Crush those nuts ......

[mrs.chappie]

Hello to all you good peeps on A & N.

I have been helping our local Hedgehog Hospital and there are a few hogs that have been brought in with whole peanuts stuck to the top of their mouths. This leaves them unable to eat.

Please, if you feed the hedgehogs peanuts, will you make sure they are very well crushed up.

Thanks buddies! xxx

[shivvy]

Ah poor little guys - that is horrible.
I don't specifically feed my hedgehogs (they get their choice from the compost heap!!) but I am careful when feeding the birds that if I spill any nuts when I am filling the feeders I always stomp on them to make sure they are crushed up and are therefore not a threat to tiny beaks (and snouts!).

[lankeela]

You learn sometrhing new everyday! I sell peanuts and other wild bird food, and didn't realise that people buy them to feed to hedgehogs (or indeed that hedgehogs would eat them). I always recommend they are fed from a feeder so the birds have to peck them into bits so they don't choke any babies, but had not thought of this problem. Most places sell crushed nuts, but as shivvy says it is easy to crush them yourself.

[mrs.chappie]

Hey, thanks for your replies shivvy and lankeela.

Gotta admit, I hadn't thought about hedgehogs eating peanuts until I met the lady from the Hedgehog Hospital.

Apparently she also gets, on occasion, a hog with a whole sunflower seed in the shell, stuck to the roof of its mouth. Summat else I never thought of.

I'm learning a lot from the HH.

[garner]

Oh, you learn something new every day, I will make sure mine are crushed.I put a mixture down for mine and appear to get the same ones [three years in a row] up to now but glad you have put us wise.thanks.g.

[mrs.chappie]

Thanks for your reply, garner. I didn't even know hedgehogs ate peanuts until a few days ago. I have loads that I give to the wild birds. It's a messy job to crush them up, so when I next buy some, I'll see if they come 'ready crushed'. LOL.

[Jan1957]

You could get some exercise at the same time mrs c. Put them in a bag and jump up and down on them!

[mrs.chappie]

Good idea Jan. I might be just a tad overweight at the mo.

[:o)