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Just found a baby hedgehog


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Old 02-11-2016, 21:07
Puterkid
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We are expecting quite a hard frost, so I have put it into a box inside another box with newspaper, cat food and water and put in the garage. Not sure what to do now though I couldn't leave it out to freeze. Any ideas?
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Old 02-11-2016, 21:13
Armi
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I'd have left it be. The mother is probably not far away.
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Old 03-11-2016, 11:20
JeffG1
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Now that the frost is over, I would put it back where you found it, and not shut it up in a garage. I am pretty sure you wouldn't have found a frozen hedgehog this morning if you had left it. Nature is pretty good at looking after itself (usually!)
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Old 03-11-2016, 17:30
Puterkid
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I phoned our local wildlife centre and they said to put it back this evening where found, so will do that. They said it may or may not survive the winter, but will have more chance outside. We were told to keep an eye out and if we see it out in the daytime to phone a local vet, as there are often hedgehog adoption people about who are expert in wintering hedgehogs which vets will know of.
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Old 05-11-2016, 15:48
Normandie
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It's probably made its excuses and left by now but there's a rule of thumb for hedgehogs found at this time of year: if they weigh less than 600g, they ain't going to make it through hibernation. Being near Ma is not going to help it at all and only human intervention will help it over-winter so I'm surprised at the advice from the wildlife centre... well, unless you've already weighed it and it was over 600g.

With the enormous decline in hedgehogs over the past years, every hedgepig matters and we can all help by leaving areas of thick piles of raked up leaves in corners of gardens, overlaid with tree branches to help hold the leaves down. This makes a frost and wind-free area for hedgehogs to crawl into and hibernate. Or you can build your very own hedgehog house.

Good hedgehog advice from St Tiggywinkles...
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Old 05-11-2016, 17:15
DPS
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I had to take a young hedgehog into a sanctuary about a month ago because it wasn't up to winter weight, they won't release them until they around 650g. Hedgehogs will try to hibernate at weights as low as 450g, but won't usually survive. But they can be up to weight and still look quite small (and vice versa), so size and appearance isn't really a guide, they do need to be weighed.

If you've already released it, the only thing you can do now is to put food and water out through the winter, in case it does make it through - hedgehogs tend to wake a few times and need every scrap of food they can get to top up their energy levels. Chicken or turkey cat food and biscuits (no other types as they can't digest fish, and can have problems with other flavours), dried meal worms, and sunflower hearts are all good. You can get proper hedgehog foods if you want to try those.

And if you see it again, take it into the nearest hedgehog sanctuary so it can be checked over and weighed. Then if it's underweight, they'll build it up over the winter. Some newspaper in the bottom of a cardboard box, with a hot water bottle filled with warm water, and wrapped in a tea towel is important, because they can't warm up by themselves at this time of year. Leave some room for them to climb off it if they get too warm. If you see it during the day, then it's sick and needs urgent help, they can die in a matter of hours without it.

http://www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk/l...-Juveniles.pdf
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