Hog feeding box behaviour
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Hi all,
The last week or so, one of our regulars to the feeding box has been spending most of the night in there and just wondered if anyone had observed the same?
The box is one of those plastic under bed storage boxes (for ease of cleaning!) with baffles to stop cats etc getting in the hole cut into the end and it has a bowl of Spikes Semi-Moist food on newspaper – typical setup.
Our guy is in there between 4 and 7 hours a night just sleeping it seems with a lot of poo and wee as well. He’s eating and drinking a fair bit and from what we see on the camera when he comes out he looks healthy enough. He isn’t staying in the garden either.
In our years of hog feeding we’ve never seen this before as they normally just pop in, have their fill and leave. Anyone else seen similar?Thanks
JustinHi Justin
He might be thinking about hibernating in there. I have, a few times, had hogs who have seemed to be thinking about using feed boxes for hibernation.
One time some nesting materials were taken in and two large (male) hogs came and went each night but also spent the day in there. I wasn’t sure whether one of them did actually start hibernating in there in the end. They didn’t poo in there – but once I saw them using it to sleep in I only put the food and water in another place. In my experience hogs are more likely to poo where there is food around and more than one hog visiting.
Another time a male hoglet spent a few nights (or early mornings) building a substantial hibernation nest completely fillling a feed box, but in the end he only used it for naps between snacks (the food was by then elsewhere) and he continued to visit for food and water all winter. Sometimes he spent the day in there, but not always, so I imagine he had another nest somewhere else.
In the Summer, I have quite often had hogs spending the day in feed boxes for a day or few. They have been males as well!
My feed boxes are wooden, but I imagine to a hog a box is a box and if it keeps the cold out a bit, maybe quite welcome for a winter nap.
It would be interesting to know if he continues napping in there.
He’s still doing it, between 4 and 6 hours a night in there which considering the mess he leaves it in is quite an achievement! We’re used to seeing that sort of messy box when there’s more than one of them in there at the same time but camera confirms it’s only the one, and the same one each night.
All of our visitors have “inspected” the nest boxes we have provided behind the shed, they’ve dragged more bedding in there to make it to their liking and all used them for a short period but then decided to stop. To us it makes more sense to sleep in the cosy accommodation in Hog Alley (as we call it) rather than the feedbox but who knows what goes on in their heads, they never fail to surprise us!
Will keep watching and wondering!
Thanks
Justin
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