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Hide and Hedgehogs
In 2008 at the bottom of our back garden in each corner we have
made two hides for hedgehogs to reside in over winter, these hides consist of branches, heavy duty liners over the branches to make them waterproof and heavy sods of earth over top. Pictures here; http://stephen.hull.mediacave.co.uk/example/hide1.jpg http://stephen.hull.mediacave.co.uk/example/hide2.jpg A month ago I lined the inner sleeping area of one of the hides with hay, we have not had anything live in them yet. However! On Friday night the outside security light came on just as I was getting into bed so I looked out the window and to my delight I saw a hedgehog trundling up the garden path, he had indeed set off the light but my concern is that it may be too cold for him to find food as the ground is frozen solid and the hedgehog may not be ready to hibernate as he was obviously looking for food, Anyway on Monday I decided to inspect one of the hides and as I carefully pushed my hand into the opening a felt the prickly feel of a hedgehog so I presume this is the same hedgehog I saw on friday who has taken up residence in the hide I recently filled with hay. My question is, shouldn't the hedgehog already be hibernating by now? I think he has been caught out by the sudden cold spell and may not be ready for hibernation. Yesterday I made a special feeding house (mdf) with a double entrance with offset openings to stop cats getting in and the centre chamber has a small bowl of fresh cat food, this should be accessible to hedgehogs should the need to beef themselves up for the winter but it will also stop cats scoffing the food. Today I decided to push in some lose hay in the entrance to add a little more protection and I could still feel the hedgehog very close to the entrance and not in the centre of the hide. Any thoughts on the hibernation being perhaps too late for this particular hedgehog or should I not be concerned? Stephen. -- http://www.stephen.hull.btinternet.co.uk Coach painting tips and techniques + Land Rover colour codes "Whatever is rightly done, however humble, is noble". Henry Royce |
Hide and Hedgehogs
Gopher wrote in :
In message , writes In 2008 at the bottom of our back garden in each corner we have made two hides for hedgehogs to reside in over winter, these hides consist of branches, heavy duty liners over the branches to make them waterproof and heavy sods of earth over top. Pictures here; http://stephen.hull.mediacave.co.uk/example/hide1.jpg http://stephen.hull.mediacave.co.uk/example/hide2.jpg snip Any thoughts on the hibernation being perhaps too late for this particular hedgehog or should I not be concerned? Stephen. Hello Stephen ... this is very interesting. While I am unable to help I suspect you will get a few responses from some educated urglers however may I suggest you post this also on uk.rec.natural-history where you may be able to rouse someone with more specialised knowledge. I look forward with interest to developments. Stephen, you have done well to make a hibernation 'set' and I know you mean well. I would suggest that you contact a hedgehog or wildlife charity nearest to you to save these creatures any further harm. Baz |
Hide and Hedgehogs
On Nov 30, 6:04*pm, wrote:
Yesterday I made a special feeding house (mdf) with a double entrance with offset openings to stop cats getting in and the centre chamber has a small bowl of fresh cat food, this should be accessible to hedgehogs should the need to beef themselves up for the winter but it will also stop cats scoffing the food. Ooh, any chance of a photo, Well done btw. I didn't know sods were an option |
Hide and Hedgehogs
In message
Gopher wrote: In message , writes In 2008 at the bottom of our back garden in each corner we have made two hides for hedgehogs to reside in over winter, these hides consist of branches, heavy duty liners over the branches to make them waterproof and heavy sods of earth over top. Pictures here; http://stephen.hull.mediacave.co.uk/example/hide1.jpg http://stephen.hull.mediacave.co.uk/example/hide2.jpg snip Any thoughts on the hibernation being perhaps too late for this particular hedgehog or should I not be concerned? Stephen. Hello Stephen ... this is very interesting. While I am unable to help I suspect you will get a few responses from some educated urglers however may I suggest you post this also on uk.rec.natural-history where you may be able to rouse someone with more specialised knowledge. I look forward with interest to developments. Thanks for that, I have just posted to "uk.rec.natural-history", there may be some interesting developments to follow. Stephen. -- http://www.stephen.hull.btinternet.co.uk Coach painting tips and techniques + Land Rover colour codes "Whatever is rightly done, however humble, is noble". Henry Royce |
Hide and Hedgehogs
In message
Baz wrote: Gopher wrote in : In message , writes In 2008 at the bottom of our back garden in each corner we have made two hides for hedgehogs to reside in over winter, these hides consist of branches, heavy duty liners over the branches to make them waterproof and heavy sods of earth over top. Pictures here; http://stephen.hull.mediacave.co.uk/example/hide1.jpg http://stephen.hull.mediacave.co.uk/example/hide2.jpg snip Any thoughts on the hibernation being perhaps too late for this particular hedgehog or should I not be concerned? Stephen. Hello Stephen ... this is very interesting. While I am unable to help I suspect you will get a few responses from some educated urglers however may I suggest you post this also on uk.rec.natural-history where you may be able to rouse someone with more specialised knowledge. I look forward with interest to developments. Stephen, you have done well to make a hibernation 'set' and I know you mean well. I would suggest that you contact a hedgehog or wildlife charity nearest to you to save these creatures any further harm. Baz I think there is one local sanctuary near me, I actually gave them a sick hedgehog I saw wondering about in broad daylight afew years ago, obviously something was wrong, I then also made a solid wooden home for the sick hedgehog on a similar line to the feeding house and with a hinged lift-up roof for access. I may yet get in touch but I wanted to find out more on this group first before bothering them about this hedgehog that might for all I know not need help anyway. Regards, Stephen. -- http://www.stephen.hull.btinternet.co.uk Coach painting tips and techniques + Land Rover colour codes "Whatever is rightly done, however humble, is noble". Henry Royce |
Hide and Hedgehogs
In message
aquachimp wrote: On Nov 30, 6:04*pm, wrote: Yesterday I made a special feeding house (mdf) with a double entrance with offset openings to stop cats getting in and the centre chamber has a small bowl of fresh cat food, this should be accessible to hedgehogs should the need to beef themselves up for the winter but it will also stop cats scoffing the food. Ooh, any chance of a photo, Well done btw. I didn't know sods were an option I'll take a photo tomorrow after work and post a link to it, it is only a simple temporary design with a felt roof to protect the food, the mdf case has not been treated for protection as I don't think it necessary for a short term usage. Regards, Stephen. -- http://www.stephen.hull.btinternet.co.uk Coach painting tips and techniques + Land Rover colour codes "Whatever is rightly done, however humble, is noble". Henry Royce |
Hide and Hedgehogs
aquachimp wrote:
On Nov 30, 6:04 pm, wrote: Yesterday I made a special feeding house (mdf) with a double entrance with offset openings to stop cats getting in and the centre chamber has a small bowl of fresh cat food, this should be accessible to hedgehogs should the need to beef themselves up for the winter but it will also stop cats scoffing the food. Ooh, any chance of a photo, Well done btw. I didn't know sods were an option They're the law. -- Mike. |
Hide and Hedgehogs
On 30/11/2010 17:04, wrote:
In 2008 at the bottom of our back garden in each corner we have made two hides for hedgehogs to reside in over winter, these hides consist of branches, heavy duty liners over the branches to make them waterproof and heavy sods of earth over top. Pictures here; http://stephen.hull.mediacave.co.uk/example/hide1.jpg http://stephen.hull.mediacave.co.uk/example/hide2.jpg A month ago I lined the inner sleeping area of one of the hides with hay, we have not had anything live in them yet. However! On Friday night the outside security light came on just as I was getting into bed so I looked out the window and to my delight I saw a hedgehog trundling up the garden path, he had indeed set off the light but my concern is that it may be too cold for him to find food as the ground is frozen solid and the hedgehog may not be ready to hibernate as he was obviously looking for food, Anyway on Monday I decided to inspect one of the hides and as I carefully pushed my hand into the opening a felt the prickly feel of a hedgehog so I presume this is the same hedgehog I saw on friday who has taken up residence in the hide I recently filled with hay. My question is, shouldn't the hedgehog already be hibernating by now? I think he has been caught out by the sudden cold spell and may not be ready for hibernation. Yesterday I made a special feeding house (mdf) with a double entrance with offset openings to stop cats getting in and the centre chamber has a small bowl of fresh cat food, this should be accessible to hedgehogs should the need to beef themselves up for the winter but it will also stop cats scoffing the food. Today I decided to push in some lose hay in the entrance to add a little more protection and I could still feel the hedgehog very close to the entrance and not in the centre of the hide. Any thoughts on the hibernation being perhaps too late for this particular hedgehog or should I not be concerned? Stephen. Hedgehogs should be in hibernation now, if not they probably won't survive. I had a small one (this years young) wander down the garden last week to the back door and ate the food I had left out for the cat, this was about 2pm. The following day it returned around 1pm for another feed so boxed it up and took it to Tiggywinkles near Aylesbury, they confirmed that it would not have survived so it will be overwintered there then released in the spring. Reading their newsletter they overwintered over 500 of them last year. -- Corporal Jones "Don't panic don't panic" Life will go on albeit somewhat reduced |
Hide and Hedgehogs
On Nov 30, 11:40*pm, "Mike Lyle"
wrote: aquachimp wrote: On Nov 30, 6:04 pm, wrote: Yesterday I made a special feeding house (mdf) with a double entrance with offset openings to stop cats getting in and the centre chamber has a small bowl of fresh cat food, this should be accessible to hedgehogs should the need to beef themselves up for the winter but it will also stop cats scoffing the food. Ooh, any chance of a photo, Well done btw. I didn't know sods were an option They're the law. -- Mike. Aren't we all sods. |
Hide and Hedgehogs
aquachimp wrote:
On Nov 30, 11:40 pm, "Mike Lyle" wrote: aquachimp wrote: On Nov 30, 6:04 pm, wrote: Yesterday I made a special feeding house (mdf) with a double entrance with offset openings to stop cats getting in and the centre chamber has a small bowl of fresh cat food, this should be accessible to hedgehogs should the need to beef themselves up for the winter but it will also stop cats scoffing the food. Ooh, any chance of a photo, Well done btw. I didn't know sods were an option They're the law. Aren't we all sods. Not su you'd better check with Murphy. -- Mike. |
Hide and Hedgehogs
On Dec 1, 11:56*am, "Mike Lyle"
wrote: aquachimp wrote: On Nov 30, 11:40 pm, "Mike Lyle" wrote: aquachimp wrote: On Nov 30, 6:04 pm, wrote: Yesterday I made a special feeding house (mdf) with a double entrance with offset openings to stop cats getting in and the centre chamber has a small bowl of fresh cat food, this should be accessible to hedgehogs should the need to beef themselves up for the winter but it will also stop cats scoffing the food. Ooh, any chance of a photo, Well done btw. I didn't know sods were an option They're the law. Aren't we all sods. Not su you'd better check with Murphy. -- Mike. But but but, he only knows about spuds. |
Hide and Hedgehogs
In message
Corporal Jones wrote: On 30/11/2010 17:04, wrote: Any thoughts on the hibernation being perhaps too late for this particular hedgehog or should I not be concerned? Stephen. Hedgehogs should be in hibernation now, if not they probably won't survive. I had a small one (this years young) wander down the garden last week to the back door and ate the food I had left out for the cat, this was about 2pm. The following day it returned around 1pm for another feed so boxed it up and took it to Tiggywinkles near Aylesbury, they confirmed that it would not have survived so it will be overwintered there then released in the spring. Reading their newsletter they overwintered over 500 of them last year. The hedgehog I saw is adult size so it may survive, however I'll leave the cat food out in the feeding house just incase. Food house pictured here; http://stephen.hull.mediacave.co.uk/...foodhouse1.jpg http://stephen.hull.mediacave.co.uk/...foodhouse2.jpg http://stephen.hull.mediacave.co.uk/...foodhouse3.jpg Stephen. -- http://www.stephen.hull.btinternet.co.uk Coach painting tips and techniques + Land Rover colour codes "Whatever is rightly done, however humble, is noble". Henry Royce |
Hide and Hedgehogs
On Dec 1, 6:18*pm, wrote:
In message * * * * * Corporal Jones wrote: On 30/11/2010 17:04, wrote: Any thoughts on the hibernation being perhaps too late for this particular hedgehog or should I not be concerned? Stephen. Hedgehogs should be in hibernation now, if not they probably won't survive. I had a small one (this years young) wander down the garden last week to the back door and ate the food I had left out for the cat, this was about 2pm. The following day it returned around 1pm for another feed so boxed it up and took it to Tiggywinkles near Aylesbury, they confirmed that it would not have survived so it will be overwintered there then released in the spring. Reading their newsletter they overwintered over 500 of them last year. The hedgehog I saw is adult size so it may survive, however I'll leave the cat food out in the feeding house just incase. Food house pictured here;http://stephen.hull.mediacave.co.uk/...foodhouse3.jpg Stephen. --http://www.stephen.hull.btinternet.co.uk Coach painting tips and techniques + Land Rover colour codes "Whatever is rightly done, however humble, is noble". Henry Royce Than you agin; #2 was what I was really interested in. |
Hide and Hedgehogs
On Dec 1, 6:18*pm, wrote:
In message * * * * * Corporal Jones wrote: On 30/11/2010 17:04, wrote: Any thoughts on the hibernation being perhaps too late for this particular hedgehog or should I not be concerned? Stephen. Hedgehogs should be in hibernation now, if not they probably won't survive. I had a small one (this years young) wander down the garden last week to the back door and ate the food I had left out for the cat, this was about 2pm. The following day it returned around 1pm for another feed so boxed it up and took it to Tiggywinkles near Aylesbury, they confirmed that it would not have survived so it will be overwintered there then released in the spring. Reading their newsletter they overwintered over 500 of them last year. The hedgehog I saw is adult size so it may survive, however I'll leave the cat food out in the feeding house just incase. Food house pictured here;http://stephen.hull.mediacave.co.uk/...foodhouse3.jpg Stephen. --http://www.stephen.hull.btinternet.co.uk Coach painting tips and techniques + Land Rover colour codes "Whatever is rightly done, however humble, is noble". Henry Royce- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - Stephen, Great work with HH. I built an HH home a few years ago but have had little success. How large are the cut-outs in your food house/box ? Was this a guess or is there guidance available for big enough for HH, too small for cats ? Rob |
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