Fighting Hedgehogs

[sherrardk]

Garden is hedgehog central again the last couple of nights. Tonight there were two in the feeding station and a third turned up - ended up with one of the bigger ones giving a little one a kicking right by my back door. I am fully aware that they’re wild animals but should I have intervened (maybe picked one of them up and moved it) or would that have done more harm than good?

[sanmac]

Perhaps another feeding-station? I don't think that it's a good idea to physically become involved with the cute little critters.

[sherrardk]

I was thinking maybe an extra feeding station but I’m in danger of becoming the mad hedgehog lady - half the time they’re not even coming to eat they’re just coming to have a nose about. They’re also not bothered by me and come right up to me - I’ve seen six already tonight :)

[shoota]

They can carry fleas and ticks - I wouldn't touch them unnecessarily. Pick them up on a spade or with gloves.

[Tuvok]

Sounds like my bunch.

Had at least 3 a couple of nights ago.

H1 was happily eating. H2 arrived, H1 ran off.

Later one eating, another approached him. Eater backed off, huffing, the other just circled him - then left him alone.

Then one was eating, 2 were fighting - then one came to the one eating and the reversing and huffing started again - with eater reversing into the water dish! The other then gave up and went back to have another go at the other hedgehog! Meanwhile the eating continued - I was even able to take photos of him without him stopping his feeding!

[vetuste_ennemi]

Enjoy the pleasure of wild animals in your garden, Sherrard. And they compete with their own species. And they attack other species. And life is generally a bit of a titch.

Haven't seen any hedgehogs this year, and we did create a gap in the fence for them yonks ago and provide a winter home which we've constantly restocked with clean straw.

[shoota]

Badgers have et em all...

[Tuvok]

On one of my videos of bully and victim, bully shoved the victim, who curlled up, then he was rolled like an easter egg - imagine getting shoved out at 3pm, he was rolled around to 7pm!

[sherrardk]

I felt bad for the little one - at one stage he was rolled up in a ball in the water bowl. I have tried to check the garden to make sure he’s ok but I can only find a Lego man torch with flat batteries.

VE - I’ve got a feeding station and put out dry hedgehog food, it appears to be acting like catnip to them. I’ve the back door open and they’re making such a racket I can hear them over the TV (feeding station is out in the open, about four feet from the back door).

[vetuste_ennemi]

We never put out specifically hedgie foor, only fox food (i.e. dog food and biscuits) and cat food for the various feline "refugees" who had worked out we were a soft touch.

Do have cameras in your garden ?

[sherrardk]

VE - I did have a camera but it was rubbish. We just look out the window, can hear them if the door is open or I’m outside (I’m a dirty, nasty smoker) - I’ve no idea how many show up after I’ve gone to bed. It’s becoming a bit of a joke and the kids think I’m sort of hedgehog whisperer.

[Mamyalynne]

It's hard not to get involved, but you have to leave them to it. Spreading the feeding areas out a bit may help, but not if they arrive at different times.

We have to do it with geese, or the families fight between themselves and the goslings get trampled on.

Nature is beautiful but cruel, was videoing a fight between herons flying high one day when one got distracted and swooped down and took a moorhen chick - I swore.

[sherrardk]

I sort of know I should leave them to it :) There’s one there now, maybe 3ft away from me having a long drink :)

[vetuste_ennemi]

You can get some very good cameras dirt cheap, Sherrard.

Years ago we put out separate feeding bowls for the foxes. But the little b***s started picking them up and walkin off with them (fox knows here - please, Mr Tod, can I have my bowl back?). One of the most delightful things we saw on camera was three bowls (all containing dog food) with a fox eating from one, cheek to jowl with a hedgie and a cat eating from the other two.

[vetuste_ennemi]

....fox knows where...

[sherrardk]

VE - that’s lovely. I know someone with horses who has foxes on he fields who come right up to he when she’s mucking out, etc - they steal balls from the the nursery next door to play with (I walk down with one of my kids to try and see them most nights, there’s a few generation there now - no babies spotted yet).

[hereIam]

I'd have stepped in, after all you would if a bigger kid was hitting on a smaller one! I would have just moved it out of the way temporarily.