Homes for hedgehogs - Hedgehog hoglets

Hedgehogs typically start breeding in May, after waking from hibernation in March or April. During the winter, hedgehogs can lose a third of their body weight, so regaining this weight is important. It’s a great time to put out some supplementary food - such as a meaty cat or dog food - and water. They will also be hunting for nesting sites, so if you plan to put out a hedgehog house, now is the perfect time. 

Mating starts in late spring, and you may find yourself being kept awake by the noise! If you hear loud snuffling and grunting you may well have amorous hedgehogs in your garden. However, once the male hedgehog has persuaded the female to mate, he leaves and it’s all up to the female to raise the young.

Hedgehogs are pregnant for about 4 weeks, and they give birth to up to 7 hoglets. (Although more typically, it’s 4-5, which is still a lot of mouths to feed). The mother will forage for food for the next three to four weeks while the hoglets need to stay in the nest.

Around three to four weeks after they’re born the hoglets will emerge.  You may see them out of their nest in about July or August. They’ll still be taking milk at this time and will return to the nest every night. 

Once they emerge from the nest, it doesn’t take long for the hoglets to become independent. They’ll head out on their own to live solitary lives.  

Whilst it is normal for most hedgehogs to only have one litter, some females may mate for a second time in the late summer and bear a second litter in September. This late litter will almost certainly need extra support to get up to hibernation weight, so it’s a great time to give extra food to your hedgehogs, especially if you see hoglets around in late summer or early autumn. 

This is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to actions you can take to protect Somerset’s hedgehogs. See below for some more ideas, and look out for emails from us over the next three months as we share lots of tips, ideas and fun facts about hedgehogs and how you can help the hogs in your garden.