When a baby is found it is important to try and get them into the hands of an experienced wildie helper - this information is for general information.
CARING FOR UNWEANED HOGLETS
Reproduced, with minor amendments, from the British Hedgehog Preservation Society's website with permission
When They Are Found
Hoglets may be found abandoned in May, June or July, when the first litters are generally born, and in August/September, when the second litters appear. The average size of a litter is four to five, and they appear after a five-week pregnancy. If you find one or two, the area should be searched as there may be others, either still in the nest or nearby.
Why They Are Found
If the mother is disturbed after the birth, she may desert her litter. Many more hoglets are made orphans because their mother is killed or injured. If they#re from a very late litter, they may also be made orphans simply because the mother has gone into hibernation!
Where They Are Found
Favourite nesting sites of hedgehogs are under a garden shed, in a hedgerow, pile of garden debris or a compost heap. You may hear their distressed, shrill, bird-like piping.
What To Do When You Find One
Abandoned hoglets are vulnerable creatures and are often found in a poor state. For survival, human help is needed quickly, and generally, two things are needed urgently: warmth and food. However, before these are administered the hoglets should be closely checked for external parasites.
Obvious major injuries and breathing difficulties necessitate an urgent visit to your vet.
How To Reduce Stress
Wild animals suffer stress in an unnatural environment and hedgehogs are no exception. The hoglets will need to be in a quiet, calm atmosphere and handled only when necessary.
How To Provide Warmth
It is important to note that hoglets will refuse any food until they are warm to the touch, so warmth is absolutely vital. The hoglets should be kept in a temperature of no less than 24°C (75°F) by using a well-wrapped hot water bottle (ensure the opening is concealed to prevent a tiny youngster getting trapped), a heat lamp or an electric heated pad..
The hoglets can be placed in a cardboard box or similar (a cat basket is ideal), lined with plenty of newspaper and an old jumper, towels, or a fleecy hat for bedding. From the beginning, a 'surrogate mum' in the form of a clean piece of towelling, an old (clean) sock, soft toy or small slipper to bury into, can give a feeling of security and comfort.
Hygiene
It is important that the hoglets, their bedding and feeding equipment are kept scrupulously clean. The bedding should be changed regularly and the feeding equipment sterilised. After dealing with each hoglet, hands should be thoroughly washed.
How To Feed The Hoglets
Weigh the hoglets regularly and chart their growth. Marking them with a spot of nail varnish on their prickles will help to tell them apart.
Esbilac is the most widely used powdered milk substitute to rear hoglets, but goats’ milk, sheep’s milk, and Cimicat have all been used successfully to rear hoglets too. Detailed below are the feeding guideline endorsed by the British Hedgehog Preservation Society for rearing hoglets with goats’ milk:
One Week Old - weighs about 28-56gms (1-2oz) and 50-l00mm (2-4") in length. These tiny hoglets have no teeth and their eyes and ears will be closed. They will need to be fed every two to three hours on 1-2mls Goats' milk diluted 2:1 with water, and vitamin drops added (Abidec® for children is widely used); or Goats' colostrum. A plastic pipette, icc syringe or doll's feeding bottle can be used to feed them with. Each hoglet should be held on its back in the hand and fed slowly, taking care not to get milk up its nose or in its lungs.
After feeding it is important that you massage each hoglet's tummy with a brush or tissue - mum would do this in the wild to stimulate bladder and bowel movements (very young hedgehogs cannot do this for themselves, unaided). Droppings, on arrival, should be bright green, but on a diet of goats' milk should change to pale greenish/blue. Carefully clean the hoglet's mouth, face and tummy with damp cotton wool and gently massage with baby oil, especially insi de the back legs and around the tail area.
Two Weeks Old - weighs about 56-85gms (2-3oz) and 70-130 mm (3-5") in length. Eyes will probably still be closed but could open soon. Ear holes begin to appear. Feeding should be increased to 3-5ml every 3-4 hours. After feeding clean and toilet as before.
Three Weeks Old - Weighs about 85-113gms (3-4oz). Eyes now open and teeth beginning to appear. Can now be encouraged to lap milk from a shallow dish. When lapping successfully, liquidized puppy food and milk could be offered. Hand feeds should continue. After feeding clean and toilet as before.
Four Weeks Old - Weighs about 113-170gms (4-6oz). Now looks like a mini-adult hedgehog. Gradually decrease the milk in the liquidized puppy food and eventually give the puppy food on its own, but mashed. Droppings will now become brown, firm and smelly. When the hoglet is no longer taking milk, offer a dish of water (would now be accompanying mum on foraging trips if still in the wild). When the hoglet is weaned worming should be considered. Panacur powder (available from your vet or online) is recommended: 110mg/500gm sprinkled on food over three meals, and then repeat in two weeks. After feeding clean as before but toileting can be reduced and stopped altogether when the hoglet copes unaided.
Five Weeks Old - Weighs about 190-225gms (7-8oz). Should now be eating twice daily: a dish of mashed or liquidized puppy food with added vitamins and cereal. New flavours can be experimented with, such as chicken, lightly scrambled egg, a little grated cheese, banana. Heat will not now be necessary in the summer but adequate bedding should be provided.
Six-to-Seven Weeks Old - Weighs about 225-310gms (8-11oz). Now eating one tablespoon of mashed puppy food and cereal twice daily with added vitamins and minerals, and a dish of water.
Eight Weeks Old - Weighs about 350gms (12oz). Should now be eating adult cat or dog food twice daily, and given a vitamin and mineral supplement once weekly. Foraging expeditions in the garden can be undertaken. Shredded newspaper, straw or paper tissues can be given for nesting materials to encourage the youngster(s) to build their own nests.
Self-Anointing
When you start introducing new flavours to the hoglet's diet, it may carry out the strange behaviour known as self-anointing. The hoglet will flick frothy saliva over its spines, contorting itself into awkward positions so that it can reach every part of its spiny coat. The procedure can last from just a few minutes to an hour or so and will stop suddenly. It is not known why hedgehogs do this although many theories have been put forward. It seems to be triggered by strange smells and tastes.
Determining the Sex of your Orphaned Hoglet(s)
Male and female hoglets both have tails, with the anus at the base of their bodies. They also both have an umbilicus (belly button). There the similarity ends. The male's penis is underneath the umbilicus whereas the female's vulva is just above the anus. In very young hoglets it can be difficult to tell the difference as the male's penis is nearer to the anus at birth. It moves forward as the hoglet grows.
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Please be aware that the foregoing weights, ages and amounts are approximate and for use only as a guideline. Like all young mammals, each hoglet's development will vary individually
Sun Jan 08, 2012 2:00 pm