Hi, It's the 22nd of december and I'm still feeding the hedgehog. Is this usual? shouldn't it be hibernating by now? It's definately a hog as we've seen the footprints in the snow and the food is kept under a guinea pig igloo, so the cats can't get to it.
Hi Seamark and welcome to the forum - hedgehogs usually start hibernating from October onwards and have been known take food during a mild winter but I don't think that can be the reason for this one still being active unless you have much warmer weather than most of us! Maybe the fact that the food is there on a regular basis has kept him awake - I hope someone can shed more light on it for you.
Hello Seamark, I don't know the answer but hedgehogs do wake up during their hibernation but the British Hedgehog Preservation Society do have a web site and you can also contact them on 01584 890 801. Hope this helps.
I too had a hedgehog feeding in my back garden on a nightly basis up until about a week ago.
Hi Seamark
Welcome to the forum
Your hedgehog really should be hibernating now. It is not unheard of for hedgehogs to not hibernate if there is a ready source of food but as Lucybob says, this cold weather I would have thought would induce it to want to hibernate. If you are seeing any activity during the day then there is a problem, but if it is only coming out at night then perhaps it is just a late hibernator.
I have several that visit my garden through the year, I feed them cat food but I haven't seen any acitivity for the last month or so.
A couple of years ago one of my hedgehogs turned up during the day looking really poorly - very grey and shunting around the garden. I took it to a wildlife hospital who diagnosed lung worm which is common in hedgehogs, fatal if not treated. They were really good, they kept it for 2 weeks, treating her for her condition, I collected her and then set her loose back into the garden. They are lovely lovely creatures, so do keep an eye on yours and very beneificial - they keep your slug population down for one thing.
Regards
Kerry
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kezmo6310/
Hello, thankyou for all the replies. I'm wondering if i should perhaps decrease the amount of food in the hope it will decide to get some sleep. I haven't spotted it during the day, we did have one about a month ago, out in the day. We picked it up and weighed it and it was only 300g and I know they're supposed to be about 600g before they can hibernate. The r.s.p.c.a came and picked it up and have taken it to a wildlife rescue in Norfolk. Any way I may try the number of the hedgehog people given earlier in response and get some advice. Thanks again and Merry Christmas to you all.
From reading this i'd of certainly expected them to be asleep by now! Certainly once the cold weather really hits we shouldnt be seeing h.hogs about until spring!? it could just be that having a garanteed meal is to good an opportunity to pass up on! A Christmas pit stop to build up fat reserves as much as possible for the months ahead, especially now the cold has really set every last bit of food will count.
If you do suspect the hedgehog is in someway suffering or in distress another good contact for welfare advise would St Tiggywinkles (wildlife hospitals trust).
Offer a comfy bed in the hedgehog houses like this as well as the food! 5 star treatment for a hedgehog during the winter months i say i say! Hope that helps as well :)
Merry Christmas!
Lloyd