soft release question~~sorta

[WldLifeRehabr]

Hi everyone! I have a question about putting my baby squirrels outside.They are almost 10 1/2 weeks so I will need to keep them until Spring.The nights here have started getting cold,tonight's it 37. I wanted to move them ( 3 sister's) into my outdoor cage for Fall & Winter and start soft release in the Spring. What is the youngest age you have put squirrel's out in the Fall? What's the oldest age you have put them out in the Fall?
I don't want to rush them outside,but I dont want to wait until it's to late.They can't stay in the cage to much longer that they are in now.They need more room and they need to be climbing around a lot more then they can now.They are "hiding" the rodent blocks.Its so cute,they will hide them right in the open,but dig & bury them w/ invisible stuff.They will "bury" them under their blankets too.
Please give me any and all advice.This is the first time I have had babies so late in the season.Its weird,another rehabber got a pinkie in a few weeks ago! They are breeding way to late this year,the weather's been weird and I think its messing them up.Last Wednesday it was 87! But 1 day later it was 60!
Thank you very much

[mugzeezma]

Hi everyone! I have a question about putting my baby squirrels outside.They are almost 10 1/2 weeks so I will need to keep them until Spring.The nights here have started getting cold,tonight's it 37. I wanted to move them ( 3 sister's) into my outdoor cage for Fall & Winter and start soft release in the Spring. What is the youngest age you have put squirrel's out in the Fall? What's the oldest age you have put them out in the Fall?
I don't want to rush them outside,but I dont want to wait until it's to late.They can't stay in the cage to much longer that they are in now.They need more room and they need to be climbing around a lot more then they can now.They are "hiding" the rodent blocks.Its so cute,they will hide them right in the open,but dig & bury them w/ invisible stuff.They will "bury" them under their blankets too.
Please give me any and all advice.This is the first time I have had babies so late in the season.Its weird,another rehabber got a pinkie in a few weeks ago! They are breeding way to late this year,the weather's been weird and I think its messing them up.Last Wednesday it was 87! But 1 day later it was 60!
Thank you very much



Youngest age to release is 16weeks and that really depends on the general health of the squirrel.

Does it have intense/alert/active response to to outside stimuli
Does it have good balance for climbing and handling slender branches
Does it have good nesting instinct
Is it self feeding proficiently
Is it in the middle of molting or does it have a full winter coat

If your babies don't have full fur I wouldn't overnight them.

Case in point...
Ani and Finnagin are 15 wks
I put them out in the AM and bring them in late at night.
They are in the middle of molting.
Finnagin is not holding his weight well...
He just weaned and I wonder if that was a good idea.
Ani weaned a month ago.
She could have been released but they are siblings and I think they should be released together.

[pappy1264]

If it is already that cold outside at night and they have been 'indoor squirrels' to this point, I don't think it would be wise to put them outside until spring, as they have not had time to build up a heavy coat to be outside. I am sure others will chime in. I am overwintering four, and am building a big cage in my basement, so although it is cooler down there then upstairs, it is ALOT warmer then outside. Do you have a basement you could do the same? (And if you do, remember, you will need lighting so they can get exposed to UV light. They cannot stay in darkness. Might be a 'duh, no kidding' kind of thing, but you would be surprised how many don't even think of it.) I would not put them outside at this point, JMHO.

[WldLifeRehabr]

Mugzeezma~~ Do you happen to have any picture's of the one molting and the one thats not so I can compare them?

Mary~~ Thank goodness getting that low at night this quick was a one nighter.

What do you all feel is to cold to put out 11 to 12 weekers? They will have a squirrel nest box, the wooden ones. Do you all know what I'm talking about? I don't have a basement,I only have a unheated laundry room. All my late season babies have been or still are in my private study that no one or non of my pets were allowed in but me.I didn't expect to have such late season's babies and we started repainting and its been on hold for a while now.It's my turn to do Thanksgiving this year and I was hoping to have them in their outdoor cage soon, but I will not put there lives in danger! I love my babies.Right now I also have 7 babies opossums that I put outside 2 nights ago.they are also late season babies.Usually I'm on my "winter" break at this time of year LOL! But instead I have 12 patients :dono this Fall is so weird.

I want to answer the questions from the 1st post,but will come back & finish.In the mean time,please feel free to post to me.If needed private message me or email me CritterLodge@gmail.com.

OH......yeah,they have all their thick fur,but probably not like it would be if they were outside.I should put them out more & long during the day and maybe by Thanksgiving their fur will be thicker? I dont know if anyone gets their supplies here http://www.squirrelsandmore.com/ you can see the squirrel nest box I'm talking about . ( Chris's squirrel and more) BTW,if anyone has any other sites to buy from please let me know.As you know us rehabber's have to pay out of pocket and I usually do a BIG restock in my "off season" ( which I don't have this winter,but that's okay)

[Jackie in Tampa]

tinfoil
this is why I am selling Sq Central...I need more space...the sqs are taking over!:D
Last year, and many TSB peeps saw it:eek: ,
my living room,
the first thing you see when you open font door,
was a maze...all big cages full of fall babies.
{I wanted to spay their mommas:shakehead :D }
But we survived...;)


and as the pilgrams would say about Thanksgiving...
the more the merrier!:thumbsup
Rehabbing can be fun, but it does have it's side effects...:rotfl :sanp3

have fun this winter...buy all natural Christmas ornaments and let them enjoy the holidays too! Cranberries and sqs go good together!:D

[mugzeezma]

Mugzeezma~~ Do you happen to have any picture's of the one molting and the one thats not so I can compare them?

Mary~~ Thank goodness getting that low at night this quick was a one nighter.

What do you all feel is to cold to put out 11 to 12 weekers? They will have a squirrel nest box, the wooden ones. Do you all know what I'm talking about? I don't have a basement,I only have a unheated laundry room. All my late season babies have been or still are in my private study that no one or non of my pets were allowed in but me.I didn't expect to have such late season's babies and we started repainting and its been on hold for a while now.It's my turn to do Thanksgiving this year and I was hoping to have them in their outdoor cage soon, but I will not put there lives in danger! I love my babies.Right now I also have 7 babies opossums that I put outside 2 nights ago.they are also late season babies.Usually I'm on my "winter" break at this time of year LOL! But instead I have 12 patients :dono this Fall is so weird.

I want to answer the questions from the 1st post,but will come back & finish.In the mean time,please feel free to post to me.If needed private message me or email me CritterLodge@gmail.com.

OH......yeah,they have all their thick fur,but probably not like it would be if they were outside.I should put them out more & long during the day and maybe by Thanksgiving their fur will be thicker? I dont know if anyone gets their supplies here http://www.squirrelsandmore.com/ you can see the squirrel nest box I'm talking about . ( Chris's squirrel and more) BTW,if anyone has any other sites to buy from please let me know.As you know us rehabber's have to pay out of pocket and I usually do a BIG restock in my "off season" ( which I don't have this winter,but that's okay)
I can't post pictures on the forum because I don't have the capability to compress pix...I need to get the neighbor kid over here to help with that and my daughhter hates him:shakehead .... SOooo I wil have to email them to you.

[WldLifeRehabr]

I can't post pictures on the forum because I don't have the capability to compress pix...I need to get the neighbor kid over here to help with that and my daughhter hates him:shakehead .... SOooo I wil have to email them to you.

Okay,my addy is CritterLodge @ gmail.com. I'm excited to see them :crazy

[WldLifeRehabr]

tinfoil
this is why I am selling Sq Central...I need more space...the sqs are taking over!:D
Last year, and many TSB peeps saw it:eek: ,
my living room,
the first thing you see when you open font door,
was a maze...all big cages full of fall babies.
{I wanted to spay their mommas:shakehead :D }
But we survived...;)


and as the pilgrams would say about Thanksgiving...
the more the merrier!:thumbsup
Rehabbing can be fun, but it does have it's side effects...:rotfl :sanp3

have fun this winter...buy all natural Christmas ornaments and let them enjoy the holidays too! Cranberries and sqs go good together!:D



:jump :bowdown

[mugzeezma]

Okay,my addy is CritterLodge @ gmail.com. I'm excited to see them :crazy
I'll send you test email right now and pix when i get em! The little poops are outside until it goes below 40.
Ani just sprouted a funky fur patch on the base of her tail so i'd better get on it. By tomorrow they'll look like WErE SKwols!!!
Is the moon full?
look 4 tooltown

[mugzeezma]

Oddly enough this one downloaded :thinking
This is Finnagin.
@ days ago he was a solid scruffy brown.
I tried to get a picture of ANi but my batteries died.
I'll try later. She's pretty wild so I may not get the opportunity.
I can catch her but she's pretty unhappy about being held and complains very loudly which causes Finnagin to run up and start worrying over her. It's pretty cute really. Hard to take a picture when all of that is going on!:rotfl
As you can see Fin was in motion when the camera took the picture.