first hog of 2018
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Sooooooo excited, I have just seen my first hog of the year! He’s quite big so I’m not sure how long he’s been up and about. Rushed round putting extra food out in case he’s not the only one. I know he won’t be soon when I get the 6, that are over wintering with the carer, back but weather conditions have to be better for that to happen.
I still have a hog in one of my hog houses but I’ve not seen any movement from that one so I don’t know if it’s still hibernating or it’s passed away (hopefully not). I did ask the carer the others are eith and she said there would be a bad smell if it had died. I can’t smell anything but I also don’t want to disturb it if it’s not ready to wake up. Hopefully he’s just waiting for the weather to warm up more before it uncurls from its slumber. Fingers crossed!That’s great news, not seen my first one yet but there are signs, they’re about – I really should put my camera back up. I read an article from one carer you can check if a hog is alive my just running a finger along its back, if it’s spines move it’s definitely alive. Another one was to put something in front of the entrance like a leaf or paper ball if it moves the hoggy is active.
My hog was out and about w/c 11th March and I saw him/her a week later. If its the same one as last year – he/she has really grown into a lovely healthy large hog!
Hello all. Decided to renovate a fern in my garden two days ago, I’d already started on it the day previously. Was clearing out some of the dead leaves and rubbish underneath and just about to scrape away the debris and I spotted a slumbering hedgehog. Quickly put all the debris back and made sure he was covered up ok. Looks like that job will have to wait for some other time. There is another fern close by and I’ve decided to leave that one – just in case! I have to say I was gutted that I might have disturbed him. There have been signs of hedgehog activity in the garden and we have been putting food out for about three days now. Tonight there were two adults on my patio. One slightly smaller than the other. Last year I had seven, three young ones, two intermediate and two full sized adults. At one point I had five feeding on the patio and two young ones up on the path – and I didn’t take a picture!!!!! This year I am ready to go – camera set up on a tripod.
Hey Wildlifehaven, I spoke to the carer I have and she said the same about the spine thing. Trouble is I would have to dig into its nest as it’s in a cardboard box inside the hoghouse and I don’t want to disturb the nest in case I wake hoggie up too early. Sounds a bit mad but I’ve had the hoghouse in situ for about 7 years and only this year, after putting a cardboard box inside, have I had any takers. It seems they like to snuggle into smallish spaces (or this one does). So I will just have to wait and see if the hog wakes up or not. I do check to see if there’s been any movement but I have mice going in and out all the time (I have seen them on many occasions (they live under my neighbours shed).
Had a trail camera in garden last few nights, hedgehog has appeared last three nights, unfortunately so have the rats. Have rat poison but daren’t use it in case hedgehog eats it. Made a rudimentary feeding station for the hedgehog last year but the rats would be able to get in.
OOPS!
didn’t realize i had 2 hogs. Last weekend the grass clump door i had added to my hog house had been rolled away and the bit of Spikes in the feeder had gone. last 2 nights it has really stuffed its face and also been thru the hole under the fence to next door. Any way the 13 year old 15ft tall clump forming bamboo, that the house is next to, has suddenly run 12 feet along underground and come up in my greenhouse.This really must come out, so as hog was obviously awake, i just went out to move the house 6 feet to the other side of the bamboo, not wanting to leave it to breeding time. The house is covered is spare pond liner heaped with old grass cuttings,and as i started clearing them i suddenly noticed spikes which twitched slightly. so quickly covered it up again.
It has obviously not been awake as the grass was well compacted over it.Amazing, that’s great news these hogs turn up everywhere, we all make lovely homes and they still prefer ferns and piles of composting grass! It’s all good – wild animals behaving naturally. Mine has reappeared stealthily, left a ‘present’ outside the feeding station and then one last night in the feeding station.
Mine hardly ever leaves me “presents”. I think it goes next door to get it’s own back on their $$”$ cats
Hi Jack
I had the same issue. We made a hedgehog house last Autumn and were lucky enough for it to be used within a day of putting it out. I checked it a couple of weeks ago and saw a big hog in it but not moving. I wasn’t sure if it was dead or not so set up a trail camera for a few nights. Sure enough, the hog was up and about which was great to see and has a great appetite for cat food and biscuits and the occasional chopped egg and banana. Others are coming now and they all look really big ! and one is spending it’s days in the hoghouse (which now has fresh hay in it).I’ve seen three this week which is very good news! 2 so far this evening and I’m watching one on the camera now munching away in the feeding station. I’ve had 6 at any one time so I’m hopefull for good numbers this year. As soon as I put food out they appear. It’s great they survived the -10 degrees we got
How exciting. Our first one this year was also 27 March but today we saw two together at 10.05. So happy!
Two of ours came back on 1st April,both are autumn juveniles and have been in our hog houses in the garden over winter,they are late getting up this year,they usually wake up the first week in March here in the South Wales Valleys.We still have one in another house but no signs of him getting up yet,don’t blame him,frost again last night.Hope all our other hogs that usually come to eat are ok and will back shortly eating us out of house and home.
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