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I've become the local hedgehog rescuer
On Thursday of last week we spotted something small moving in the grass service strip next to the road. It was 2pm on a a bright sunny day. On investigating we found it was a baby hedgehog (or a hoglet to give it it's correct name). Very unusual for one to be out on it's own on a hot sunny day next to a road so we searched the nearest bush for a nest and didn't find one. It's a busy enough road and there are many cats around. I picked it up and brought it over to our back garden and installed it in our regular hedgehog feeding box. Then within a short period of time there was another one so we did the same thing with that. They were both very hungry and thirsty and tucked into our hedgehog food. We've had no reasonable rain for over 3 weeks. We weighed both and they were 66 and 67grams. Underweight for babies that looked about four weeks old that could eat and lap well.
A guy from a house nearby said he had seen one further along the road but after searching I didn't find it. We had noticed that our regular hedgehog visitor hadn't been for supper for about 3 weeks so were suspicious that this was the mother and wondered why she wasn't around anywhere.
On Saturday we spotted another baby heading towards the road at about 7pm so we picked up that one too. It looked smaller than the two we had rescued on Thursday.
Today we weighed all three. The latest and smallest one weighs 67grams and the original two weigh 88 and 90grams. So they have been eating very well. The smallest one might be a male and the others might be females but it's difficult to tell at this age especially as they are a bit shy and ball up when I try to look :(
Today we cleaned out their new hedgehog box and feeding box that my OH now known as Heath Robinson has joined together with a corridor between them. Here's a pic of our new temporary family. :) They went out on the lawn today for a run around. That was great exercise for all of us!
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Re: I've become the local hedgehog rescuer
How dear!
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Re: I've become the local hedgehog rescuer
What's in the food?
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Re: I've become the local hedgehog rescuer
Quote:
Originally Posted by
TSherbs
What's in the food?
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Purina® Hedgehog Chow, what else would you feed a hedgehog?
Re: I've become the local hedgehog rescuer
Musta been teatime, cuz Chrissy busted out the nice bowl in the top pic!
Re: I've become the local hedgehog rescuer
We started off by wetting our regular Spike dry hedgehog food then the next day we went to the local pet shop and bought 2 cans of Spike's Hedgehog Scrummy Meaty Supper to see if they liked it. Now need to buy more. The first dish was my little Isle of Wight collectable dish LOL then I substituted a couple of plastic ones that I found. :) Very soon we're going to need a bigger dish....
Re: I've become the local hedgehog rescuer
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Chrissy
...Spike's Hedgehog Scrummy Meaty Supper....
:D
perfection from the marketing department
Re: I've become the local hedgehog rescuer
Such an uplifting story, Chrissy, thanks.
Soon they'll be using the amenities and you can check if they're boys or girls ;)
https://media3.giphy.com/media/3xz2B...=200.webp&ct=g
Re: I've become the local hedgehog rescuer
I'm in Massachusetts. Can you mail me one? If so, please include instructions so that I can tell which is the feeding end and which is the "output" end.
Typos courtesy of Samsung Auto-Incorrect™
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Re: I've become the local hedgehog rescuer
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Lloyd
I'm in Massachusetts. Can you mail me one? If so, please include instructions so that I can tell which is the feeding end and which is the "output" end.
Typos courtesy of Samsung Auto-Incorrect™
Sadly not :( The European hedgehog is a protected species here in the UK and these three will be released as soon as they are heavy enough to survive on their own.
The feeding end looks more cute. :)
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Re: I've become the local hedgehog rescuer
Oh, something must have happened to the mother. Hedgehogs are nice to have around. Make sure they are closer to 700 grams before winter, if less than that, they don't survive winter dormancy. I have heard people rescue small hedghogs that wake up in winter and keep them indoors. I don't know much about hedgehogs at all, but the last few years I have heard of people rescuing them and a guy down the street gives the locals ones cat food at night.
Re: I've become the local hedgehog rescuer
You are blessed with hedgehogs, Chris. I hope these ones hang around when they are grown up. They are so cute!
Re: I've become the local hedgehog rescuer
Quote:
Originally Posted by
arrow
Oh, something must have happened to the mother. Hedgehogs are nice to have around. Make sure they are closer to 700 grams before winter, if less than that, they don't survive winter dormancy. I have heard people rescue small hedghogs that wake up in winter and keep them indoors. I don't know much about hedgehogs at all, but the last few years I have heard of people rescuing them and a guy down the street gives the locals ones cat food at night.
Yes they have to weigh a minimum of 650 grams before they can survive hibernation. They seem to be going in the right direction fairly quickly. :)
Re: I've become the local hedgehog rescuer
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Deb
You are blessed with hedgehogs, Chris. I hope these ones hang around when they are grown up. They are so cute!
Fingers crossed they do. :) I'm sure we've been feeding their mother every evening for quite some time before she sadly disappeared. :(
Re: I've become the local hedgehog rescuer
New Diamine Ink?: Chrissy's House Hedgehog?
Re: I've become the local hedgehog rescuer
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Marsilius
New Diamine Ink?: Chrissy's House Hedgehog?
If she'd just mail one to Lloyd, we could get Baystate Hedgehog.
Re: I've become the local hedgehog rescuer
Hey, don't joke about Chrissy's critters!
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Re: I've become the local hedgehog rescuer
Cool! Never actually seen one. Do the quills have barbed tips, like those on a porcupine?
After one go, cats and dogs leave them alone.
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Re: I've become the local hedgehog rescuer
Our hedgehogs are not quite as cute and have long tails.
Re: I've become the local hedgehog rescuer
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Chip
Cool! Never actually seen one. Do the quills have barbed tips, like those on a porcupine?
After one go, cats and dogs leave them alone.
No but they are very spiky, stiff and sharp. Even at this age one of them "huffs" loudly when picked up and they all currently curl up into a tight ball. Even with gloves on a spine can stick into a finger and it hurts but there are no barbs or poison thank goodness.