New hedgehog feeding station ‘feed and watch’
As with all of my product, this one has an educational aspect and is great for kids, who may only ever see a dead hedgehog in the road. After several trials, this was designed (Registered Design) to enable people to watch and film their hedgehog visitors through a large observation window as they feed or drink.
It keeps the food dry and allows for a small receptacle to be filled with water and placed inside the feeding port. Alternatively, a larger one can easily be left outside for the hedgehog to drink from. Hedgehogs need water as well!
Hedgehog Feeding Station, side view and feeding/water port
The narrow entrance hole opens out into a larger area for feeding and drinking. The hedgehog can enter, turn around or leave from either side.
Ooops! I could not resist taking this photograph! The Hedgehog “Feed and Watch” station does not come painted nor is the cuddly bumblebee included!
The best way to see this new product in action is to watch the video…….Does it work? “Beautifully! As do all of my products!”
aaaah!!!! Love it George, watched it three times already. The chomping sound is an added bonus. Did you dig up the worms? can imagine hog coming back more than once if they are provided for him/her. Did you notice the ‘tick’ behind the ear?? Sadly we can’t keep hedgehogs in our garden, I’ve tried but we are too near the stream, I only wish they would adopt us.
Marian
Thanks Marian. Bacon rind…. I would n’t use worms!!!! No I did n’t see the tick but will look now. Chomping noise, just would n’t invite it to my dining table! Probably the same one came the next evening and was drinking out of the green plastic milk top but did n’t manage to film it.More films soon! BFN, George
I hope you won’t mind my comments but in case members of the public aren’t sure what to feed their visiting garden hogs I thought I would just mention re the bacon rind you said you fed the hog in the video,Cat or dog meat or dry cat biscuits (not fish flavour) is more suitable for Hedgehogs. These days bacon is salty which is not good for hogs. Also the milk bottle cap would not hold enough water for a hog to drink. One thirsty adult hog can drink the entire contents of a saucer of water in one go and then come back for more.
Thank you for your helpful comments Virginia. The site receives many 100’s visits every week by people wishing to know about nature.Hints, tips, etc. are valuable contributions, like yours! The original idea was to show people that the feeding station worked and not as an example of what you feed or drink quantity!! Thank you for pointing that out! The bacon rind was organic and soaked overnight in water to soften it up. In the past and as now I have gone back to my peanut butter (50% fat, 28% protein) lard, soaked raisins, a few porridge oats and a grated brazil nut, mixed with a little water to keep it all moist, placed inside a deep plastic container. The plastic bottle top, works although you are right it does not hold much water. I now have a much deeper plastic container filled with water inside the feeding station! The hedgehog gorges on the food mix and drinks the water…to date, not all of it though! Thanks for your input. George
Just been for our last night walk with our dogs and rescued a small hog almost in the gutter of the main road in our village so with sleeves over wrists carried it in the pitch dark to our churchyard where hopefully it will remain happy amongst the gravestones!!! Would have preferred it in our garden but not happy with the stream so close.
Marian
Marian, it will need to be fed and fatten up for hibernation….quickly! Hedgehogs can swim…. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sd5jNzW_sOU so I would not be too worried about the stream….:-) George
What a great video, just what I want to do. I have a hog visiting most nights at different times. I started with a small saucer with commercial food and the first night the hog competed for feed with a large slug. I then changed to something less easy to access. this is now being raided by cats and magpies. any ideas to foil these raiders. Does your station foil the robbers or are they not a problem with you?
Hi Judith, other than small kittens, cats have been kept out of the feeding station in my garden, which is exactly why I designed it after several prototypes. Unfortunately slugs do get in!! If you are interested in buying one for your hog, please get back to me. Kind Regards, George