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toyah
Key Member
Joined: 09 Nov 2005
Posts: 228
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 Posted: Thu Nov 15, 2007 12:48 pm Post subject: Hedgehogs and hedgehog cages |
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I did promise I'd post some of these, managed to dig them out for you.
I started out with my hedgehogs in four foot long indoor rabbit cages, like this:
I then made a large cage out of grids, which housed a pair of Indians:
Plus a stack of grid cages (the middle centre grids come out to allow access, and the whole front comes off to allow trays to be pulled out and cleaned. You can see the four foot rabbit cage on top to give an idea of size:
And of course the hedgehogs themselves 
Two of my male Indians:
Female Indian:
Chocolate African male:
Female Indian's belly:
Baby Indian:
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Lynne
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Joined: 30 Jul 2007
Posts: 8265
Location: Kincardine-on-Forth
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| Posted: Thu Nov 15, 2007 1:45 pm Post subject: |
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omg look at that baby. am just getting one toyah. so would the first cage size you put up do me? although that baby is tempting. 
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toyah
Key Member
Joined: 09 Nov 2005
Posts: 228
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| Posted: Thu Nov 15, 2007 1:55 pm Post subject: |
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The bigger the cage, the better for these things - in the wild they would run up to five miles a night foraging for food.
To be honest after a while I gave up on cages, set up a few heated cozy spots, and just left them running round the floor so they had an 11 x 14 foot room. That was my favourite way to keep them, and they seemed happiest like that too... |
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Young_Gun
Captivebred Communist
Joined: 17 Sep 2006
Posts: 1420
Location: Liverpool
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| Posted: Thu Nov 15, 2007 3:06 pm Post subject: |
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I was thinking about doing something like that Toyah, use my room for free roamers, did you find them doing their business in any odd places?
I was thinking about having a big wheel set up with food and water around and a couple of heated nest boxes.
Any tips of how you had yours done would be appreciated a lot 
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Lynne
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Joined: 30 Jul 2007
Posts: 8265
Location: Kincardine-on-Forth
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| Posted: Thu Nov 15, 2007 3:10 pm Post subject: |
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as above, but i still want cage for times he has to be safer.
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toyah
Key Member
Joined: 09 Nov 2005
Posts: 228
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| Posted: Thu Nov 15, 2007 3:20 pm Post subject: |
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| Young_Gun wrote: | | I was thinking about doing something like that Toyah, use my room for free roamers, did you find them doing their business in any odd places? |
Yeah, in most places, all the time (though mainly centered in the place they considered their main "territory". They're really messy, not a naturally toilet trained animal. I would recommend no carpet, and sweeping/mopping the entire floor regularly.
| Young_Gun wrote: | I was thinking about having a big wheel set up with food and water around and a couple of heated nest boxes.
Any tips of how you had yours done would be appreciated a lot |
I had a few boxes filled with hay, little houses for them to hide in (http://bettysbeds.com/ do some nice wee ones - like little cat houses), and a four foot wooden viv which was heated with the doors slightly open so they could get in and out. Food and water was left in several places round the room, and of course the rats threw bits of food and bedding out at them which they would inspect carefully, and then eat.
They have no fear - they would run up to the cats, smell them, then try to bite them to see if they're edible. And they are fast ... they zoom about at high speed, from when I first saw that I felt bad putting them in little four foot cages as they're not big enough for them to get to top speed in. I never used wheels as I'm unconvinced on wheels generally - I feel they have the potential to cause or aggravate spinal issues as they tend to promote an unnatural posture.
My main tip would be to wear proper shoes, as they will sneak up out of nowhere and bite your toes with no provation. |
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Young_Gun
Captivebred Communist
Joined: 17 Sep 2006
Posts: 1420
Location: Liverpool
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| Posted: Thu Nov 15, 2007 3:29 pm Post subject: |
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| toyah wrote: | | Young_Gun wrote: | | I was thinking about doing something like that Toyah, use my room for free roamers, did you find them doing their business in any odd places? |
Yeah, in most places, all the time (though mainly centered in the place they considered their main "territory". They're really messy, not a naturally toilet trained animal. I would recommend no carpet, and sweeping/mopping the entire floor regularly.
| Young_Gun wrote: | I was thinking about having a big wheel set up with food and water around and a couple of heated nest boxes.
Any tips of how you had yours done would be appreciated a lot |
I had a few boxes filled with hay, little houses for them to hide in (http://bettysbeds.com/ do some nice wee ones - like little cat houses), and a four foot wooden viv which was heated with the doors slightly open so they could get in and out. Food and water was left in several places round the room, and of course the rats threw bits of food and bedding out at them which they would inspect carefully, and then eat.
They have no fear - they would run up to the cats, smell them, then try to bite them to see if they're edible. And they are fast ... they zoom about at high speed, from when I first saw that I felt bad putting them in little four foot cages as they're not big enough for them to get to top speed in. I never used wheels as I'm unconvinced on wheels generally - I feel they have the potential to cause or aggravate spinal issues as they tend to promote an unnatural posture.
My main tip would be to wear proper shoes, as they will sneak up out of nowhere and bite your toes with no provation. |
i am gonna do the same as you then, got a spare 5ft viv empty in my room atm so I will use nesting boxes outside and have heated ones inside the viv.
Only problem might be is I have a couple of free roaming Brachyphelma sp so will round them up and should be fine then.
Did you find they would hide a lot or they would be active all the time?
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toyah
Key Member
Joined: 09 Nov 2005
Posts: 228
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| Posted: Thu Nov 15, 2007 3:36 pm Post subject: |
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| Young_Gun wrote: | i am gonna do the same as you then, got a spare 5ft viv empty in my room atm so I will use nesting boxes outside and have heated ones inside the viv.
Only problem might be is I have a couple of free roaming Brachyphelma sp so will round them up and should be fine then.
Did you find they would hide a lot or they would be active all the time? |
Free roaming Brachypelma sp. is a really scary thought.
I tend to go into the rodent room in the evenings anyway, and the hedgehogs would mainly be active at that time. Saying that, sometimes I wouldn't see them for a week or two, other times they'd be there constantly, just depends on whether I was in the right place at the right time.
When I went into the room, to start with they'd freeze and ball up. Then they'd peek out, and eventually scuttle off. Once they got used to me, they'd not even bother balling up properly, just freeze for a second, then continue on their way. When I used to hand feed them their waxworms, they would come and find me when I came in, demanding their food - so if you stuck to a routine you'd get their attention fairly easily. I think they would work well with a bell or similar - get them conditioned to the bell ringing means waxworms, and then soon enough if you rang the bell they'd come see you. If I could do it again, I'd probably do that as I did worry sometimes when I hadn't seen one in a few days, it would have been nice to get them without exploring dark corners of the cupboard with a torch.
Oh - another tip. Oven gloves! Easiest way to handle them if they're in a huff. |
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Jase
Captivebred Colonel
Joined: 24 Feb 2007
Posts: 2602
Location: Wolverhampton
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| Posted: Thu Nov 15, 2007 3:38 pm Post subject: |
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| Young_Gun wrote: | | I have a couple of free roaming Brachyphelma sp |
Was that on purpose or did you chose to have free range tarantulas?!
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Young_Gun
Captivebred Communist
Joined: 17 Sep 2006
Posts: 1420
Location: Liverpool
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| Posted: Thu Nov 15, 2007 3:40 pm Post subject: |
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| toyah wrote: | | Young_Gun wrote: | i am gonna do the same as you then, got a spare 5ft viv empty in my room atm so I will use nesting boxes outside and have heated ones inside the viv.
Only problem might be is I have a couple of free roaming Brachyphelma sp so will round them up and should be fine then.
Did you find they would hide a lot or they would be active all the time? |
Free roaming Brachypelma sp. is a really scary thought.
I tend to go into the rodent room in the evenings anyway, and the hedgehogs would mainly be active at that time. Saying that, sometimes I wouldn't see them for a week or two, other times they'd be there constantly, just depends on whether I was in the right place at the right time.
When I went into the room, to start with they'd freeze and ball up. Then they'd peek out, and eventually scuttle off. Once they got used to me, they'd not even bother balling up properly, just freeze for a second, then continue on their way. When I used to hand feed them their waxworms, they would come and find me when I came in, demanding their food - so if you stuck to a routine you'd get their attention fairly easily. I think they would work well with a bell or similar - get them conditioned to the bell ringing means waxworms, and then soon enough if you rang the bell they'd come see you. If I could do it again, I'd probably do that as I did worry sometimes when I hadn't seen one in a few days, it would have been nice to get them without exploring dark corners of the cupboard with a torch.
Oh - another tip. Oven gloves! Easiest way to handle them if they're in a huff. |
Just hope they havent laid any sacs
But slings would only make a nice little tasty snack I suppose.
I will definitely try the bell idea, what ratio of invert/dry food did you give?
Are there any veggies that you can think of to steer clear of, most care sheets I have read just have said 'Cat food like Iams, mix of inverts and vegetables'.
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