The sources tree squirrels mainly rely upon in the wild for calcium

[Charley Chuckles]

I'd be curious if she has squirrels and what her observations have been about them eating the fruit and or pits. That was one lucky dog. Years ago we had a peach tree and our first pony learned to eat the peach from around the pit and spit the pit out.

I will ask her, I'm due for a conversation with her anyway 👍

[Chirps]

What the heck, my comment got mixed up in your Post 🤷 this stupid smart @## phone


My SIL who lives in Georgia has peach trees, her dog got into the pits and almost died not from them not digesting but because they are toxic.
Same with apple seeds but that could take a lot to poison you, it's arsenic I believe 😨
So an apple a day keeps the doctor away unless you eat the seeds🤣

Don't know about apple seeds but peaches, cherries and apricots have cyanide. It was observed many years ago that raptors would lace cherry branches into their nests. The branches gave off a small amount of cyanide gas that the biologists believed may have deterred mites. I don't know if it was ever proven or just remained a theory.

[Stevelisa]

Cherry pits are toxic; pitted cherries are fine. Hazelnuts are a good choice to offer. There is a smaller in shell organic hazelnut farm in Iowa that grows bush hazelnuts that are smaller in size. These are perhaps the best option for giving one hazelnut in the shell for a squirrel to gnaw on daily.

I need to pay more attention... just saw your reply now. Thanks for this warning about cherry pits.

[Stevelisa]

Where can we buy calcium carbonate powder to mix with peanut butter etc

[Stevelisa]

sorrry, just found it in one of SamTheSquirrel answers... Henry's sells it. Will try to search a bit more next time

[Mel1959]

I’m not sure what you have to pay for shipping from Henrys, but it might be more cost effective to purchase calcium carbonate from a health food store or online. I get NOW brand of calcium carbonate at my local health food store. It has no other ingredients, just calcium.

[olorin19]

Just found this thread in Today's Posts, and wow!

Thanks to Diggie's Friend for starting this and providing so much amazing research.

And thanks to everyone else who has contributed.

While I have not read the entire thread (yet), one thing did jump out: squirrels eating the dirt around roots.

I have overwintered seven squirrels, and since this means they are reliant on me for food for many months after weaning, I try to provide them as much wild food as possible. I watch what my yard squirrels eat, and experiment with cuttings off various trees and shrubs.

While I am happy to have dandelions and violets in my lawn, I will remove them from mulched areas. Plantain I will remove wherever it is. Not sure why I even tried this in the first place, but I have given various overwintering squirrels dandelions, violets, and plantain - the entire plants, roots and all, plus dirt. And while they will definitely munch on various parts of the plants, quite often what they focus on first is the roots and the dirt.

[Stevelisa]

I’m not sure what you have to pay for shipping from Henrys, but it might be more cost effective to purchase calcium carbonate from a health food store or online. I get NOW brand of calcium carbonate at my local health food store. It has no other ingredients, just calcium.

Thank you Mel, much better! Just in time…found it, I’m going with that one

[Stevelisa]

Olorin thx for great info 😊 and your other threads on red squirrels. I also love to read Diggys Friend threads, our squirrel ChatGPT