Age/Weaning Questions

[Liza]

Hi all- Got more questions for you! (as usual!) My 4 babies are just growing like crazy.. getting downright chubby! They are sleek and shiny, and since they are in a big cage (its about 3 feet wide by 3 feet high) they are climbing and dashing around and having such a good time with life that they make our whole household happy!

I got these little monkeys almost 3 weeks ago.. (I've had them for 19 days).. they have more than doubled their size. They must have been around:dono 6 weeks when we found them.... They were furred, eyes open, etc. but teeeeny. That means they are now about 9 wks.. They are taking about 10 cc's of formula each, 3 times a day. They are eating monkey biscuits (although not really efficiently), lots of fresh fruits and veggies (they love carrots, apples, broccoli, etc.) I bought them some rodent chow this morning, but they've been sleeping and have not seen it yet.

My questions is this- is it normal for them to start to turn against the formula at some point? I have one little male that woke up in demon mode this morning! He REFUSED to eat the formula, grabbed the syringe away from me and beat the tar out of it. He BIT me repeatedly, and just generally made me unhappy...:nono I ended up putting him back in the cage after only about 3 cc's. The others ate normally, but were a little more cranky than usual too. I suppose that at some point, they won't need all this formula..I just didn't think it would be so soon. :dono Is he just growing up, or do you think something is wrong? He looks beautiful, no signs of illness.. His coordination was normal, etc. I bet he's going to be really stinking hungry by 2:30 (the next feeding time) :dono :dono :dono Is it normal for them to become more wild as they grow? (I have human teenagers, too- I suspect this is an interspecies problem LOL)

BTW-he acted almost traumatized this morning- He was hard to catch (they usually come right to me).. he chittered at me, and was just WILD! I know my son left the small lamp on last night, so it wasn't totally dark like they are used to, and also a lady gave me a bag of clothes to distribute that came from a home with several cats- could he have smelled those cats on the clothing and been afraid all night? (now I feel like a wicked witch for being irritated with him! LOL) ...

I also need to figure out if they will be ready to release yet this fall, or if we need to overwinter them .. How much time do they need to build a proper nest, store food for winter, etc? I just can't see these little things being ready to spend the winter in a cold tree somewhere! They can't even chew through nuts at this point... We are supposed to get snow and freezing rain on Wednesday.. arter that it could be cold weather right on thru to spring. In MN, you just never know.

Anyway, here are some pictures that show how they have grown- it is pretty amazing! The picture of the one baby eating was taken when we'd only had them a few days.. the others were just yesterday, except for the cage pic. That was several days ago..Aren't they just spectacular??????

[heidiann]

Your babies are just beautiful. I wish I could help. I have a lot of the same questions myself so thanks for posting this. I'm sure our rehabbers will come through as usual with some good answers. Heidi

[Gabe]

Hi, your little red squirrels are adorable! I couldn't understand why your squirrels were acting like that until I saw their pictures. This is very typical red squirrel behavior, gray squirrels will stay on formula until their 21 years old.LOL.
You can try to feed them just twice a day. 10cc's is alot for a red squirrel, just right for a gray squirrel. They're just not hungry. Five cc's is plenty per feeding. If they are eating good kibble and fruit I would not worry about it. They do wean very quickly.
They are also acting like teenagers. When they are grumpy they are telling you to stay out of their room. This is the kind of behavior I look for. It is rewarding behavior showing that you have done all the right things and that they are "wilding up". Many people make the mistake at this point of insisting to handle them and take their wild instincts away.
If I were to release them this time of year I would use an outdoor release cage, with a small opening. Open the small opening about 2 weeks after putting them in the release cage. Continue to feed in that cage all winter. Their mother is actually the one that stores food for her winter babies. As they do not have a mother this will be your role. If this is not a good solution for you I would recommend holding them over for the winter.
Good luck with them.

[Buddy'sMom]

[QUOTE=Gabe].... If I were to release them this time of year I would use an outdoor release cage, with a small opening. Open the small opening about 2 weeks after putting them in the release cage. Continue to feed in that cage all winter. Their mother is actually the one that stores food for her winter babies. ... QUOTE]

Gabe, just wondering if this feeding part is at all specific to reds, or is general squirrel advice? Assuming Buddy (a gray) sticks around after release, should we still put food in the cage daily? As an occasional supplement (maybe 1X or 2X per week)? If it matters: Maryland winter is relatively mild, esp. on the Eastern Shore, and doesn't usually get too cold or snowy til Jan/Feb. Also, I planted ornamental kale and cabbage for him, which will grow here through the winter. Plan to leave some of the annuals and perennials for spring pruning, at least for cover, not sure if any would be edible during the winter.
Thanks!

[Critter_Queen]

Let's see...first, I would probably plan on wintering these babies if I were you...if you get lucky and CAN release them in time, great...but don't bank on it. You are north of me, and I will be wintering at least the last three that came in and I'm guessing they are a little older than your babies...

Squirrels need leaves, time, good weather...in order to build a nest. It might take them some time to find territory where they are safe from other squirrels and preditors...you can't count on them coming back to the pre-release cage for food.

You shouldn't release them until you are SURE they can crack nuts on their own.

Yep, totally normal for them to start refusing formula at this age...try to pay attention and see which feeding they care the least for and drop that one...but only if they are really not all that interested...Just be sure you provide a TON of veggies and fruit to make up for the lack of formula.

Have you weighed them? 10 cc per feeding three times a day is fine for a 200 gram squirrel...but all of mine are eating over 15 cc at a pop... But I know that pics can be hard to judge size from and your babies could easily be smaller than mine.

As far as his behavior goes...Absolutely the smell of the cats and the lamp being on probably did it. Just like people, they get cranky when their sleep is disturbed... Or, he might have had that proverbial "switch" click on in his brain that told him it's time to be wild now! You'll know for sure which if you turn the lamp off and wash those clothes tonight. :)

[Gabe]

Buddy's Mom
In answer to your question;
They are in the release cage until they associate it with food, approx 2-3 weeks. I feed in my release cage all winter regardless of mammal released there, opossum, gray or red squirrel, etc. My thinking is that they will come and go, have fun outside, establish a territory and eventually find a place to sleep that is more suitable to them than the unnatural habitat I provide with their best interests at heart. They will have food when they need it, If only squirrels can get into the release cage due to the small opening you can assess it and put loads of food in every 3-4 days depending on how fast it disappears.
Critter Queen is right in that she knows your territory better than I do. Her way is actually the way it is taught and is the proper way to release. I have had 50 squirrels this fall in my rehab center and believe me when I tell you that they want out. So, we compromise.
Gabe