Hibernation???

[Mommar@72]

Hi, this is my first year of hedgehog adopting😁. I’ve had 2 visitors every night from end of July…..they’ve been eating loads over the past couple of weeks. My camera traps have shown for the past 2 nights all I have been feeding is 6 very hungry magpies. I have a feeding station but the hogs only use it occasionally, and seem to prefer searching every inch of my back yard, so I started leaving some food in different places for them…… but the 🤬 magpies are so clever! I am presuming the hogs have gone into hibernation. I want to make sure there’s food for them, in case they pop in. Should I just use the feeding station, or continue to put it here and there and let the Maggie’s have it in the morning?

[EmilyTod]

Magpies are so sneaky! My magpies used to try that but they didn’t get much of a chance once a seagull would swop down to take over.

I made a plastic box that I use as a feeder (with tube at the entrance) it took about a month for te hedgehogs to get used to it. I would scatter a bit in the tube or in front of the box.

I’m glad a kept trying with the box as the cats/magpies/fox/ don’t get it and it slows the wood mice down.

I’d love to leave food scattered around but in my garden it doesn’t really work. Funny thing now…if I ever do leave a dish of food outside the feeder so that I can watch from the kitchen they walk straight past it and head ino the feeder.

I think if I was in your situation I’d use a small amount in your feeder. Might be tempted to leave a bit of food outside the feeder but would probably do that in a weeks time. (To put the magpies off)

This is just a thought though. Every garden is so different good luck 🙂

[Mommar@72]

Thanks Emily,
My feeding station is called the ‘Travelhog’ and it was made by a very good friend. It has 2 compartments, one is like a corridor then a turning into a slightly wider main part. I put dry cat food in the main part and have tried a little from the entrance to the bowl, but they only ever go to the first part…… they never go completely in., even though I try to tempt them with a few cal I worms! I wish they would because as well as Magpies, there is (inevitably) a neighbourhood wily cat that is not afraid of getting in the first part! I feel as though I’m feeding all the animals on the street😂😂😂

[EmilyTod]

Haha I know what you mean !

If they were really hungry they would definelty go to those biscuits in the second compartment of your feeding box. They have such good noses, I have a feeling they know it there’s its just not appealing to them yet.
Have you tried putting a few calci worms on top of the kitten biscuits?

Also, have you tried putting a brick horizontal in front of the entrance but leaving a gap for the hedghogs but deterring the cat?

My ( not mine really!!! 😝) hedgehogs hardly touched the food yesterday. Now the rain has stopped I think they prefer foraging for their own things. I saw a butterfly on my cosmos today! ( I’m in the south east) but still that surprised me.

kerp us updated 😊👍🏻

[Nic]

Hi Mommar@75

If I were you I would continue to scatter some of the food as well as leaving some in the feeding station. If you scatter the food when it is almost dark, or just dark, the hogs have the chance all night to eat the food before the magpies arrive in the morning. If the hogs aren’t visiting at the moment, you could put out a bit less and monitor the situation, increasing the amount again if you see any hog activity. Of course the cat might turn up in the night, but if the food is widely scattered it might not be bothered to eat it all – anyway at least the hogs get a chance and they are quite happy to forage for scattered food.

I would avoid using calci-worms. The jury is still out as to whether or not they are good for hogs, so it’s best to stick to cat/dog/meaty hog food.

Don’t forget to leave water available all day every day, including during hibernation time. You never know when a thirsty hog is going to come along.

Good luck. I hope you manage to find a compromise with the magpies.

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