Helping Yorks Hedgehogs

Great news as evidence of hedgehog droppings on my allotment where I released two hedgehogs recently. Normally I would release them to the area where they were found but not in this case. They were two of 3 siblings found on a school playing field where their mother was found dead, so not a good area to release them. I have several areas on my allotments where they can build a nest and be safe from the elements. All slow-rotting vegetation such as teasels, lavender etc can be left in one area and will provide a weather-proof safe haven for a hedgehog. There are also two little ponds that are safe for hedgehogs. They are shallow and have a large stone in them so that a hedgehog can climb out easily and cannot drown, something that happens far too often in deep ponds with no stepping out point. This means that there is always water available, particularly crucial during warm weather.

Thomasina is putting on weight again and Spud, the little thin one with ticks in an earlier photo, has turned a corner and put on 12 g last night. Looking good.

Lucy has been at it again - nest building by daytime. As she can't see temperature is governing her behaviour, day length not being a factor.The prospect of a cold winter looms ever closer.

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Emma Farley has just brought Spud back to me having done an excellent job looking after him for 4 days. He has put on 73g which is great going. Another sign of an approaching cold winter.

I just wanted to say a big thank you to the RSPCA animal home in York for doing such a great job and always being there for those of us who care for hedgehogs and wildlife generally. Lucy, the blind hedgehog, who has appeared in several postings recently, was cared for by the RSPCA for several weeks until she was fully recovered. She then needed an enclosed garden as she couldn't be returned to the wild, not least because she comes out in the day and would not survive two minutes in the wild. Hence, she is now with me.

Ben, who is one of four siblings, and was born with a missing hind leg, has been doing well until recently. He developed ringworm on his nose and round one eye which I treated with Tea Tree Antiseptic Cream used sparingly, taking care that it didn't go into his eye. He then started to lose weight and to cough badly, one of the symptoms of infestation by lungworm. After being wormed he has now rallied and last night put on 20g taking him to 580g. This is a good weight but falls well short of the 650g minimum (plus a rounded back end) needed for hedgehogs to have a chance of surviving the winter months. Ben, as he has struggled recently, will stay in my garden for the winter and be released back to the finder's garden in the spring.

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One sign that you have a hedgehog in your garden is a foraging hole(s). The photo shows one close to one of the remote cameras for a size comparison.

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I have just taken in a small hedgehog that is one of 4 siblings. Jan is looking after the other 3 but Tiny Tim was struggling with the others and is now installed in my kitchen for individual care. Here he is being interviewed for the 'Aaah Bisto advert'.

Update on Spud: He now weighs 467g and is roaming free in the garden.

Tiny Tim has started to eat on his own which is a great relief. Here he is eating mealworms which is fine but not remotely nutritional enough to sustain him at this stage in his life as they don't contain vitamins or minerals. Hedgehogs are selective eaters and will generally opt for mealworms. This can cause serious problems if eaten long term, such as a type of cerebral palsy with poor co-ordination and loss of use of the legs. So far so good with Tim though as he is also eating Spike's moist morsels and drinking Esbilac (Puppy milk substitute) on his own.

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Spud wandering free in my enclosed garden. He is building up weight now ready to hibernate.

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I now have Tiny Tim's 3 siblings that Jan has been looking after. They are doing well.

At this time of year hedgehogs are still having second litters, especially in view of the warm weather we've been having. In New Zealand, on the North Island, it is common for hedgehogs to have 3 litters a year. It has commonly been suggested that the second/late litters will automatically be doomed to die. This is totally incorrect and I showed that, in fact, young born to late litters gain weight at a rate of 2g a day more than those born to early litters. If anyone would like a copy of this paper please email me: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]. This stands them in good stead and helps them to reach the minimum 650g (plus rounded end) necessary in order to give them a fighting chance of surviving the winter. Hogs that currently weigh in at 300g still have a chance of getting up to pre-hibernation weight. The litter of 4 that I have recently taken in weigh, on average, 160g but are gaining about 12g a day which is about right for the time of year.

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Tiny Tim is doing brilliantly. He has put on 10g overnight and now weighs 141g.

I now have all the four hoglets that you found April. They are all doing fine. Tiny Tim is still the smallest but looks good as you can see from his photo today.

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If in doubt about whether a hedgehog in its nest or not: this photo shows the tell-tale hole which means no-one is at home. Once they've gone inside they pull the nest material in behind them and block the doorway.

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Ruby has calmed down after being totally hyperactive and manic running round her large 8x3ft pen. This behaviour is often caused by fluke which is treated using Profender Spot-on for cats - one drop only.

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Tiny Tim now weighs 152g, while his siblings all weigh more: Biddi = 193; Frankie = 228; Bubbles = 248. Frankie and Bubbles have now been moved to the 8x3ft run in the garden, under close observation in case the temperature falls and they stop gaining weight at roughly 12g a day. I have brought Biddi, Tiny Tim's sister inside and they are now living in the kitchen in the Quail brooder - brilliant design for hedgehogs as it is quite shallow and fits nicely at the end of the kitchen. The photo shows how much smaller Tiny Tim is compared with his sister. It is well known that hedgehog babies, hoglets, thermoregulate as a group. This means that they need the warmth provided by each other in order to maintain their core body temperature. Where lone hoglets are found they often require a heat source such as a special vet recovery heat pad. Fortunately for these 4 hoglets they were found in time by April and her daughter.

Biddi has gained 30g overnight in the kitchen and I have moved her outside to the 8x3ft run with her two siblings Frankie and Bubbles. Tiny Tim continues to do well but is staying in the kitchen as he is still quite vulnerable

Philly, the recently found blind hedgehog is still refusing to eat but has started to move around a little. I am still syringe feeding her, as I am with Ruby.

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Spud, who I found wandering about very thin and covered in ticks has been free to roam in my enclosed garden for a few weeks now and is nearing release weight. She now weighs 647g. The photo shows her with bright eyes (as compared with Ruby in the last photo).

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My heart sank when I checked Ruby this morning. She was lying on her side and her eyes were sunken - a sign of dehydration. I thought she was beyond hope but amazingly she responded to syringe feeding and took 15ml of Esbilac.

I have just given Ruby her last syringe feed of the night. She only took 4ml. She is quite weak but moving a little. I have put a few dried meal worms, Spike's biscuits and Spike's moist morsels in front of her so she can reach them easily.
Philly, the blind hedgehog that I collected on Saturday, has made a great turn around. She has eaten a big dish of Pedigree Dog meat loaf and has gained a lot of weight. Very promising so far.

Ruby has made it through yet another night and I am still syringe feeding her with Esbilac, puppy milk substitute.

Tiny Tim has tipped the 200g mark, weighing in at 202g this morning. Here he is eating dried mealworms, his favourite food of all time.