Baby Hedgehogs

During the last 4 weeks we have been lucky enough to have a hedgehog living under a large fern in one of the flower borders next to the house.

It is unusual for a hoggie to have a permanent nest and come back to it every night at this time of year, so I suspected the hoggie was a she and was getting ready to give birth (or already had given birth) to, some hoglets.

Obviously we couldn't poke around in the nest to see, because that would have frightened her off and possibly caused her to eat the hoglets or abandon them.

This afternoon she came out for a forage, with at least three ( maybe more but only saw three) babies with her.

They are about tennis ball sized, perfect mini hedgehogs and are about 4 weeks old I would say. They followed mum around, making slight squeaks if they lost her, poking around in the dead stuff, for about 20 minutes. Then they went back in to the nest and she followed them and positioned herself across the entrance to the nest. This has been her position every day for the last few weeks, just peeking out at us.

I have provided cat food and fresh water close by.




This is one of the babies on top of the nest. The others have gone back inside and you can just see one in the entrance.


This is the Mum peeping out from the nest, having got the babies inside.
She is down the bottom of the picture.

Lovely!

I know I said I was going to get pigs...but this was not quite what I had in mind.....

Not much bacon potential there.

No indeed, not even a rasher to cover a quail's breast I guess!

Very cute though. if not really for eating ( although I have actually eaten hedgehog, a very long time ago...)

Compostwoman wrote:No indeed, not even a rasher to cover a quail's breast I guess!

Very cute though. if not really for eating ( although I have actually eaten hedgehog, a very long time ago...)

Oooo, what was it like???

Have always wondered

Wrapped in clay baked on a fire?

They are lovely to see!
Unfortunately our badgers think they are very tasty and so they are not around here very much.

You surely couldn't eat this little fellow...

Not worth the clay wrapping, tbh!

They came out again just now, and followed mum around, nose to tail

Zoe we have badgers here also so its a rare treat to see them around. I think they have learnt to stay close to the house where the badgers don't often come. The hedgehogs in the wood all got eaten, I found the pathetic skins with spines on...

For those who don't know, badgers claws are long enough and strong enough to uncurl a hedgehog and eat the soft bits...leaving the skin behind.

oh Dandelion that's such a sweet photo! Is that one you've found online or is it one you've taken?

CW - very jealous! They sound like right little darlings!

Compostwoman wrote:
They came out again just now, and followed mum around, nose to tail

Hope mum didn't stop too quickly...

budburst12 wrote:oh Dandelion that's such a sweet photo! Is that one you've found online or is it one you've taken?

I wish I had taken it, but someone sent it to me in an email ages ago

All gone off to forage, now.

DL I loved that pic!

Spar that icon is great! The little hoglets are very good and follow mum around, she bites them if they don't behave!

Budburst, we feel very honoured to be hosting them!

They might still be in the nest in 2 weeks time, so if you were thinking of coming to the meet up, here...you might get to see them!

Compostwoman wrote: she bites them if they don't behave!

Oh dear, Pol hasn't got false teeth so I can't hide them...

She growls and hisses, as well...

Pol doesn't do that? Surely?

So cute.....thanks for sharing, both of you!!

I certainly growl & hiss, as for the biting, not really as I don`t want all those germs thank you.

very very cute! I hope they're still there when we come to visit!

Mrs C

Hedgehogs active last night, all went out foraging in a little line behind mum
( looked very sweet) and they ate the food I put out as well.

Mum will probably move them to another place fairly soon as they no longer need the nest, now they are out, and it is a good security measure. But they will still within the garden and so I shall continue to put out food and water.