Hi Coley
Really pleased to hear you have been identifying the hogs by their natural markings already. To me it seems such a natural thing to do, that I don’t know why more people don’t do it!
Yes, badgers will kill hedgehogs. Hogs who have been rehabilitated may be at greater risk from this than any possible existing local population. Very often if there are badgers in an area, there won’t be hedgehogs.
But I am also a bit concerned about why you would be thinking of releasing hedgehogs somewhere other than where they came from. It’s very important that anyone – local rescue/carer/rehabilitator, especially – read this information from BHPS and others: http://www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/BHPS-Guidance-For-relasing-Rehabilitated-Hedgehogs.pdf
It might sound a nice idea to boost the hog population in an area, but it could not only be putting the released hogs at risk, but also the existing population. A local population is likely to settle at a size that a locality can support and adding more could adversely affect that situation. But there is also the question of resistance to various things, which you will read about in the document mentioned above. It’s a complicated issue, but important. It seems not enough carers/rehabilitators are aware of it. They go to a lot of trouble to get hogs well and fit for release and those hogs have the best chance if they go back where they came from, or as near to it as possible. You might like to pass a copy of the document on.
Re. the medication question. Hedgehogs build up their own natural resistance to parasites to a degree. But, if you are talking about veterinary worming products, it could contribute to building up a resistance to that product. Hedgehogs should only be wormed if it has been ascertained that they actually have a worm problem. That should be done by a properly qualified person who knows about dosages, etc. It would be impossible to guarantee how much each hedgehog got, etc. if putting any substance in food, so could harm the hogs as well as potentially interfering with their natural resistance.
Re. fleas, ticks, etc. I would just make sure any feeding box/station where more than one hog is visiting, so there’s the potential for passing on parasites, are kept clean, so eggs don’t get a chance of being passed on. Wooden ones can be cleaned with boiling water which should kill any parasite eggs. Also nest boxes at the appropriate times and when sure they have been vacated by hogs.
Possibly not what you want to hear!
Good luck with Brylcreem Boy I had one visiting once who was called Barenose – for obvious reasons!
