Question about "over wintering"...

[YamahaGirl]

I plan to release my 2 squirrels as soon as they are able, but that time happens to be the middle/end of November and seeing as I live in Buffalo, we could have 3 feet of snow by then...lol.

Anyway, I was advised to "over-winter" them until the spring and then release them.

I have a outside cage built that is about 4 x 4 x 8 and is capable of being covered on as many sides as needed to protect from harsh elements, such as wind, snow, etc.

My question is this:

Is it ok to leave them outside in this cage the entire winter?????

I would provide food/water/necessities of course, I just was not sure if leaving them outside is the right thing to do?

Any advice would be appreciated, thank you!!
Heather

[Critter_Queen]

So long as you acclimate them to the outdoors before it gets too cold, they should be fine outside. I would recommend covering almost all of the enclosure to protect against harsh winds and ice. Snow isn't really a big deal, as long as they have their winter coats. I would provide them with nest boxes and be prepared to divide the enclosure just in case war breaks out between them. :thumbsup

I wintered a squirrel last year, but he had to stay indoors due to being almost hairless from sarcoptic mange. But he would have been fine outside had he been fully furred and properly acclimated to the outdoors.

I would suggest getting them out there as soon as they are ready. Start by taking their cage outside for a few hours a day...then leave it out there all day but bring it in at night...then leave it in the outdoor enclosure with the cage door open 24/7 and they'll come out and should be well-adjusted to the weather by then. Just make sure they have something to sleep in at night to stay warm.

Hope that helps!!

[YamahaGirl]

YES YES, thank you!

I have been taking their cage outside now for periods of time, they listen sooo attentively at all the sounds...

If a bird goes by or just makes a sound, the immediately look up! How do they know the bird is up?? Ha ha, that instinct thing is amazing! They sooo want to be let out when we go outside, they dig at the bottom of the cage and try to escape, lol.

It has been a bit chilly here, in the 50-60's already.

I had planned to have the cage built and ready to go within the next 4 weeks, so they can be more outside for about 4 weeks before winter actually gets here. Then by the end of Nov, they will be completely outside. I wanted to be able to put food, etc into the cage but to keep our contact to a minimal still so they can be "wild"....

Is this right? Or should I keep in contact with them thru the winter?

[Critter_Queen]

I tried to make mine as wild as I could. I pretty much just fed, watered, cleaned and that was it. I like using the nest boxes because if you plan to release them somewhere besides your yard, you can put some wire mesh over the nestbox hole before the sun comes up one spring morning and transport them to where you want them released. Put 'em up in the tree in the box and QUICKY remove the wire mesh! :) They may or may not come back to the nestbox as their home. I had one that stayed and one that split the minute she tasted freedom. :thumbsup

I would keep putting them out for longer periods of time each day as winter approaches. The longer they're out in your 50-60 degree weather, the better they'll adjust as the temp drops and the better their coats will thicken.

Sounds like you're doing great! :)

[YamahaGirl]

:thankyou


We are going to build a couple nest boxes also to keep in the outdoor cage until they are ready to go in the spring, then we want to put the same nest boxes up in trees in the yard.

I can only hope they will "stick" around, but if they dont, I did my part and them being in the wild is all I asked for.....

[Critter_Queen]

If you want them both to stay, I would suggest placing their nestboxes in trees as far from each other as possible. Just by observing the squirrels in my yard, I've not actually seen more than one "home" within 50' or less of each other...usually lots further than that. Squirrels can be very territorial, so if you want them to stay, try to give them each half of your yard if it's possible.

Good luck!!

[YamahaGirl]

Hmm, thanks for that, I would never have thought of that!

Our yard is set up rather well for that then!

We even have a patch of about 12 pine trees all in a square shaped area.

We have a cork screw willow on one side of the yard, a horse chestnut tree in the middle and then 2 maples on the other side of the yard.

Once they are released, do I still have to provide food for them??

Also...what about peanut shells? I have not given peanuts yet, but I was curious about the shells?

[Critter_Queen]

I don't know about the peanut shells...I try to stay away from peanuts...I feed mostly walnuts, acorns, hazelnuts, pine nuts and a little pecan...actually I stick with walnuts and acorns most as they are readily available in nature around here so they will have a good supply and will like them already.

If you want them to stick around once released you could provide them with a small portion of food. I wouldn't put out too much as you don't want them not hunting for their own in nature and only taking yours. But when I release at my mom's place, she will usually feed them each day for maybe a week, then every-other-day for a week, then not at all after that...but we don't care if they stay around or not...just wanting to be sure they can find their own food before we stop feeding them all together.

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

Yamaha girl if you want to keep them coming back you will probably need to keep feeding them.
A few peanuts are ok but there are a lot more healthier nuts to give.
I dont even give my inside babies peanuts, only some to the outside squirrles.

[YamahaGirl]

Ahh, I see...ok, makes sense.

Acorns..>I was told not too green, not too ripe...how do I know when the acorns are ok to give them?

ALso, do you ever give them nuts IN the shells for them to open themselves or is it too hard?

Heather

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

I have started giving my 10 week old nuts to try to open & even if they cant do it they are getting used to the feel of the shells ect. Good practice!

[Critter_Queen]

I give 'em shell-on nuts as early as 7-8 weeks old. They usually just play with them until about 9-10 weeks of age, but it's good practice. :)

I look for acorns that are still on the tree. If they are green, leave 'em. If they are brownish and still on the tree, pick 'em. A ripe acorn will detach fairly easily from it's cap. Once you can identify them on the tree, you can usually find some good ones on the ground, too.

Another way to tell if the acorn is good (when not green) is to put them in water. Floaters are bad acorns.

[YamahaGirl]

I give 'em shell-on nuts as early as 7-8 weeks old. They usually just play with them until about 9-10 weeks of age, but it's good practice. :)

I look for acorns that are still on the tree. If they are green, leave 'em. If they are brownish and still on the tree, pick 'em. A ripe acorn will detach fairly easily from it's cap. Once you can identify them on the tree, you can usually find some good ones on the ground, too.

Another way to tell if the acorn is good (when not green) is to put them in water. Floaters are bad acorns.

Great! Thanks for the tips, Ill stay away from the floaters!!:thumbsup

[Critter_Queen]

Yeah, man...nobody likes floaters in their water! :rotfl

Ok, maybe I'm the only person (or maybe it's an Iowa thing??) who calls anything "icky" on top of my water a floater?? You know, like a gnat in your drink??

K, now I'm starting to sound stupid! LOL!

[YamahaGirl]

Hey your no more sounding silly than I using the word GRODY...got that from my 12 year old daughter...hahahah :rotfl




Yeah, man...nobody likes floaters in their water! :rotfl

Ok, maybe I'm the only person (or maybe it's an Iowa thing??) who calls anything "icky" on top of my water a floater?? You know, like a gnat in your drink??

K, now I'm starting to sound stupid! LOL!

[Critter_Queen]

Oh, EEEWWWW that is SO GRODY! LOL!

MAN, that seriously takes me back to Jr. High! HA! :thumbsup