Mating season

[Chezzy]

Hi all

I know it’s mating season in may -but does anyone know when a hedgehog will settle to have her babies

[stef]

Approx 32 days later

[Wild4Hedgies]

Hello, I’ve not posted before now but lots of change in the garden and would like to learn from others experience of mating season and nesting.

I have a hedgie who might be toileting outside their nest! Unlike normal, where they poop on the edges and close by.

I recently noticed my winter resident left the big hog house and didn’t come back for days. I cleaned out the box (so much poop💩) and put a little fresh straw inside. The next night I put fresh straw and hay nearby and as I checked the following morning around 7.30am, it had all been taken inside. All of a sudden, a big hedgie wandered out from behind the box and went straight in the door. I put more nest material outside the following two nights and all was taken in too.

It’s been almost a week now, and I put my trail camera out and more bedding (all taken again) to see activity and on collecting the camera around 7.30am, there it was again, coming out from behind the house and going straight indoors.

It is likely a nesting female, which I am overjoyed about, but does anyone know why she is out behind the box each morning?

Do they try and keep their nest cleaner than usual (usual =💩 🤢)? Is she going to the loo outside of the nest before sleeping for the day? Curious behaviour.

Any thoughts champs?

Thanks

[5sandown]

I saw similar behaviour yesterday when the female hog resident was outside behind the nest box during the day so would also be interested in the experts take on this. She’s also been doing lots of nest making recently with hay I leave nearby.

[5sandown]

I’ve just found another post on this issue. Apparently it’s not that unusual for the hog to be out during the day as long as it is in bushes or undergrowth and not out in the open seeming to sunbathe. Mine was definitely under cover in the wild area of the garden where she might well be nesting if I didn’t have a hog house.

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