Hedgehogs active before I went to bed very late last night and again today earlier on in the evening They all went out foraging in a little line behind mum ( looked very sweet) and they ate the food I put out as well.
Mum will probably move them to another place fairly soon as they no longer need the nest, now they are out, and it is a good security measure. But they will still be within the garden and so I shall continue to put out food and water.
Update later on just before midnight - she has moved them from the nest, but I have seen them in the garden elsewhere.
Saturday, 31 July 2010
Friday, 30 July 2010
Baby hedgehogs
During the last 4 weeks we have been lucky enough to have a hedgehog living under a large fern in one of the flower borders next to the house.
It is unusual for a hoggie to have a permanent nest and come back to it every night at this time of year, so I suspected the hoggie was a she and was getting ready to give birth (or already had given birth) to, some hoglets.
Obviously we couldn't poke around in the nest to see, because that would have frightened her off and possibly caused her to eat the hoglets or abandon them.
This afternoon she came out for a forage, with at least three ( maybe more but only saw three) babies with her.
They are about tennis ball sized, perfect mini hedgehogs and are about 4 weeks old I would say. They followed mum around, making slight squeaks if they lost her, poking around in the dead stuff, for about 20 minutes. Then they went back in to the nest and she followed them and positioned herself across the entrance to the nest. This has been her position every day for the last few weeks, just peeking out at us.
I have provided cat food and fresh water close by.
This is one of the babies on top of the nest. The others have gone back inside and you can just see one in the entrance.
This is the Mum peeping out from the nest, having got the babies inside. She is down the bottom of the picture.
It is unusual for a hoggie to have a permanent nest and come back to it every night at this time of year, so I suspected the hoggie was a she and was getting ready to give birth (or already had given birth) to, some hoglets.
Obviously we couldn't poke around in the nest to see, because that would have frightened her off and possibly caused her to eat the hoglets or abandon them.
This afternoon she came out for a forage, with at least three ( maybe more but only saw three) babies with her.
They are about tennis ball sized, perfect mini hedgehogs and are about 4 weeks old I would say. They followed mum around, making slight squeaks if they lost her, poking around in the dead stuff, for about 20 minutes. Then they went back in to the nest and she followed them and positioned herself across the entrance to the nest. This has been her position every day for the last few weeks, just peeking out at us.
I have provided cat food and fresh water close by.
This is one of the babies on top of the nest. The others have gone back inside and you can just see one in the entrance.
This is the Mum peeping out from the nest, having got the babies inside. She is down the bottom of the picture.
Thursday, 29 July 2010
A new companion for Fudge the Guinea Pig
Fudge is our three and a half year old Guinea Pig. He used to have a male companion (possibly brother?) called Coffee but sadly Coffee died 2 years ago.
Since then I have felt SO guilty that Fudge was all alone but couldn't face more young male GPs and the possibility that they would not all integrate. I wondered about getting a couple of young male piggies to be companions to Fudge but the age difference would then probably mean I was left with two older piggies when Fudge finally died...so what to do for the best?
So today we have finally got a cute dwarf lop rabbit, who has been reared from young with male guinea pigs so, although he will live in a separate house in the same room as Fudge, should be ok for short periods of supervised time with Fudge in the run outside.
This has already perked up Fudge no end and he spent a lot of time this afternoon happily running around, wheeking contentedly and nibbling the same bit of hay as his new friend. The rabbit was gentle and they spent a lot of time grooming each other(sweet). Previously Fudge just sat in the corner of the run, looking miserable.
This way, Fudge gets a friend for some of the time, and when he eventually dies Peter Rabbit can carry on with us as a pet. Yes I know about the name (rolls eyes), but the cats have Beatrix Potter themed names, so Compostgirl came up with Peter as a name, immediately...
Peter Rabbit is a dwarf lop, very cute...
Since then I have felt SO guilty that Fudge was all alone but couldn't face more young male GPs and the possibility that they would not all integrate. I wondered about getting a couple of young male piggies to be companions to Fudge but the age difference would then probably mean I was left with two older piggies when Fudge finally died...so what to do for the best?
So today we have finally got a cute dwarf lop rabbit, who has been reared from young with male guinea pigs so, although he will live in a separate house in the same room as Fudge, should be ok for short periods of supervised time with Fudge in the run outside.
This has already perked up Fudge no end and he spent a lot of time this afternoon happily running around, wheeking contentedly and nibbling the same bit of hay as his new friend. The rabbit was gentle and they spent a lot of time grooming each other(sweet). Previously Fudge just sat in the corner of the run, looking miserable.
This way, Fudge gets a friend for some of the time, and when he eventually dies Peter Rabbit can carry on with us as a pet. Yes I know about the name (rolls eyes), but the cats have Beatrix Potter themed names, so Compostgirl came up with Peter as a name, immediately...
Peter Rabbit is a dwarf lop, very cute...
Wednesday, 28 July 2010
A very busy Wednesday!
Today I have :-
Hand mowed a lot of stuff in the garden.
Cleaned out all the hen houses ( 5 in use at the moment!)
Wormed the three new hens
Filled up 5 compost bins with mowings and paper and stuff.
Harvested loads more produce, am too tired to remember what exactly, but I know I need to make time to process it all tomorrow or soon.
Wrote a proposal for a series of 20 week multi skills courses which I now need to get accredited ...did that in the garden under a tree!
Sorted out Compostgirl's bag to take to her sleep over tonight, and waved her off mid afternoon.
Checked everything was ready for the party of visitors coming to the Wood, tonight, the pre-session "sweep" of the wood had a particular emphasis on wasps etc at this time of year!
Took a load of stuff down to the Wood( First aid and Fire kit, tools, food, games etc) and set up the toilet area.
Had a shower, put on my "work" clothes and made ready to have some fun in the Wood this evening with a load of fellow Master Composters!
Hand mowed a lot of stuff in the garden.
Cleaned out all the hen houses ( 5 in use at the moment!)
Wormed the three new hens
Filled up 5 compost bins with mowings and paper and stuff.
Harvested loads more produce, am too tired to remember what exactly, but I know I need to make time to process it all tomorrow or soon.
Wrote a proposal for a series of 20 week multi skills courses which I now need to get accredited ...did that in the garden under a tree!
Sorted out Compostgirl's bag to take to her sleep over tonight, and waved her off mid afternoon.
Checked everything was ready for the party of visitors coming to the Wood, tonight, the pre-session "sweep" of the wood had a particular emphasis on wasps etc at this time of year!
Took a load of stuff down to the Wood( First aid and Fire kit, tools, food, games etc) and set up the toilet area.
Had a shower, put on my "work" clothes and made ready to have some fun in the Wood this evening with a load of fellow Master Composters!
Tuesday, 27 July 2010
Tues 27 July-pottering around
Compostgirl went off to a drama workshop all day today, so after taking her down to Ledbury I spent the day pottering in the veg plot, harvesting various crops, watering everything and worming hens.
Opal is happy to eat dosed pellet mash, Queenie and Pearl are happy to eat dosed soft bread so all got done today. Only 2 more days to go and I can start to integrate them into the main flock - That will be fun!
I also did some preparations for a party of visitors who are coming to the Wood tomorrow night, so tidying and mowing and putting things away went on as well.
Compostgirl really enjoyed her drama workshop and is now excitedly looking forward to going on a sleep over tomorrow night!
Opal is happy to eat dosed pellet mash, Queenie and Pearl are happy to eat dosed soft bread so all got done today. Only 2 more days to go and I can start to integrate them into the main flock - That will be fun!
I also did some preparations for a party of visitors who are coming to the Wood tomorrow night, so tidying and mowing and putting things away went on as well.
Compostgirl really enjoyed her drama workshop and is now excitedly looking forward to going on a sleep over tomorrow night!
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