Hedgehog House

[henryherbert]

We adapted a 2nd hand hutch, and added a mound of dry leaves. With a trail camera, I saw a small hog carry in several more leaves 2 nights ago, and settle in there for the day. Last night, I added feed as usual, and a large hog (with a tick) went in to feed. At 4am the small hog left the hutch and did not return.
I think I should not have put food in there, to stop the large hog entering. Any thoughts, and can we do anything about the fleas or the tick, as they scratch incessantly?

[Nic]

Hi henryherbert

Yes, you’re right. If you want to use the house as a nest, then you shouldn’t put the food in there – apart from anything else, as you say, it encourages other hogs to go in there.

It is normal for hedgehogs to have a certain amount of parasites – fleas and ticks – and they do scratch a lot. If you see that the hog has a heavy burden of ticks, then you might want to contact a local hedgehog carer – you can find your local one from the BHPS. They will be able to advise you as to whether any action is required. It depends a bit on how many in relation to size of hog, etc. You shouldn’t use any insecticide on hogs, so it would be a matter of safely removing any ticks.

It can help to make sure that the hog house is properly cleared of ticks, etc. by, when you clean it out, using boiling water to kill any eggs which may have got into the cracks. You should only clean out a hog house if it isn’t being used. Recommended times are normally in the Spring after hibernation and Autumn before hibernation, but if you’re sure it’s empty and you have a tick problem you could do it at other times.

Good luck.

[Annker]

Hi, I’ve just joined and bet you are fed up of the silly question’s. I placed a hog house, with tunnel, facing east in a quiet spot where lots of trees are dropping leaves. Where has hog gone, broken a piece of wood off shed door and gone in there. It’s facing west, but another wall is in front of it. Should have put a “To Let” notice on the box. I have a question. A link I read on your sight suggested Ark foods. When looking at ingredients it had all the “no no’s” in it? Can you feed eggs, cooked or raw? My problem is, it’s eating the bird food, can I give it something to right the wrong? I am giving a few cat biscuits and if it got there before the cats, it had some cat meat last night.
Thankyou all, Annker

[simbo65]

Hi-
I feed ARK – This is the list of ingredients/ananysis.
Can anyone tell me if this isn’t good for hedgehogs

Chicken Meal, Wheat, Maize, Meat Meal, Barley, Soya Hulls, Hipro Soya, Chicken Fat, Fish Meal, dried Brewers Yeast, Vitamins & Minerals (including Tocopherol Rich Extracts of natural origin as natural preservative), Flavourings (liver digest and garlic powder).

Analysis:
Protein 32%, Oil 12%, Fibre 2.5%, Ash 7%, Vitamin A 15000 iu/kg, Vitamin D3 1500 iu/kg, Vitamin E 150 iu/kg, Copper 10mg/kg.

Thanks

[Nic]

Hi Annker

Welcome to the Forum. What you describe, sounds typical hedgehog – they like to be their own hog! Some hogs won’t use a hog box, until it becomes part of the landscape, so one might use it in time.

I wouldn’t feed eggs, cooked or raw, personally. Hedgehogs are known to eat eggs occasionally in the wild, but these would be much smaller than chicken’s eggs. I think you are better off sticking to cat/dog/hedgehog food.

You might need to create a cat proof area if they are a problem. If I was starting again, I think I would use a piece of perspex type material on bricks so that it is high enough for the hogs but low enough to deter the cats. The reason I say that is because I have found over the years, that some hogs prefer to eat outside and because there are openings on all sides, that system seems to work. You will, of course, need to put bricks on the top of the support bricks, as well, to stop the cat lifting it up. That way you still have very good visibility. It is a bit of an ongoing problem and if you read some of the old posts you will find all sorts of other solutions.

Good luck.

[Nic]

Hi simbo65

Not being a food scientist, I’m sorry I wouldn’t be able to say from a list of ingredients! The only thing I can suggest is to contact the makers and ask them to justify their choice of ingredients. The thing I find interesting is that there is no mention of calcium or phosphorous which are the two minerals, imbalance of which, is implicated in the metabolic bone disease problem.

I have heard claims that it is recommended by wildlife hospitals, but it seems there are other hedgehog foods which make similar claims, so it may be a case of which wildlife hospitals and how much they might know about food science.

I think it is partly a matter of trust, but I don’t think it does any harm for hedgehog food manufacturers to know that we care about what we are feeding the hogs, and to make sure that they are doing their very best to provide good ingredients for them.

Having said all that. The very best thing for the hedgehogs is for them to be able to find wild food for themselves. That will be better for them than anything we can offer them. So improving and increasing (by creating hedgehog highways) of their habitat is of huge importance for the future of hedgehogs

[simbo65]

Hi Nic-
This is the reply from ARK re there kibble (not hedgehog muesli)
——————————————————————-
Good Afternoon

Thank you for contacting us via the website feedback form with your question about our hedgehog food.

Our managing director Sean McMenemy has spent over 15years in this industry and has spent this time researching with nutritionists to find the best recipe. In doing so we have created a completeand nutritionally balanced food made from 100% natural ingredients that will help boost a hedgehogs health and vitality. The Ark Hedgehog food original was initially developed for rescue centres and wildlife hospitals and we have now also made it availablefor feeding wild hedgehogs in the garden. The natural ingredients are boosted with the addition of essential vitamins and minerals and is completely free from artificial colourings, flavourings and preservatives.

Please do look at our Charity Partners page on our website where you will find hundreds of hedgehog rescues centres and rehabilitation centres that affiliate with us and use our foods on a regular basis. I do hope that this email eases your mind and has been of some assistanceto you. If you have any further queries please do not hesitate to contact us

——————————————————————————————–Not really a great help. I did look up the charity partners and there are a lot of hedgehog rescue there but none that I have heard of except for Hedgehog Bottom.
I agree that the best diet is natural and we will cut back our supplements as soon as conditions allow.
In the meantime I thought Cyclops might want a treat from his dry kibble so bought him free range chicken cat food. I left it next to his kibble. He ate his kibble and left the very expensive cat food! Strange little thing. He is still here every night. Eating, having naps and going for wanders. He looks to be doing very well .

[Nic]

Hi Simbo65

Well done for asking! Not sure I’m a lot wiser either, but at least they know we care.

Cyclops sounds a typical hog! I bought some really expensive tins of cat food for a hog here (the one who didn’t hibernate) and he just didn’t touch it at all. Luckily he did deign to eat the kitten biscuits I offered him. By that stage I had a rat and didn’t want to risk it eating all his food before he had a chance. Luckily the rat wasn’t interested in the kitten biscuits.

Glad to hear Cyclops is doing well. You never know, he may decide not to hibernate either.

[Author]

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