More Hog Info

Hedgehogs are nocturnal animals. They sleep in nests built from leaves, twigs and other garden material. A hedgehog "sleeping" in the middle of your lawn is sick and help should be sought immediately.

Hedgehog babies are born after a 40 day gestation period. They emerge pink, spineless, blind and deaf.
The first spines appear after two hours and are white, the eyes open between 10 - 14 days and their hearing develops after about 17 days. It would be fair to say that hedgehog babies are totally helpless. Hedgehogs look like "real" hedgehogs after about three weeks.

Orphaned babies are fed on a mixture of Goats Milk and Goats Colostrum. Before and after each feed the babies need to be "toiletted" something that the mother would do, just like cats and dogs. Without this the babies would die very quickly.

Hedgehog spines are modified hairs of which they can have 4 - 6000.
They have been on the earth for millions of years. Their diet consists of beetles, caterpillars, worms, slugs and snails and many others including small frogs and dead mice or birds.

Isn't it a pity that after so long on the earth their numbers appear to be in decline and some of their problems are man made.

We strive for pristine gardens, ripping out hedges and shrubs and poisoning with slug pellets.

We drive too fast and squash many thousands of these endearing creatures every year.

In our careless rush we injure hundreds each summer with our garden equipment.

Please watch out for hedgehogs and please help us to help them before it's too late.