Hedgehog not survived hibernation

[Sue b]

Feeling very sad . Last year I got 2 hedgehog homes . My husband felted the rooves for me and we placed them under our ground hugging conifers .
We had lots of visitors to the garden and fed them on Gardman and Dr Johnson pellets and a plentiful supply of water . Also lots of leaves and moss et readily available .
We are lucky we have lots of gardens with hedges and a railway line (not a main line ) so the hedgehogs have a large area to forage in .
Yesterday I decided to clean the boxes out as there was no activity in and out of them . We have had lots of visitors and the food bowls were noisily busy every night .
One box had a few leaves and droppings . The second was full to the very top with with bedding . I carefully removed the bedding and was so sad when in the middle I found a desiccated hedgehog . So sad . I assume it just wasn’t big enough to survive the horrible winter .
The boxes are in the green house drying out after their washing yesterday and will be out again to day .

[Nic]

Hi Sue

So sorry to hear about the poor hog. It must have been very distressing for you to find it. Sadly, hibernation is a dangerous time for hogs even in the years when the weather is better and some will always die, for various reasons. As you suggest, the younger ones are probably at most risk.

I’m assuming that the Gardmans and Dr. Johson pellets are hedgehog foods? I’m not familiar with those brands. Railways can make ideal habitat for the hogs, especially if they have wide edges which are left wild and it’s good that they have lots of gardens to visit.

I hope you have lots of hog visitors and better luck with your hog boxes this year.

[Sue b]

Yes they are hedgehog foods . I tried cat and dog biscuits and tinned food . They have a very small treat of mealworms as read they are sweets for hogs .
Have to say they like the pellet foods . If I see babies I moisten the pellets in a separate dish .
Of to buy some hay this morning to put in the boxes

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