ok guys, how old do you release??

[Sweet Simon's Mommy]

They are not old enough (about 12 to 13 weeks)
Have been outside now for a full week, plus two nights. Well ZuZu did sneak out past Tony tonight, poor guy I thought he was going to have a heart attack. She ran over to the end of the porch, hit the grass, came to a screeching halt turned around and ran up the side of the house and frozen while i went over and picked her up and took her back to the cage, which is on the porch.
She was running around the cage and chewing at the door for 3 hours until the sun went down. So what do I do ....let them out for awhile and hope they come back if they get hungry. No..not ready for that one. We have been putting nuts around the cage on the porch so the wilds come around and they smell each other .
So what is the definitive age????

[pappy1264]

I never release before 16 weeks, but I actually like them to be 20+ weeks before (I actually feel my babies released older did better.) I like to give them a good month in an outside release cage so they can adjust to sounds, smells and the outside, plus the 'locals' so hopefully they don't get chased off right out of the cage! I am sure others will chime in.

[Jackie in Tampa]

I never release before 16 weeks, but I actually like them to be 20+ weeks before (I actually feel my babies released older did better.) I like to give them a good month in an outside release cage so they can adjust to sounds, smells and the outside, plus the 'locals' so hopefully they don't get chased off right out of the cage! I am sure others will chime in.

Mine never go outside til they are 4 months or older, permanently. I agree with Pappy, 5 months plus.
They have to know what they are hearing!
My sqs are used to TV and ice maker etc..not dogs cats and hawks.
They need to know when it's dark, they have to go to bed and stay there. no jumping either!

[Rhapsody]

My babies go outside to be placed in the release cage at 4 months old, from there they spend 30 days in the release cage, therefore, they are 5 months old when they are RELEASED!! .......... a few squirrels have stayed as long as 6 months.

[pappy1264]

I have released at 16 weeks and one week shy of a year....truthfully, I felt the older ones did better (I was forced to release the ones at 16 weeks, but that is another story.) I think 5-6 mos is a good age, of course, every squirrel is different and sometimes adjustments are made for them.

[island rehabber]

Youse guys are not gonna like this......

I start the release process at 12-14 wks for spring kids, 16-18 wks for fall kids. They stay in the pre-release cage at the nature center for no longer than 1 week.
I visit every day while they are in there, every day for the two weeks following, and at least twice a week thereafter. As documented in my threads, I SEE my releases and they do very well. Granted, I am fortunate there are no cats, loose dogs or cars to worry about at my site, as it's far from any kind of road. There are hawks, but there are always hawks.

I know this doesn't jive with many of your schedules, but it works for me. The nature center is staffed and people walk the trails every day with groups of kids, etc.....if my babies were dying left and right from being released too early, they would be telling me about it.

[mpetys]

What works for me is that I keep them until they are four months old and then put in the release cage for one month and then release. If I get an older juvenile in, I do keep them longer as I want to make sure they have been on a healthy diet for a while before they are released. Especially when I don't know what they have been fed or if I know they have been fed crap.

Once they are released, I leave the release cage door open for a minimum of 30 days and still provide food and shelter as needed, if needed. There are some that need that extra time. Some will go out and stay out, finding an empty nest box or building a nest. Others will go out during the day only to return in the afternoon to start settling in for the night in their release cage nest box. It does cause a back up when I have lots of squirrels to release. It is a joy to see them eating less and less of what I provide as they are eating more and more wild foods. Even so, I keep a bowl full of their pellets and rat blocks and they still come back for those.

Even if we are at capacity, I always leave one release cage open with food and their pellets and blocks provided daily, just in case someone wants some "home cooking".

[grinn75]

I ususally start putting my kids outside at 10-12 weeks to be acclimated to the weather. They stay in a release cage for 2-3 weeks depending on the squirrel and situation in which they are found. I've found with kids orphaned at 6-8 weeks they have a tendency to mature faster and are screaming to get out of that release cage at 12 weeks. However, I've had single pinkies that seem to take forever to mature and don't get released until they are five months old. I always offer formula even after release, either via syringe or in a dish. Some will continue to take it, some don't.

My release criteria regardless of age is they need to have wilded up, are eating lots of good wild foods and have spent at least a week continuously outside. All of my releases have access to the release cage for weeks after release but I've never had any spend more than a week in there once they are free to come and go as they please.

[iwonka]

Youse guys are not gonna like this......

I start the release process at 12-14 wks for spring kids, 16-18 wks for fall kids. They stay in the pre-release cage at the nature center for no longer than 1 week.
I visit every day while they are in there, every day for the two weeks following, and at least twice a week thereafter. As documented in my threads, I SEE my releases and they do very well. Granted, I am fortunate there are no cats, loose dogs or cars to worry about at my site, as it's far from any kind of road. There are hawks, but there are always hawks.

I know this doesn't jive with many of your schedules, but it works for me. The nature center is staffed and people walk the trails every day with groups of kids, etc.....if my babies were dying left and right from being released too early, they would be telling me about it.

The same school, the same way!

[pappy1264]

No matter when I have released, I have never had one come back in and sleep in the release cage (in the nest boxes above the cage, yes, but the cage itself, not once. I figure they really are ready to leave...although they hang around and come for nommies....lol)

[Sweet Simon's Mommy]

We have many fears here. The people on the other side of the tree filled empty lot have a wolf /chow not nice doggie, he loves to come and crap an our lawn. They also have two beautiful pussy-tats that love to chase squirrels OVER HERE IN MY YARD. They get hosed. We also have many hawks ,Owls ,raccoons and possums. OYE, whats a mother to do.

[Jackie in Tampa]

No matter when I have released, I have never had one come back in and sleep in the release cage (in the nest boxes above the cage, yes, but the cage itself, not once. I figure they really are ready to leave...although they hang around and come for nommies....lol)

I have two lazy girls sleeping back in the nest box inside the release cage..
they released and slept there everynight...
about the time the foul weather moved in, they decided to build a nest in the tree, a drey, a real sq hut...
well we know how that went..kaputz...
they're back in the release cage..
I have a sq that sleeps under the roof of a release cage
two sleep in a guitar case in Freds shop ...


USUALLY, When they hit maturity...they move away
I think they think the backyard is a big cage..
they just play all day everyday..rompin and rollin..hoppin and poppin.
The last cage before.... big sq time!
Some still knock on the doors or peep in the window...
sqs are like that.. freeloading MOOCHES!

EDIT...my syringes came!
Thank you laurie.
that was fast!