Hedgehogs need you...

It is getting cold so please look out for small Autumn juvenile hedgehogs... The last litter was very late again this year, so there will be many juveniles that just will not put enough weight on to see them through the cold of the winter...

I put dog food out every night, as soon as it gets dark, from mid October to help fatten up my local hog population to give them a fighting chance...

I found this little chap outside munching at about 5 o'clock last night and knew it was well under the safe weight so picked it up and put it in the spare box.

It weighed about 480gms they really do need to be at least 650gms and ideally 750gm to hibernate safely so I'm glad I took my opportunity to grab it. ( though I've had a headache from hell ever since  having upset my neck actually picking it up)

It ate a big bowl of dog food, some sunflower seeds, water and built itself a lovely nest and seems healthy just young...

I'm rather house bound so this little chap got taken to my local centre, by a volunteer ambulance driver.
Where it will be defluked, defleaed, fed and released next spring...

For more info on how you can help hedgehogs click here

Till next time wrap up warm...
Smiles Cass

Proud Hog Grannie...

About 10days ago I found my little female outside under a table in my garden about 7am, she was very subdued and a bit cold. I picked her up and found she was covered with 14 ticks. I had noticed she was also much bigger and was worried she might have a ballooning condition that other Hogs I have found were suffering from. (see April's post)

I've known this little Hog since she was tiny and she tolerates me sitting on my doorstep whilst she munches so I have become rather attached.

Anyway I have a wooden box, towel and hot water bottle I keep for little rescuees, she perked up a little after warming up and I couldn't find any injures so I waited till my local  Rescue Centre, Brent Lodge in Siddlesham http://www.brentlodge.org/ opened. ( great site for wildlife advice! and a great place to raise funds for too!)

I knew I would not be able to remove the ticks, too many around her face and I really didn't want her to be hibernating with them and was also concerned she may be ill.

So off I went, third visit this year 26 mile round trip and was keeping everything crossed for a positive outcome.

Ticks removed successfully, drugs given we waited...

 I waited to be given to nod to come and pick her up... 

Well I'm very pleased to report that my little Hedgehog friend is the proud mum of four!!

 I am so pleased and relieved... all are doing really well

It is rather late in the season to be having a Hoglets so the young may have to over winter at the centre... they need to be 650gms to successfully hibernate.

 I've got to phone again in a weeks time...

So that dating was consummated

It is time to start feeding hedgehogs again... any Autumn juveniles will need help to fatten up to survive the winter. All the help you need can be found on the website above...

Have a lovely weekend....

Dating hedgehogs

Well heavy breathing and grunting outside my front door for the past two nights...
Can only mean one thing...

My little hoggie friends are dating again... quite a large male was not bothered by the flash of my camera more interested in wooing me thinks...


Here are two great designs for making a safe space in your garden for hedgehogs to nest and hibernate

Or this rather fabulous one

They really do need all the help they can get and please it you are using slug pellets please use them responsibly, another dead hedgehog found at the allotment yesterday...  or better still don't use them at all.

Slug pellets sadly don't just kill slugs... even the organic ones...

Sadly birds, sloe worms, frogs and hedgehogs all eat slugs,  they don't know if a slug has ingested bait...

Let's support our wildlife!

Use beer traps, use grit...

I put upside down terracotta pots or wood planks down around my plots and the slugs hide there so I can collect them...

In past years I have transported these found slugs off to nearby fields on my way home but this year  (overt eyes if sensitive) I've been cutting them in half, humane and quick then my frogs, hedgehogs or indeed blackbirds seem happy to clear up for me and it is safe for them to do so.

Not an easy decision for me but it rests easier than no veg or using baited slug pellets...

Hedgehog Rescue

Yesterday morning up at my allotment we finally managed to get the main spuds in, dug up the last of the parsnips and put the tepees up ready for the beans.

A good morning, sorry forgot to take the camera....

On the way home I drove round a corner to find a hedgehog just hoovering on the kerb....

I love hedgehogs but this little chap really aught not to be up and about at 2 so I got out of my car, stopped the traffic, took my coat off wrapped him up and continued home.

Now luckily I do have a wooden box I keep for waifs and strays.

I couldn't find any external damage although he did look rather bloated... and a bit snuffily...

I  built a paper nest, left some food and water and put him on a warm water bottle. As he did show some interest in the food I put the lid on and I left him to it.



I needed to have a rest so a couple of hours later I rang my local wildlife centre and a lovely chap picked him up on his way back from work.

Apparently hedgehogs can get bloated, air traps under their skin if they have a weak lungs / lung infection and need a vet to make a little incision  to let the air out.

I do hope the little chap survives, makes a swift recovery and can be released again...
I will ring the centre tomorrow to see...

Update

Sadly after they deflated her they found that she had a badly broken jaw that they just could not repair and she had to be put down.
 The good news is that it was a recent injury, so although this is what had created the air to trap, the story would have been far worse if she'd been left in the wild unable to eat and continuing to inflate.

Frogs and Hogs...

Well spring has sprung...

I'm very happy to report that at least two of the larger frogs, in my little garden survived the winter, I saw them swimming around yesterday and today there is loads of frog spawn in my pond.

I am very very excited as this is the first year it has happened!!

For the past 6 years I have dutifully brought a little from the little pond up at my allotment and popped it in here...

Yesterday I covered the allotment pond, so the spawn would be protected from any late frost and from being eaten..

I do love frogs... and they do a fantastic job munching all those slugs...

Talking of slug munchers...

more good news the Hedgehogs have survived the winter too!!

I saw two last night...

This big chap


and a much smaller one too.

Isn't nature just grand...