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View Full Version : How old are my babies?



skarabrae
04-09-2012, 07:39 AM
I'm taking care of four babies whose tree was cut down. We tried putting them out for their mom to find - she sniffed around for them for two days could never actually connect with them. :shakehead

I think they might be a bit older than I thought... I had originally thought they were 2.5 or 3 weeks, but I'm thinking they are just smaller for their age. They seem thin compared to pictures of other babies I see and they only eat 2 or 3 cc per feed (occasionally 1.5cc, occasionally 4 cc... there's one who consistently eats less than the others and he's a bit smaller/thinner). I can't seem to force him to eat more... he just refuses.

They have black hair all over their bodies and legs and a bit of peach fuzz on their bellies. Their bottom teeth are out, I think? I hear them scraping against the syringe when I'm feeding them but I haven't seen anything.

BOY are they active though! If I can't handle 4(?) week old babies, holy smokes I'm scared about when their older. They crawl/climb all over me as I'm feeding them and my cats just sit and stare at us licking their chops. I have to wrap them in a towel so they sit still enough to eat.

I think I need to get them a bigger cage - one I can fit in (lol!) to feed them so they won't escape and get slaughtered. Oy vey!

redwuff
04-09-2012, 09:53 AM
Hi and Welcome

Pictures would be most helpful. Are eyes open yet? What are you feeding?

Do you have a heating pad under 1/2 of the container they are in? All preditory animals need to be kept out of sight and reach of any baby so that when you go to release the baby squirrels, they do not think that that animal is okay cos they saw you interacting with them.

Sounds like you are doing great with them.

skarabrae
04-09-2012, 10:03 AM
Hello :)

Their eyes are still closed and I'm feeding them esbilac fortified with a bit of heavy cream. I warm up a couple rice socks every time I feed them, so every three hours or so. The kids and cats are around sometimes (feeding time they'll watch occasionally - they're getting bored of it fast), but mostly I'm keeping the babies in a separate closed room.

I forgot my camera at a friends, but I'll post pics soon.

ETA: I'm going to release them in the bush at my in-laws farm so they're nowhere near domestic animals... but I bet that won't be for a while yet!

Rhapsody
04-09-2012, 10:40 AM
Here is a link to help you determine the age of a squirrel:
http://www.squirrelsandmore.com/how-to-determine-the-age-of-a-baby-squirrel?___store=default

Here is a link to the only FORMULA we recommended at TSB --Fox Valley:
http://www.foxvalleynutrition.com/main/prod.asp


:)