Hi Marion
As you say, there isn’t much we can do but leave it to them. It is possible that the Big Hog could be her father (no way of knowing – apparently even one litter can have more than one Father) but you might find, that when some of the more mature females return, the big hog might transfer his attentions to them. That seems to be what happens here. She is still very young.
I wonder what impact females having been over-wintered in captivity has on all this. When they return they would be larger than the hoglets who were originally a bit bigger than them and hibernated naturally. Also sometimes they return when other hogs return and not necessarily when the females return. So they may be the only female around for a while. The males, I imagine probably all flock to them, but it may not eventually come to anything. I had two females re-released last year and they did get quite a lot of attention until the other females returned, but I don’t think they had any hoglets, although I can’t be 100% certain about that.
As far as the males are concerned, I read on Wildlife Online
http://www.wildlifeonline.me.uk/hedgehogs.html#reproduction
That the males can be sexually active as soon as they come round from hibernation, ‘ testis activity resumes in the final stages of hibernation’ although the main breeding season doesn’t begin until May. Possibly giving the females a chance to get back and put on a bit of their lost weight.
Is your profile pic Hetty? Looks a bit like one of the old girls here – not back yet, but I’m still hoping as she was the last to hibernate.
