends his time between false teeth and hedgehog care. He will update us regularly and we can have Colin/orange back in the spring if he survives along with one or two other hedgehogs. (Best to release them in 2xmale + 1 female groups. Also supplies a hedgehog house to get them acclimatised.

Good wishes to young Colin.

I always wonder why female hedgehogs are so wasteful, having litters in the late autumn - and why evolution has not put a stop to their silliness. But I guess they are successful breeders full stop, and their earlier litters carry on their genes to the next generation.

Poor Colin but you are doing the right thing flower

UPDATE ON COLIN HOGMANAY: Due to Colin having green poo I have taken advice of the Hedgehog Preservation Society and am taking him/her to a lovely man who lives in the next town. He will let us have the little creature back in the Spring - if he/she survives - to put back in our garden. Will miss him/her but must give Colin a fighting chance. It is no trouble at all to care for him but I think he has an intestinal infection so needs specialist care as he is so tiny. I wish him luck. FAREWELL COLIN - UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN

Good luck Flower and well done for all efforts to support the little hoglet.

It's the dog food, not the poor little hedgepig. Maybe slugs and worms would smell better once digested? Shall I send you some? I have plenty... You need a wormery!

It must be so tempting to make it a play area. I wonder what it would like. Lots of nice dry leaves and twigs. A bit of moss. Does it sleep a lot?

Have decided that my little hoglet and probably all hoglets PONG. Have cleaned him/her out twice today. Given the little soul a small box to hide in if he/she feels like it. It prefers to lay in it;s poo and wee though. Did snuggle into box with kitchen roll earlier but left a poo at the door way.

for Flowerofthe west

Still here and alive after one night in the 'cells' Must be glad it wasn't out in the maelstrom we just experienced. Hail, rain, thunder and gales. Lucky little Colin Hogmanay

phoenix only if you wish, I will probably private message you with times and quantity. Just let me know

LizG I wouldn't have slept.

My friend in the Hebrides has threatened me not to bring it on holiday. He is the Species Protection Officer for the Islands so better not.

Good luck flower what a smashing, caring person you are. I think I might have 'walked by on the other side' and then regretted it.

We have a 'pet' hedgehog! I quite envy you. I don't know where ours hibernates though.

My son has a rabbit who has the run of our garden, just returning to her hutch at night unless it is very hot, when she sleeps in one of her burrows. She has various water dishes lying around which she shares with the birds and her friend the hedgehog. I tried to take photos but the dish it likes best is under a shelf on a wall behind a small conifer and of course it is always twilight. I wish it would eat more slugs and snails but I am hoping it will bring a family with it one day and eat more.

Good luck with it, I hope it survives - what a responsibilty.

Does this mean that we are going to get daily up-dates regarding your husbands bladder activity and bowel movements?

Thanks dustyangel we have often taken in small animals and birds as my husband, being the local wildlife expert, is quite well known in these parts. I have taken advice though from St Tiggywinkles and they advised that as he/she is only 220g is much much to small to be cared for in temperatures under 62 degrees F. This is why the hoglet is indoors.

A friend on FB thought I had taken in a piglet that was walking across my lawn. Crossed wires methinks.

We are giving dog food as advised by St T. and will release the little love around April/May when the frosts have abated and he/she is between 650-700g. Wish me luck. -Oh you have. Thank you.

The latest is that he has eaten, slept, eaten, slept, weed, pooed , eaten and is sleeping at the moment. (that is my DDH not the hoglet.)

Crossed posts Flower. I forgot to say Good Luck!

Dog fleas looooove me!

When we took in an underweight hedgehog, we put him in an (out of use) rabbit's cage -- IN THE GARAGE. i.e. in the temperature that would eventually acclimatise it.
He was taken out for exercise. On fine days in the garden and in bad weather (OK I'm daft) in the kitchen.
Hedgehog fleas are a different variety from human fleas and die very quickly if they don't have a host.

I did have a few itchy moments.

Hedgie did well on a diet of CATFOOD, more protein than dog food, and was eventually released ( but not till it was warm enough) to live a happy life outside.

I just asked DH if he has any advice for someone taking in an orphan hedgehog, He said " tell them to get a dog."
We did have a very soppy retriever at the same time, who seemed quite happy to supervise the weekly weigh-ins and resigned to the hedgehog meandering around his paws.

The fleas are species specific phoenix they don't like feeding on me or my cats.

This one was hungry, it certainly ate a bit of cat food. Just hope he doesn't succumb.He/she seems quite healthy, curled up tight when picked up to place in box. He/she is only 220g and should be 660 - 700 g before releasing. Thats a lot of dog food. Apparently they also like bananas and raisins.

The fleas will jump onto another body but no live there grannyactivist thank goodness.