Hedgehog in barn!!

[Nicos]

Just been listening to a hedgehog in our barn!
It's tucked under some pallets on which we've stacked boxes and furniture.
Can't see it well enough to see if it's sort of still hibernating ( It's nearly June!!!!)...or if it has babbies!

Don't want to disturb them...but I'm dying to see quite what's going on!

* sits on hands

[WendyC]

I heard two hedgehogs crunching snails one evening whilst I was hanging washing out. Found them under torchlight, one big one one smaller.

[veggiechicken]

How do you know its a hedgehog Nicos?

[Verinda]

I heard a loud commotion one night, looked out and saw a hedgehog ripping open a full binliner and spilling rubbish everywhere! I haven't seen one since moving to Ireland but they are around. Baby hedgehogs are adorable!

[Nicos]

How do you know its a hedgehog Nicos?

We've seen one hissing before- sounds like this.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYrP1rxwVYo

I've got my fingers crossed it's warning us off it's babbies!!!

[veggiechicken]

Awww, I didn't know they hissed So you could be a grandmother, Nicos

[marchogaeth]

Are you putting food out? Our one that was cheeky enough to hibernate in the barn where the cats are fed is really tucking into the biscuits as I guess there isn't much food around. Before anyone asks, hedgehogs leave funny little crumbs which are not like the stuff cats leave, they are the world's messieat eaters of tinned cat food and they poo sometime sin the bowl.

[Nicos]

Nope- we're not leaving food- yet!
We have a lot of mice and have spotted a couple of dead rats over the past 5 yrs...plus a stoat- so I'm not too keen to leave out food- esp as the bunny and hen food is stored in metal bins inside the barn!

I think though a bowl of fresh water might be a good idea though!

[Nicos]

update...

OH went into barn yesterday evening and could hear grunting and chuffing and basically a fair bit of noise coming from the corner of the barn where the pegbog was.

He suddenly wondered if perhaps it was stuck/caught up in something so went to have a little peek to see if it had moved- only to look down onto a small baby hoglet about 2" long!
He didn't hang around as he didn't want to disturb mom so there may well be more!!!!

Talk about thrilled!!!

* sits on hands * sits on hands * sits on hands

...aaawwww...I'm DYING to take a peek...but I won't .......* sigh


(.... yet)

[Two_Sheds]

Don't want to disturb them...but I'm dying to see quite what's going on!

So are we!
I'd set up my (noise activated) little camcorder, the one I have on my bike and in my car

[Feral007]

That's awesome Nicos. Hope you get a look at them soon

[Nicos]

Update...

Sadly the mommy and one baby has died.

The other two are now in our care in our home.
We came back from a 6 day holiday to find that the barn door had been closed whilst we were away so the mommy couldn't get out to feed/drink.

We had specifically asked for the door to be left open but our request fell on deaf ears.
( see rant thread)

Looks like we now have 2 very cold babies- probably about 5 weeks old to care for.

I've done this before about 6yrs ago so I'm not too worried. They're going to need a lot of care over the next few weeks though.

They've both taken a small amount of warm fluids and are snuggled up in a jumper on a heat pad.

I'll try and sex them and will need some help please with naming them as I like to think if they have names they may survive ( )
I want to call one of them Fluffy ( my GYO Gardener's Rest Panto name) but will start a thread asking for suggestions please!

Fingers crossed please for these sweet little babbies folks...if they survive the next couple of days they may well survive.

[marchogaeth]

Good luck. Raised four a few years ago, blooming hard work, mine were very young and needed feeding every two hours for the first few weeks. I'll just say worm them asap in case you don't know, apparently they are infested from the first suckle.

[Nicos]

Thanks marchogaeth.
They're warming up nicely on the pad and about to have their 2nd rehydration feed!

Yeh- I was thinking of asking the vet for lungworm treatment - just in case.No sign of ticks or lice at the moment.

Our daughter did hedgehog survival rate research for her finals in her zoology degree...and so many of the ones which 'should' have thrived ,yet died,had lungworm. ( mostly from eating slugs if I recall)

These have certainly warmed up- they're snuffling around! phew!...think we caught them just in time. Can't understand why the mommy would have died and yet these survived. Strange really- you'd have thought she'd have been hardier than that.

[scarey55]

Noooo, that's really bad news, what a horrid thing to come home to Fingers crossed for you all x