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Thread: FEEDING Through the Bars

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    City Island, Bronx, NY
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    Default FEEDING Through the Bars

    It's been my method for years to feed my young squirrels through the bars of the cage whenever possible, as soon as they are at the age where they can safely be put in a "starter cage". The reasons for this are:

    1. Minimize handling after the 8/9 week old mark. To raise squirrels who are wild enough to succeed in the wild, we really need to minimize handling, which includes holding them to feed. Up until that 8/9 week mark I love to hold babies on my lap, cuddle them afterward, feed them wrapped in fleece, etc. However, when it's time to introduce veggies and when they've gotten up to 27-30cc at one feeding, feeding through the bars is, IMHO, a better way to begin their gentle weaning AWAY from human contact.

    2. It's quicker, and minimizes competition and anxiety for the kids. If you can do three or four syringes at a time (practice makes perfect ) you enable everyone to eat at the same time so the ones waiting aren't killing each other while waiting their turns. You spend less time feeding. And again, you reduce their dependence on what YOU do.

    There are times when this won't work: if you have more than four babies in a cage and can only do four (or fewer) syringes at one time. But, it has worked well for me and I thought I'd pass it along. Here are "The Russians", my three older kids, enjoying their breakfast


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    Island Rehabber
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  2. 2 TSBers pass along the fuzzy thanks to island rehabber:

    DarkLies212 (05-05-2016), meganmarire (05-05-2016)

  3. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Playas del Coco, Guanacaste, Costa Rica
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    Default Re: FEEDING Through the Bars

    I saw the thread title:
    FEEDING-through the BARS, and I first thought COOL...Driving from bar to bar and having a snack with each drink....
    OH--you meant squirrels---
    Well...I guess that's OK, too.

  4. #3
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Location
    Florida
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    8,726
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    Default Re: FEEDING Through the Bars

    I do this from time to time....... but for me its done more with
    the ones that are mean from the get go --keeps me protected.

  5. #4
    DaSquirrelMom Guest

    Default Re: FEEDING Through the Bars

    Feeding 3 at one time. That's talent! Thanks for sharing your knowledge and photos.

    I fed the fastest, underweight, 8-weeks-old? red squirrels on Earth in an alternative way this morning. Instead of trying to swaddle them, have them escape, and chase them around the bathroom, I put their formula in an extra hanging water bottle for 30 minutes. They definitely ate more than the piddly 4 ccs they usually consume when fed from a syringe.

  6. Serious fuzzy thank you's to DaSquirrelMom from:

    island rehabber (05-05-2016)

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