Author Topic: Providing a home for hedgehogs (Read 3267 times)

suziequeue · « **on:** August 31, 2012, 09:40:02 pm »

We have plenty of hedgerows, woods and log piles and would love to give a home to hedgehogs.

They can share the slugs with our chickens.

There's lots for them here.

How do we go about introducing hedgehogs onto our smallholding?

in the hills · « **Reply #1 on:** August 31, 2012, 09:49:23 pm »

In the three years that we have been here , we've only seen one

.
Think they aren't doing well. Did I read that they thought it was climate change?
My neighbour was chatting about this a while ago. He has a bit of a wildlife garden and was thinking of approaching one of the hedgehog/wildlife charities to ask if his garden would be suitable as a release site.
Maybe a possibility

Mammyshaz · « **Reply #2 on:** August 31, 2012, 11:41:19 pm »

Ask at local vets and wildlife sanctuaries. Explain you will take any new releases

I've overwintered many over the years before children came along.

The problem I had was finding release areas. All my relatives and OH's had them released with cat food backup until they established themselves

it has been roughly 10 years since any release here and we have mum and babies in our bushes. My son ( quadzy on here ) built a hedgehog home from scrap,wood months ago. Now very excited at having our own family hopefully moving into his box over winter

And the slugs have reduced dramatically

SallyintNorth · « **Reply #3 on:** September 01, 2012, 01:24:22 am »

Be aware, SQ, as you have chickens - they don't just eat slugs, they also eat eggs and baby chicks.

We became inundated with them; they seemed to like it under the pallets under the hay. Since they snatched two whole breeds of chicks, I am afraid we gave them notice to quit!

Womble · « **Reply #4 on:** September 01, 2012, 07:07:04 am »

I built a hedgehotel (OK, plywood box) for my Mum's garden, and they've used it quite a bit, both overwintering and raising babies in it. Plenty of plans online, or find one on sale for £160 at your local garden centre, and copy it!

robbiegrant · « **Reply #5 on:** October 09, 2012, 02:36:38 am »

Hi Womble. I raised a hedgehog by hand when I was a kid... Read my ramblings on Goosepimples OTTER thread if you like. He never gave any of our birds any bother. Tho they are clever scavengers and good climbers!

Fleecewife · « **Reply #6 on:** October 09, 2012, 11:33:05 am »

Apparently one of the big problems hedgehogs have in suburban areas is that they need to have a fairly large range, but garden fences are barriers. Yes they can climb, but not over board fencing or chainlink. It used to be that people would often have gaps under the fence which the hedgehogs could get under and they could range happily, but no longer.

As Sally found at hers, hedgehogs here hibernate in the pallets under our stored hay. This is nice and cosy for them, but drives our terriers wild

. They do anything to get to them and end up stuck. On more than one occasion my OH has had to dismantle a whole stack to rescue an idiot dog. And of course when they find the hedgehog it's rolled up tight and all they get is a prickled nose and the chance to yap endlessly

A neighbour tried rehoming a hedgehog but I think it was too young and beyond their skill as it died. There were plenty to rehome when they were killing them in the Western Isles for their predation on ground-nesting birds' eggs
We have been lucky in that we have never lost eggs or chicks to hedgehogs.....yet

We love them and would always try to give them a home.

SQ - are there plenty around in your neighbourhood or would you need to import some? If so you will need males and females for a viable population. It would be a good idea to consult with a nature organisation who know the local situation, and the possible effects on other wildlife if you were to introduce hedgehogs.