General Chat

My little visitors are happily tucking into the peanuts and cat food I put out and I hope these foods will help build them up so they can safely hibernate around here. I spend ages just watching them, they are so funny but I must limit myself and get other things done. Made myself late for bed again cos I stood at the patio door watching them a little while ago.

Lizx

Forget to mention that little ones need to weigh at least 650 grams to get through winter so need all the high protein food you can give them now. I am going to try weighing my two soon but have to find the kitchen scales first and then startle the little ones, throw a towel over them and grab them to see how much they weigh! Will let you know how I get on, they both look about 7" long now but might be lightweights.

Lizx

Shemp, if you have dogs they must be very good to have left the hedgehogs alone, one of the springers next door tore a little hedgehog to pieces a few weeks ago - o.h. didn't tell me too much as he said it would upset me but from that I knew it had been awful. I just hope my little ones don't go in the garden next door now.
If you google hedgehog care, you can find lots of info. The woman I spoke with said sunflower seeds and peanuts and cat biscuits, also crumbled up digestive biscuits, give them the sort of fats they need to help them put on weight and get through hibernation. The sites will tell you more about helping them to survive over winter -dried leaves, torn up newspaper or straw/hay in a tough box that they can get in and out of but other predators can't access easily is best for them but obviously needs to be sheltered so it doesn't get wet and disintegrate or get lots of cold and wet from underneath.
Good luck with helping your family survive. I haven't seen the larger ones since before my holiday but the two little ones need most help.

Lizx

Bought a huge bag of shelled peanuts for the birds and hedgehogs yesterday so hope they will build them up nicely and it will discourage the new cat on the block from coming in to steal the food, unless I see it likes peanuts lol

Lizx

Hope no rats have cottoned on yet, Ann, and yes Sharron, will be staying mum for as long as I can. I kept quiet about a young rat I used to see skipping across the garden to get bread crusts that had fallen from the bird table as it was rather cute, altho normally I hate rats, but in the end o.h. spotted it and I had to admit I had been watching it for weeks. He got a ratman in but altho they put down poison in a trap it was a wily thing and never got caught in there altho the food used to be pushed aside and a little nest made in there sometimes, it was really strange. Never found a body but kept finding holes under the shed and other places, which o.h. would fill with poison and then later fill up, no sign for over a year now so hope this is just a passing visitor. Won't be hedgehog food out once I either weigh the little ones and find them underweight so take to the woman caring for them, or notice they aren't coming here any more.

Lizx

As long as it is not attracting rats as well Liz.

Well,you keep it quiet from OH of course!

Been putting out food for the hedgehogs again, two young ones so they need building up, see my post on p.501 on the depression thread, and I just peeked out to see if the hedgehog was back for more food - what should I see but a little mouse tucking in, as I tried to open the door to take a pic, he scarpered very quickly round by the plant pots but I waited and he came back for more food and I got a photo. Not sure I will show o.h. tho, he will make me stop the feeding. I think it might be a little field mouse as the farmer has been ploughing the last few days.

Now what do I do?

Lizx