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Thread: 2 2/3 week old baby red squirrels

  1. #1
    Join Date
    May 2020
    Location
    Fairbanks, Alaska
    Posts
    6
    Thanked: 2

    Default 2 2/3 week old baby red squirrels

    Hello, last week (5/8/20) my friend and me became the caregivers of 2 baby red squirrels. Her boyfriend is a mechanic and at the place he works someone brought their car in to be worked on because the A/C wouldn't work, and it wouldn't work because a mother squirrel had made her nest in the fan of the car. Unfortunately there was no way of returning them to their mother.

    They seem to be around 2/3 weeks old, they have thin fur everywhere now. Last week when we got them they were hairless. I was feeding them esbilac as the care sheet i was referring to was outdated, i am now feeding them the fox valley nutrition formula as of it arriving 2 days ago. They seem thin, they haven't gained very much in this week i've had them. I'm assuming its due to feeding esbilac. There were 4, unfortunately 2 died on night 2 of having them. They're currently around 15-20g. I'm feeding them about .75-1cc per feeding; feeding 6 times a day. Is this all correct or what should i be changing?

    Also, once they are of age for release i'm having trouble finding a good location for them to be released at. I live on a military base so i can't release them at my house as i'm not supposed to have them and it'd be pretty obvious if i had a cage with squirrels in it under the tree in my yard. Also my dog will eat them. My friend can't release them into her yard because she lives right off a highway. Within walking distance from my house is a park, theres a nice area i know of there that would be good to release them into, but it's not my property. But i could for sure get there every day to feed them, and they would be safe from being shot at or messed with on base since that's very much not allowed.

    I live in Fairbanks, Alaska.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
    Location
    SC (Madison)
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    Default Re: 2 2/3 week old baby red squirrels

    Here is a 6 page long primer on baby squirrel care:
    https://www.henryspets.com/1-baby-squirrel-care-guide/

    I am certain you are under feeding them. Here is a cheat sheet for feeding 5% - 7% of body weight (you must weigh them to know how much they should be eating):
    Name:  SquirrelBoard Feeding CheatSheet.jpg
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Size:  53.1 KB

    for caring for these precious babies and to TSB.

    The release part we can explore once we get them gaining weight.
    Attached Images Attached Images  

  3. #3
    Join Date
    May 2020
    Location
    Fairbanks, Alaska
    Posts
    6
    Thanked: 2

    Default Re: 2 2/3 week old baby red squirrels

    Oh, thank you very much! I'm very bad at math, I really appreciate that sheet. I'm going to increase their feedings from now on. Hopefully they gain weight soon.

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