Hi simbo65
I used to try to leave some dry leaves, but it isn’t always possible. But I tend to rake the leaves off the lawn a bit and leave piles of leaves at the edges, so presumably there would be some fairly dry ones underneath if required. But I’m not sure that they don’t use some damp ones as well. The hoglet that got filmed by my camera here, even picked some green vegetation and took it into the nest.
I’m not sure how course zebra grass is, but you could try it. If they don’t like it they will ignore it. But the grasses I have are quite fine. I cut them as long as was possible. Some possibly about 15 inches long, at a guess. I just left a pile not knowing whether they would be used, but they turned out to be very popular. It was really quite funny seeing the hog going in and out of the box with great mouthfuls – the grass sticking out either side like an enormously long moustache!
Is Big Leg still in the enclosure, or can he get access to the rest of your garden now, if he wants? I’m not sure that all hogs always build such elaborate nests, it probably depends a bit on what the structure is around, how big, etc. For instance, we had one, once that hibernated under a pallet that hay was stored on and that just had a collection of hay around it. But was obviously well sheltered under all the bales of hay on top.
