Hi Emily
Yes, it sounds as if you have some courtship going on there, although it doesn’t always lead to anything, sadly. It’s unlikely it would be any kind of dominance display. If it was two males one might sniff the other briefly, but it would fairly rapidly proceed into shoving and possible rolling up. Also the huffing is the female. But yes, the courtship ‘dance’ can go on for hours sometimes. Even after all that sometimes one or other of them gets fed up and just wanders off!
The gestation period is about 4.5 weeks, although it can be a bit variable, depending on what the environmental conditions are when the hedgehog is pregnant. It’s thought that in some circumstances the development of the embryos may slow down. Most hoglets are born in June and July, so it’s a bit early yet. But if males and females are around they will breed any time.
It isn’t the norm for them to have two litters a year, although things may have become more complicated in recent times – not only by warmer autumns (so they can sometimes have a second litter late in the year, especially if their first litter fails for some reason), but also some hogs deciding not to hibernate (so that females are around earlier than they otherwise would be and so able to breed earlier). It’s also possible that female hogs which have been overwintered with carers may be released earlier than the females normally return from hibernation. Males normally return from hibernation earlier than females do. That normally gives them a chance to put on a bit of weight before the ‘courtship’ commences.
The hogs normally seem to prepare their birthing nests not long before they produce, so if they look as if they are carrying nesting around now, it may just be for a day nest, but you never know!
Good luck. It certainly sounds as if there are a male and a female there, so that is promising. Fingers crossed for the patter of tiny hoglet feet later on.
Happy hog watching.
