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 600gm to successfully hibernate.

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

So that dating was consummated (see post 1/08/12)

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.