Abandoned Baby? What should I do?

[RockyRocko]

Hello everyone! I have a nest box in a tree in my front yard and it has one baby in it and it looks like it is about 4 weeks old. Has ventured out of the nest box and was in the feeder, but he is very little!!! I've watched for two days and there was a nursing female at the feeder for a long time today, but she did not go into the nest so I don't think the baby is hers??

They are doing major road construction and I swear they rattled all the squirrels out of the trees!! Today I saw two other mama's moving there babies!!! They have taken up the old black top and are really shaking the neighborhood!!

I have put veggies in the nest box twice, once yesterday and then again tonight after I saw it in the feeder. There is water in a dish hanging on the tree.
Should I try to catch the baby?? It's too young to be on it's own isn't it??

It runs from me now, but it's so small that it can barely get back in the nest box!! I can cover the opening and bring the whole box in the house, but will it eventually take formulal from me ???? Or do I wait to see if it just comes to me??? Instead of trapping it??? I have a singleton now that is about 6wks old but this one looks younger than him!!!

Need advice please. Also smelled a skunk outside??? Very unusual for my neighborhood..... are they enemies of squirrels??? There are several babies in the trees tonight!!! Please let me know what you think!!!

[Rhapsody]

The first thing is to get the baby inside assess it for any damage and get him warm...... then rehydrate him with some pedialyte - you can use the homemade version.

Homemade Pedialyte
1 tsp salt (teaspoon)
3 Tbsp sugar (tablespoon)
1 quart warm water

.... NEVER FEED a COLD BABY SQUIRREL!!!

[mpetys]

Hi. I am not an expert by no means but just going on my gut instinct, I think if you are seeing the baby alone, with no momma tending to it, then I would take the baby, nestbox and all so as to not stress the baby and bring him in. I am all for keeping babies with their mommas, but if you are at the point where you are worrying about the babies safety then I would do what I had to do to keep baby safe. You mentioned you thought he was about 4 weeks old. Are his eyes open? From what I understand they open at 4.5 to 5 weeks old. Maybe he is a bit older than four weeks.

Yes, they can learn o take formula from a syinge. I just took in a baby about 4 weeks ago. She was about 6 weeks old. For the first 24 hours, I was giving her Pedialyte just to make sure she was fully hydrated. It was slow going as I was having to give it to her, drop by drop, while I held on to her. After the first 24 hours, I tried giving her Fox Valley formula. She would actually clamp her lips tight as if to say, this is not my mommas milk. After 24 hours of just getting bits of formula into her, she decided that she was hungry enough and would try it. So don't worry if it takes a while. Just be patient.

I don't know anything about skunks. Hopefully others will chime in with their advice.

Michele

[Rhapsody]

When the baby is well hydrated you can feed him this homemade formula from a small syringe until you are able to order some
Fox Valley Formula....... @ http://www.foxvalleynutrition.com/main/home.asp


Homemade Recipe - until FV arrives
1 cup Goats Milk
1/3 cup Full Fat Vanilla Yogurt
1/3 cup Heavy Cream

(lasts 72 hours in frig)

[astra]

a 4+weeks baby won't be able to make it on its own... when their mother is there, they are not allowed out of the nest till 10 weeks or so, and don't get solid food - milk only.
So, definitely, take him/her. Otherwise, it will either end up someone's food, or just die of malnutrition and disease(s) that result from it...

[astra]

have been checking up on squirrels' predators and yes, skunks are listed as such

[Scooterzmom]

Skunks will kill babies, if the baby is on the ground. This lil one definitely sounds like heès in trouble. If he's that young and ventured out of the nest it probably is because momma has not come back - she was either hurt or maybe killed, something happened... but now he's hungry & thirsty and that's why he's trying to survive on his own... but he can't make it on his own at that age.

As it was suggested to you I would take the whole nest box inside and would make sure to rehydrate that lil one ASAP. Do it slowly... you don't want to aspirate him. He should be able to get along just fine eventually with a sibling slightly older than him. It would actually be better for them both if they did have one another to grow up together... would make it easier for their release.

Good luck to you and the little one, keeping you in my prayers. :grouphug

[RockyRocko]

Great news!! I got the baby inside last night and he is taking formula! He is healthy and doing fine! I did get bit through my gloves several times!! He escaped this morning and crawled under and into my leather couch!!!

After turning the living room upside down.... he is once again safe and sound in his new fleece sleeve!!!

Will post some pics later and try to find a name that fits!!! He is pretty small!!

[scoobysnack]

Yay for you Rocky! Good luck with the baby.

[UDoWhat]

So glad you have him. :multi He will get used to you as soon as he knows that the food comes through your hands. :thankyou for taking care of this little one.

Marty, Licensed Maryland Master Wildlife Rehabilitator

[astra]

Great news!! I got the baby inside last night and he is taking formula! He is healthy and doing fine! I did get bit through my gloves several times!! He escaped this morning and crawled under and into my leather couch!!!

After turning the living room upside down.... he is once again safe and sound in his new fleece sleeve!!!

Will post some pics later and try to find a name that fits!!! He is pretty small!!
:thumbsup :wahoo :thumbsup

[RockyRocko]

Last week I noticed a young male who was pretty sickly, I tried to treat him for mange with the liquid Ivermec, but twice he would only barely eat part of the nut with the medicine on it. He was pretty weak and scraggly looking. I made sure he got grapes, sweet corn, walnuts and almonds. He would show up later in the day to avoid confrontation with my regular wilds. I feed them well....(spoiled)!

I think it was on Wed. when he showed up a little earlier than normal and two other males were out back looking for supper, he got stuck in the middle of a plank that is a bridge between my house and the tree and there was a squirrel on both ends heading toward him!! He panicked and jumped to escape, but was way too far from the tree and he hit the ground!!! River rock!! I ran outside and he was under a table that was leaning against the tree. He was choking a bit on a grape he had been eating and once he got his breath back, he made his way directly to my front tree nest box. I felt so sorry for him, I knew it hurt and he was so weak from the mange. I was glad he had a place to get into so that he could rest. I saw him the next day and he ate, but looked weaker. I watched him make it back to the nest box and get inside.

I was watching the nestbox to see if my sick boy came out and he did not, but the next thing I saw was a tiny baby in the feeder and it ran back up and could barely get back into the nest box!! That was Thurs, I watched all day Friday and all day Sat and no momma game back for him. He would wait until almost dark and come down and he was eating sunflower seeds.

After getting your advice and getting him inside and feeding him, I went and checked the nest and sure enough, my poor little sick boy was curled up and dead...... made me sad to loose one, but am thankful that he was fed and warm in a safe nest when he passed away.

On Monday they started heavy duty road construction on my street and it REALLY shook up the neighborhood!!! I'm guessing the momma who was in the box, moved her babies and either left this one, or was scared away by the machines?? Then the sick boy crawled in and it was him and the baby.

One sweet boy crossed over the bridge and in watching after him another one came out of the same nestbox to live on and survive!!!! I love squirrels!!!:Love_Icon

So, that's the whole scoop on what I think must have happened. Anyone have any suggestions on a name? He's eating well, still very afraid and haven't been able to get pictures yet, but will try in a day or two!! Am taking Spykitten's two girls back to Wisconsin so they can be released tomorrow!!:jump

[Kristal]

He must be more than four weeks old if he is eating solids and walking around.

Maybe this will help you figure out how old he is:

http://www.squirrelsandmore.com/feature/174/how-to-determine-the-age-of-a-baby-squirrel.htm

[RockyRocko]

He is about 5 - 6 wks is my guess. He has teeth! That I know for sure, but he is not at all eating solids, only out of necessity when he was starving! He's a foxer and his tail is just barely starting to poof out. He's taking the formula really good, I mixed some goat milk in with FV and both my babies loved it. Is that ok to do or will it make it too rich?? I need to refresh my memory on babies again. I have just been feeding him about every 2 hours so far and the last feeding he ate 7ml of formula. how much they should be eating and what should their weights be? I will get a scale tomorrow and weigh them both. Jax is about two weeks older than this little one.

[Kristal]

He is about 5 - 6 wks is my guess. He has teeth! That I know for sure, but he is not at all eating solids, only out of necessity when he was starving! He's a foxer and his tail is just barely starting to poof out. He's taking the formula really good, I mixed some goat milk in with FV and both my babies loved it. Is that ok to do or will it make it too rich?? I need to refresh my memory on babies again. I have just been feeding him about every 2 hours so far and the last feeding he ate 7ml of formula. how much they should be eating and what should their weights be? I will get a scale tomorrow and weigh them both. Jax is about two weeks older than this little one.

In fact adding goats milk makes it less rich. I would not do that if I were you because babies need a whole lot of calories to grow and yet have very tiny stomachs to fit them in! The FV is balanced. It's got everything that an infant needs. Stick with plain FV until they self-wean :thumbsup

[RockyRocko]

Thanks for letting me know.... will take that out of the formula!!