Mother and babies
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I’m new here but need some advice please! I have a hedgehog house at the end of my garden under my beech tree. It’s been used frequently throughout the summer for B&B occasionally until I moved it to its current location. On returning from holiday last week I found a mother and two little ones nesting in the box. Mum isn’t too active, she was snoozing last night at 9pm when I checked the garden but the little ones are out and about eating me out of house and home! Firstly, I wonder if the recent cold could be making Mum want to hibernate but babies will definitely be too small to. As they are still all sleeping together, very compactly, during the day, I don’t want to touch the babies or intervene as it isn’t apparent that they’ve left her. I’ve emailed Brent Lodge and am waiting for a response. Any ideas?
You’ve not said how big the babies are?
I’m slightly concerned that they are up but not the adult. It sounds like it may be sick – it certainly won’t just be hibernating with 2 babies
I suggest contacting your nearest carer and having a conversation with them asapHi kirkyrigs
I was just going to suggest ringing Brent Lodge, rather than email, if they are your nearest carer – emails don’t always get dealt with so quickly. Alternatively you can get contact details of your next nearest carers from the BHPS 01584 890801
they’ll prob take mum along with the babies, until they are fending for themselves then release mum and overwinter the babies – even if the rescue centres are full, some are still taking them in, most are running at double, or even triple their capacity. They have to make more space, and rely on their donors to pay for more boxes and food.
I think it’s best to ring them, ring them first, but also follow it up with text and email, just so they definitely get your message.
Mm, they want me to remove babies and weigh them. Pretty sure I can make an educated guess that they definitely don’t weigh over 200g. I’m not really happy about doing this and although I’d be careful not to leave my scent I’m still unsure whether it’s the right thing to do.
It will be fine. Just weigh one of them if they appear the same weight.
If they are under 200 then you will need to rescue all of them. What did they say about the adult hog?they’ll get over it – it’s never ideal – but within time, they’ll probably forget about being weighed.
Nic said, on another post, to weigh them in an empty ice cream box – I did that to weigh an underweight, and worked brill – because before that, I just put her on my digital scales (it’s a flat square), and it kept showing different weights, as she kept moving about – and putting one leg off the scale and stuff – but weighing her in a box gave me a more accurate reading. If you want you could put a piece of kitchen roll in the box, but probably not necessary. I think they do that in hospitals as they have to weigh all their hogs, but in this situ probably not needed.
Hi-
I have been in contact with Brent Lodge a few times re a recent hedgehog amputee and they are very helpful and from what I can gather, knowledgeable too.
Do as Stef says- she is also a hedgehog guru and gave me great advice.
Just weigh one. Wear gloves and you won’t leave a scent and get back to Brent Lodge ASAP so they can help if needed.
Where are you based?
WADARS are near me but Brent Lodge are the best in this situation.
Let us know what happensUpdate – I’ve taken Mummy and her two babies plus two juveniles to Grove Lodge veterinary hospital tonight. The tiny babies weighed less than 180g each and had a lot of mange, mum was quite warm and listless. The two juveniles weighed 310g each, a bit if mange but were eating well. I’m hoping to hear about them tomorrow but I guess Wadars will hospitalise them. I’ll contribute to their care and hope for a repatriation one day.
Well done Kirkyrigs. Sounds like they were lucky hogs that you rescued them, especially with having mange and 180g is quite small. Hopefully they will recover and you’ll get them to release back home when the time is right.
Hi-
If you have taken them to Grove Lodge they will probably go to WADARS after they are well. You need to make sure that the vet passes all your information on to WADARS so they can (hopefully) be released back to your garden.
I have had a few releases in my garden from WADARS as there place of origin was unknown.
I am in East Preston.
Well done for acting so quickly to get help.
Let us know how they all do. Keeping everything crossed for them all.
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