GinT
10-18-2011, 01:50 PM
What to do? We built Rocki's nest box into the chicken coop hen house that was her temporary release cage in May. She knows where it is, but has chosen to use a couple different abandoned squirrel nests around our back acre.
Well, last Friday, we discovered that there were two young squirrels in Rocki's custom coop nest. They are about 8-10 weeks old and have been named Chip and Dale (in spite of finding out they are both female). For 2 days, we wondered if we could have missed Rocki being pregnant and nursing, until Sunday evening when each baby came out to play on top of the chicken coop then their mama came out of the nest box also. Definitely not Rocki, and while the babies don't seem to mind us being nearby, mama barks and flips her tail wildly at us. They sure are adorable. But, we are having a bit of an issue because that nest was built for Rocki, so Rocki would have a warm comfy place to stay during the winter, and now, squirrel squatters have taken over Rocki's winter home. :dono
We have a nice squirrel condo that we built for Rocki, but can't get it into the hen house, so best we could do with it would be getting it as high up a tree as possible. But it wouldn't be as warm and protected as the one in the hen house. And, we don't even know if she'd even use either of them :thinking
I'm wondering if Chip & Dale's mama (who is about the same size as Rocki) will be territorial and chase Rocki away or possibly even go after us? The opening to the nest box is about two feet from the large door to the chicken coop where we let the chickens out after work and go in to feed and water them daily.
Poor little ones stay in there all day, poking their little heads out most of the time looking like they are dying to come out and play, until mama comes home and lets them come out to play for short periods. I've been taking the babies an occasional half grape, small rat block, or small acorn (peeled of course so mama doesn't know). I don't want to evict them as long as they or mama don't bother with us and don't make Rocki leave, but I'm not sure what the possibility of either is.
Gayle
Well, last Friday, we discovered that there were two young squirrels in Rocki's custom coop nest. They are about 8-10 weeks old and have been named Chip and Dale (in spite of finding out they are both female). For 2 days, we wondered if we could have missed Rocki being pregnant and nursing, until Sunday evening when each baby came out to play on top of the chicken coop then their mama came out of the nest box also. Definitely not Rocki, and while the babies don't seem to mind us being nearby, mama barks and flips her tail wildly at us. They sure are adorable. But, we are having a bit of an issue because that nest was built for Rocki, so Rocki would have a warm comfy place to stay during the winter, and now, squirrel squatters have taken over Rocki's winter home. :dono
We have a nice squirrel condo that we built for Rocki, but can't get it into the hen house, so best we could do with it would be getting it as high up a tree as possible. But it wouldn't be as warm and protected as the one in the hen house. And, we don't even know if she'd even use either of them :thinking
I'm wondering if Chip & Dale's mama (who is about the same size as Rocki) will be territorial and chase Rocki away or possibly even go after us? The opening to the nest box is about two feet from the large door to the chicken coop where we let the chickens out after work and go in to feed and water them daily.
Poor little ones stay in there all day, poking their little heads out most of the time looking like they are dying to come out and play, until mama comes home and lets them come out to play for short periods. I've been taking the babies an occasional half grape, small rat block, or small acorn (peeled of course so mama doesn't know). I don't want to evict them as long as they or mama don't bother with us and don't make Rocki leave, but I'm not sure what the possibility of either is.
Gayle