Help! 2 week old babies , nest cut down, 1 gasping & not swallowing

[Binkers mom]

Thanks so much! I couldn't have done it with all your help and invaluable information .It was my first time with pinkies and worring about AP kept us very concerned.
We will do all we can to do this next part right.

[Squirelmomma]

How close are you to philly? I have a vet that looks at squirrels and there is a Rehab place close to me as well in Bethlehem PA.

[Binkers mom]

I'm about 2 hrs. From Philly. But it is good to know. Thanks. My bunch is healthy, thankfully. I work with rehabbers who have vets too.

[Binkers mom]

So, is this normal ??? The King is humping everyone and is...well...it looks like he is trying to mate.
I see the other 2 boys doing mounting behavior. ..but the King is going to town with it. ????
Also, I but got some oak branches with leaves and attached them to the cage and they are heaving a blast. Me too.....watching them develope their climbing skills....fast learners.

[Spanky]

The "humping" is not sexual at all, just the crew establishing the hierarchy of their little group!

[cava]

THIS...was my little man's constant positioning no matter what my little lady was doing. Not sexual but darn it if he didn't have an obsession. It started when they were 6 weeks old. They are about 10 months old here. I tried to get a nice "family" photo the week before I released them...

[Binkers mom]

Thanks, I figured they were establishing a hierarchy.
Who knew the King had it in him!
Now, the tamest one is our little Queen bean.
And , Texas Ranger....getting tough to catch.
Just had play time....5 wrestling and rolling and running. ....better than you tube

[Binkers mom]

Oh my !!!!

[Binkers mom]

Update : 13 weeks. All are doing ok now. We had a couple of set backs. The Princess took a leap and didn't land well. She was definately hurting. So, I stayed up with her on my lap until 3:00 a.m. and she snapped out of it and was back to herself and wanted to be back in with her family. I keep them in the next day to keep an eye on her and she was behaving normally. A while back the King ripped off a nail on the front left paw, second one in. He doesn't seem affected by the loss and is climbing fine. It appears to be growing back. He is still humping everyone like a mad man. The Princess was trying to escape from his annoying actions and she climbed on me. Now the King is on my shoulder growling and Princess goes under my polar fleece into the sleeve to escape him and when he tried to follow. ...well...no thanks.. when I blocked him....chomp on my finger. I knew he would be the first one to bite ..... King B.rat. The finger really bleed, swelled and hurt, but now it's fine.
Anyway, we started putting the cage outside, increasing the time a little each day. Now, I leave it out until 900 pm.
Everyone was afraid at first, except....Texas Ranger, of course. He is loving it and wants out, out, out! Now, the King B.rat is loving it and my lovely Princess. The Queen is still afraid but does come out of her house. The Duke is still afraid. The girls remain the friendliest. ...easy to handle, like massages and cuddling. They all love to pee on me.....through the cage.......on my clothes.
So , I will continue this another week.
I have a Martin's cage with 2 large doors. My concern is not having a small 3 " hole just for them, so they can come and go and keep predators out. I came up with an idea and my good hearted husband is building it. I'm securing a board with a 3" hole on the inside of the cage, on one door. This way, when that door is open, only the 3" hole can be accessed and large critters can't get in. If the door needs to be left open later in the evening, the babies can still get in.
I'm feeding 2x a day and they are all still taking formula. Henry's blocks, oxbow and teklad, healthy veggies and occasionally nuts in shells.

[island rehabber]

Looks like you've done a fantastic job with these guys! Good work!

The only little thing I will suggest as an old fogey rehabber is that you cut back on the cuddles and massages with the friendly ones now. You are raising to release, and maintaining hands-on contact with them will only encourage the possibility of them seeking contact with other humans outside the home. You think naaah, they only love us! But guess what, it happens and it could get them seriously hurt or even killed.

OK killjoy thing over -- great job!!

[Binkers mom]

Thanks for the tips.
I will do that. I only let them out if I need to clean the cage or do something inside the cage.
I can barely catch the boys to get them back in.....
I have to let them go into the pet carrier on top of the cage....close it....then open that door by the cage door. The girls are more social. ..but I will cut that back and stop interacting.
The good thing about having a large family is they are more interested in playing with each other.

[Binkers mom]

Thanks everyone.
I have some questions about the release process.
The babies will be 14 weeks this Wednesday.
When should I start letting them out of the cage outside ?
Will they come back ? Or disappear? What should I expect to happen ?
Should I stay in the area and watch them when they are let out at first? If so, how close by should I be?
I know to make sure the weather will be good for a few days when letting them out. And, to feed through out.
The yard squirrels are coming to visit. We have 2 resident momma squirrels and some new babies.
Will they fight?
All help is greatly appreciated. I don't want to mess up.

[cava]

Stop feeding the wilds around your release site, if you are. It should be dedicated to your babies and will minimize bullying.

[Binkers mom]

NEED ADVICE!!!!
The Duke is sick. Everyone else is very active except him.
He is not coming out of his nest. When he does, he is stiff and hunkered down in a corner. He is very hard to catch and handle. All are now, since I have been weaning off contact getting ready for release.
The Duke appears fuller in the abdomen area, where everyone else is lean. He also looks " dirty",tanner fur, around his penis, where the other males are white.
I'm not sure what to do for him. All help is greatly appreciated.

[cava]

I answered your other thread. Let's use that one so all the info is in one place.

[Binkers mom]

UPDATE : 16 1/2 -17 weeks old.
Release day was Nov. 1, and it was bittersweet due to the death of our precious Duke. I still don't understand why he died. He had everything the same as the other 4 babies. It was a very sad day, he died on my dad's birthday. We buried him next to Binkachoo and his little brother Prince. I don't know what else I should have done for him. Bring new to all this. I lack the benefits of hands on experience. One of the cutest memories of Duke was during feeding time.....I turned to get a tissue and he stole the syringe and wouldn't give it back. He was the best nest builder out of them all.
We had a stretch of really nice weather, so it seemed like a good time. The predator guard we added to the large cage door worked out great. The babies figured it out in a second. The first one out was Tex, of course, followed by the King and Queen, then Princess. We sat in our deck chairs near the cage for a while and watched them explore, dig, play,.....then Tex climbed on my shoulder and I brought him near the tree and he was up in the branches climbing like a champ. I don't care that my friends and family thought I was nuts for attaching large, bushy branches to the cage, in my house. "You have a forest on your house !" All the kids were experts in the trees because they had practice. The King and Queen were the next to go, but Pincess stayed close and spent the next few nights.
Fast forward to now......Tex, Queen and Princess are around! !!! I'm so glad. I think I see King , but he doesn't come near but doesn't run away. The other 3 come and visit, go though my pockets for treats , and are doing well.
What a treat. The girls seems to be staying close and visit frequently. On a few bad nights, some returned to stay in the cage for the night....dry, warm, out of the rain,wind, food and water. I keep the cage stocked with food and water so I know they are getting food. The other yard squirrels won't go in it. I just came inside after a nice visit with both girls.
What an experience this has been......thanks again for all of your help, knowledge and support.

[cava]

Great job!

[Binkers mom]

UPDATE; It has been about 11 weeks since I released the 4 babies. It was very nerve wracking...worrying about them....especially during the deep freeze and cyclone bomb storm.
We keep a steady supply of food and some took shelter in the upstairs in the garage. I shoveled paths for them (not an easy task with 3 ft drifts) Guess who remains friendly to us ? He visits a few times a day, still climbs on our shoulder and sniffs our ears and rifles through our pockets. And still Pees on us . He even comes inside for short visits. The funniest thing is to watch husband work outside with a squirrel on his coat. If you guessed TEX...you are right !!! The original 'gasping boy' who defied the odds and advanced first in everything. Some of the girls come around to say hi, they come close and take food but not like Tex.
What a treat to still have fun with him. I was hanging the bird feeder a few days ago and out of no where a squirrel came racing through the tree tops, down the branch and on to my shoulder and sniffed in my ear! It was Tex ! I offered him a handful of nuts to pick from and he didn't want any, guess he just wanted to say hello. Yesterday, my husband watched as I went out with the bowl of food...he said Tex followed behind me and did the cutest happy dance. What a special boy
I wish everyone and their families and fur families a Happy and Healthy New Year.