Question regarding giving birth to hoglets.

[Julie]

Hi all, bit of a strange question to ask.
I have tried searching for the answer but cant find an answer, so hoping one of you hedgehog experts may know.

When Hedgehogs give birth to young, does the mother stay with the hoglets for a few days and not leave them or the nest, or does she give birth and continue her nightly routine of hunting for food.

[Nic]

Hi sindybird

I suspect it depends to some extent on circumstances, how long a hog will stay with her young straight after they’re born. But I imagine that the mother would not travel as far afield when she has young ones in the nest as she normally would. Certainly, when I was watching the group of females who used to visit here some years ago they used to disappear sometimes for a couple of weeks during hoglet producing season. Normally they visited regularly every day and continued to do that after their disappearances.

[Julie]

Thank you for replying Nic, I shall keep checking my trail camera for any signs, of the hedgehog movement. It was very active and rushing around the last few nights before I have stopped seeing it, three nights now of no signs. It also looked rather large and belly dragging along the floor, so fingers crossed for hoglets and that they survive.
I also wonder if this sudden heat we are having at the moment will cause any upset to hedgehogs, I know I am suffering, so goodness knows how the wildlife is coping with it.
Typical weather, never settled long enough for us to get used to it.

[Nic]

Hi sindybird

Fingers crossed, indeed, for some healthy hoglets to appear.

Re. the heat wave. Yes, it might be harder for the hogs to find some sorts of food -i.e. earthworms likely to stay tucked well down – so the hogs probably welcome some supplementary food. But most important is to leave water out all day every day. Try to leave some in a shady place for them. But you might find a hog, especially a female out during the day, but not so much in the open as in amongst vegetation.

[Julie]

Thank you Nic, thankfully I have plenty rotting log piles with loads of bug life and have a pond (this also next to rotting logs) which is easy for a hedgehog to get out of if it was to fall in or go for a swim. One lot of the rotting log piles is where the home/nest is.
I have captured snuffles (name I have given the hedgehog) climbing up to the pond and walking around the pond.
I had offered cat food but snuffles seems to posh for that, though I do leave a few cat biscuits out.
Fingers crossed and I shall post of here if any hoglets appear.

[Author]

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