Advice needed for weighing baby squirrels

[Ztanley]

Hi
I’m wondering if anyone has any tips for weighing uncooperative squirrels?
Am dealing with 2 babies approx 5-6 weeks old (eyes open) and want to make sure that they are getting fed the right amount (5-7% body weight every 5-6 hours etc)
Am trying to weigh them before their morning feeding. Taking them out of the cage 1 at a time and trying to weigh each one then feed him.

They simply won’t sit still long enough on the scale and will hop off before you get an accurate reading. It takes a few attempts of picking them up and trying to put them back on there, which just gets them more and more stressed and uncooperative.


Does anyone have any tips and tricks they could share to help with this?

[Milo's Mom]

Wrap them in fleece, out them in a container (bucket/box/etc) and stuff some more fleece over and around them. Place everything on the scale and record the weight. Then when you are done feeding, place the fleece in the container you used and weigh it, then subtract its weight from the previously recorded weight...the difference is the weight of the squirrel.

[Squirrel Girls Mom]

Wrap them in fleece, out them in a container (bucket/box/etc) and stuff some more fleece over and around them. Place everything on the scale and record the weight. Then when you are done feeding, place the fleece in the container you used and weigh it, then subtract its weight from the previously recorded weight...the difference is the weight of the squirrel.

:goodpost

[Ztanley]

Thanks for that! Will try that out tomorrow morning.

Are there any good tips for wrapping them ? Have read about the 'squirrel burrito' but have not had much success with wrapping them as they tend to squirm around a lot. Is there a best way to go about this so they are more comfortable during this process?

Thanks again!!

[Milo's Mom]

I just place them in the middle of the fleece and while holding with one hand I use the other hand to wrap the fleece over the squirrel, then I quickly change hands, still holding down the squirrel and wrap the other side over the squirrel, then do it all again for the top and bottom of the fleece, quickly place the bundle in the box and then stuff more fleece on top and around the sides to sort of "stuff" them in the box so they cannot get out, put it all on the scale which is ready and waiting right next to you the entire time...the whole process takes just a few seconds. I have found that once the squirrel is wrapped up they are calm...this is how I weigh my 2 year old NR, as for the babies, I just put them on the scale. If they are really uncooperative, I'll give them an HHB to chew on...that makes them sit still for a few seconds. (just remember to reduce the weight of the HHB)