Hedgehogs

[Hinksy]

Is it possible to get Hedgehogs? Not the Pygmy types being sold for £150 in friday ad, but the native types?

[Capsid]

Why would you want to?

[Hinksy]

Well it's different, and adding a little bit of wildlife to the garden would be great for the Grandaughter, since redesigning the veg area not much comes into the garden now.

[Capsid]

I'm sure some hedgehogs will find their way into your garden, or leave a gap somewhere. Even if you did manage to get one (which I doubt) then they will just find a way out of the garden somehow. They aren't really a pet animal.

[Hinksy]

Just a thought anyway, not seen one (a live one) around here in years anyway.

[Two_Sheds]

If you haven't already seen one, then your garden probably isn't suitable for them: they tend to find their own way (I've found their poops occasionally, but never seen a live one in my garden, although I saw one jogging down the bike lane the other night).

here's a maybe-useful link: Wyre Forest Hedgehog Rescue. Rehabilitation for sick, injured and orphaned hedgehogs around kidderminster, Bewdley and Stourport.

[Nicos]

If you did get a rescue one- then you'd need to make sure your garden is perfect for supporting it.
They roam up to 3 miles a night and really should be allowed to roam out of your garden to get access to enough variety of food.
As 2sheds says- your garden may not be ideal- you may have foxes eating them..had you thought of that?

If I were you I'd make a huge effort to make it as hedgehog friendly as poss- then wait and see.
Good luck!...it's a lovely thought!

( ps if you're wanting one to eat the slugs- then forget it- slugs carry disease to hedgehogs causing thousands of deaths a year...you'd still need to collect slugs and snails- even more so )

[PAULW]

but never seen a live one in my garden, although I saw one jogging down the bike lane the other night).

[/url]

Been on the sloe gin again have we, jogging hedgehogs whatever next.

[Florence Fennel]

Been on the sloe gin again have we, jogging hedgehogs whatever next.

No Paul, surely TS was jogging down the bike lane, not the hedgehog?

[Nicos]

No Paul, surely TS was jogging down the bike lane, not the hedgehog?

Nah....t'would have been the hedgehog!

Bike lanes are for bikes - not joggers- just as roads are for cars and not bikes!!! *ducks*

[SlugLobber]

The Wildlife Trusts do rehome hedgehogs which have been brought in for treatment, but there is a waiting list and I would assume there is some criteria to fulfil, too, like no rabid dogs or slug pellets, that sort of thing. SWT definitely rehome, anyway.

[Two_Sheds]

No Paul, surely TS was jogging down the bike lane, not the hedgehog?

I was cycling, the hog was jogging; really quite fast

[Two_Sheds]

Bike lanes are for bikes - not joggers- just as roads are for cars and not bikes!!! *ducks*

like pavements are for people, not parked cars

[Eco-Chic]

Many many moons ago, when I still had a lawn, the garden lights were on and I watched mummy hedgehog crossing the lawn with two baby hogs following her. I was transported with delight. They were so cute.

There used to be a big old boy who hibernated at the end of the garden and I still leave a pile of twiggy sticks, bramble and leaves in case he or his descendants choose to come back.

I haven't seen a hedgehog in quite a long time. I suspect my dogs are not conducive to hedgehogs hanging out.

[Hinksy]

It was more just a thought of rehoming a couple and building them a house in the garden and a good supply of food, roaming we not have been a problem as our garden backs on to allotments which back onto a very large park which runs through a large part of Kent.

To say I have not seen much wildlife in our garden is possibly a small lie, as before I built or veg patch 20ft by 35ft it was an overgrown and barriered off part of the garden which used to attract lots of different things. Since clearing it up and building my veg areas not much of the wildlife has stayed around.