Hi Alex4003,
I think what you’re asking is if they are a mated pair and likely to have babies because they have moved in together? Although there are lots of animals and birds that act that way, hedgehogs aren’t one of them. Hedgehog courtship only lasts the few days that the female is in season and then they ignore each other. Hogs sharing a house is not unknown, but it is unusual, and is usually only seen between two juveniles or two females (except in the case of mother and babies, obviously). You said that one at least is small, although people have different ideas of what a small hedgehog is. While you can’t absolutely rule out that one may be a pregnant female, it seems unlikely, as a pregnant female would almost certainly want her own space to raise her hoglets.
You are already doing an awful lot to help them by providing food and shelter for them. Don’t worry about another feeding station, it doesn’t sound like there’s any conflict between them and it’s more likely that the one not eating the food you put out isn’t used to being fed by humans, doesn’t like the food in question, or simply prefers the natural diet. However, the one that is eating it is presumably eating less of the small invertebrates that they would naturally eat, so they are both benefiting from you feeding them. This is the time of year that their natural diet starts to decline, so you are doing them a great kindness by supplementing their diet. Please also leave out shallow bowls of water for them, like large plant saucers, as water can be hard for them to find and is very important. Water should be provided 24/7, although I appreciate this can be difficult in Scotland when everything starts to freeze over.
I am glad to hear you built a second hedgehog house, but don’t be concerned if they don’t use it straight away- it can take them some time to get used to new things. If you leave bedding outside, leaves and grasses, you might make it more attractive to them, but in the end it is very much up to the hogs and they can be unpredictable.
You are right that babies born at this time would have a low chance of survival, but such late litters can and do happen so you are right to be concerned about the prospect. As it is, I would say you’re doing a lot to support them, so keep an eye on them, let us know how they are doing and enjoy having them around. You can call BPHS on the numbers provided if you have an urgent or emergency situation, but it sounds like your hogs are pretty happy at the moment. They are odd creatures in that they are solitary but often fairly tolerant of other hedgehogs, so it’s fascinating watching them interact.
