Hedgehogs'

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Hedgehogs'

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Cathryn

Joined: 16 Jul 2005
Posts: 19856
Location: Ceredigion

Posted: Sat Mar 22, 14 8:58 am Post subject: Hedgehogs'

I have been reading part of a thread on here about badgers (can't find it at the moment). I also made a big effort to be open minded on the issues discussed. In an even more positive way, I miss hedgehogs so what can I/we do to encourage them back.

I live on a medium sized farm, I realise that some of the solutions I need will not be quite the same as those with small holdings or back gardens but everything could help. We already manage to an extent, to support birds and mammals. A lot of acres are left as unimproved grassland and we have ponds and streams and a lot of mixed and old woodland. We're understocked by most standards (sheep) and we treat them with chemicals at a minimal rate (not prophylactically) and follow rotational grazing. Sounds great doesn't it but I haven't seen a hedgehog for many years. What else shall we do? I want hedgehogs back!

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46244
Location: yes

Posted: Sat Mar 22, 14 9:23 am Post subject:
coppice hibernation stacks hedges selective felling to give open areas invertebrate habitat stacks of brash from felling feeding especially in autumn/spring if hibernation wt might be an issue if there are none as a seed crop import a few (im not sure of the rules on that but the local wildlife rescue folk would know)

Ty Gwyn

Joined: 22 Sep 2010
Posts: 4613
Location: Lampeter

Posted: Sat Mar 22, 14 9:59 am Post subject:
Speaking from here,they seem to come and go like the rabbits,don`t know if there is a link, 2yrs ago,they seemed to be everywhere,even eating the cat`s food ,with the cat,but none since then. The amount of hedging i have done here over the year`s,all of Dpack`s suggestions are in place,but they still seem to come and go.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46244
Location: yes

Posted: Sat Mar 22, 14 11:47 am Post subject:
i suspect the road kill numbers are quite high in some places but i havnt seen many of those recently

Cathryn

Joined: 16 Jul 2005
Posts: 19856
Location: Ceredigion

Posted: Sat Mar 22, 14 11:53 am Post subject:

We have all of that in quantity dpack. We have a large thriving badger population, so food doesn't seem to be an issue? What do you think? Some of the larger birds, the raptors had a bad year but the choughs and house sparrows are thriving.

I haven't seen hedgehogs in a large radius around here, no road deaths, used to be a sad but reassuring way of checking numbers. Can't imagine where I'd find seed hedgehogs. There are no rescue places anywhere around.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46244
Location: yes

Posted: Sat Mar 22, 14 11:54 am Post subject:
tiggy reports it seems they are in decline for many possible reasons including an increase in badger numbers,pesticides and cars are probably the reason for the earlier drops but the rapid drop in the last decade might well be badger caused

LynneA

Joined: 25 Oct 2006
Posts: 4893
Location: London N21

Posted: Sat Mar 22, 14 4:52 pm Post subject:
Think I would also include the fashion for decking and excessive hard landscaping in gardens. Saw the first hedgepig in our garden for a few years on Thursday evening

sueshells

Joined: 20 Jan 2009
Posts: 690
Location: North Bucks

Posted: Thu Apr 10, 14 11:09 pm Post subject:

It's ironic, I know, but my daughter lives in Milton Keynes and there are plenty of hedgehogs round there. The little blighters keep her awake at night with their courtship rituals. Probably not so many badgers in Central MK so that might help. She (daughter) has far more wildlife in her small back garden than I do, even though I live further out in the country. MK is something of a haven for critters of all sorts.

madcat

Joined: 24 May 2008
Posts: 1265
Location: worcester

Posted: Fri Apr 11, 14 5:44 pm Post subject:
I think that hedgehogs will continue to decline unless badgers are controlled. We get them strolling about the streets in WR1 and I haven't seen a hedgehog in ages.

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Fri Apr 11, 14 5:55 pm Post subject:
Plenty of hedgehogs round here and loads of badgers, foxes, dogs, cars and even a Conserative MP - so I can't blame the usual scapegoats.

iaf

Joined: 30 Oct 2010
Posts: 168

Posted: Fri Apr 11, 14 6:37 pm Post subject:
you can have the family that lives at the bottom of my garden, the family love them, the dog hates them, I tolerate them-they're not rats...

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15993

Posted: Sat Apr 12, 14 8:48 am Post subject:
Like that Dpack. Iaf, they are probably doing for most of your slugs and snails, so enjoy your low slug status and encourage the hedgehogs.

madcat

Joined: 24 May 2008
Posts: 1265
Location: worcester

Posted: Sat Apr 12, 14 9:37 pm Post subject:
I looked at the link and given that we have plenty of cover and use no slug pellets and are linked by a path and a no through road to some good habitat I can't see any other reason for hedgehogs being scarce other than predation.

jamanda
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 22 Oct 2006
Posts: 35057
Location: Devon

Posted: Sat Apr 12, 14 9:41 pm Post subject:

madcat wrote:

I looked at the link and given that we have plenty of cover and use no slug pellets and are linked by a path and a no through road to some good habitat I can't see any other reason for hedgehogs being scarce other than predation.

How do you know they are scarce though? maybe they're just good at keeping hidden.

madcat

Joined: 24 May 2008
Posts: 1265
Location: worcester

Posted: Sat Apr 12, 14 9:46 pm Post subject:
We used to see them and find hedgehog crap in the garden. We probably have toads but they do hide away. I only see the odd one if I disturb something. I don't put food out for anything because we would just get rats.

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