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Thread: feeding chart

  1. #1
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    Default feeding chart

    Is there a feeding chart somewhere that tells roughly times that baby squirrels should be fed? I have the chart regarding weight and amount of formula for 5-7% of grams. But I'm talking about the duration between feedings. My little Donkey is 2 months, he weighs 260g and he's eating about 18-20ml. I've been feeding him every 4-5 hours and sometimes he seems hungry and sometimes not. I've been introducing him to Henry's high protein blocks and some maple tree sticks and leaves. I had a notebook that had all this information in it and I can't find it for the life of me. I know that he will wean himself when he's ready, but I'd like to know when to go to three feedings a day, then two and when to increase his veggies.

    What is different about him is he is so terrified of sounds. Any sound. I have to turn off the washer, dryer and dishwasher, tell people in the house not to come into the kitchen when I'm feeding him. The iguana moving, the rabbit chewing a treat, someone opening the fridge or a bag. If he gets scared he will stop eating and I can't get him to start again. Of all the squirrels I've raised, this is the most unusual. Never had one this skittish.

    Thanks!

  2. #2
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    Default Re: feeding chart

    Quote Originally Posted by Mommasika View Post
    Is there a feeding chart somewhere that tells roughly times that baby squirrels should be fed? I have the chart regarding weight and amount of formula for 5-7% of grams. But I'm talking about the duration between feedings. My little Donkey is 2 months, he weighs 260g and he's eating about 18-20ml. I've been feeding him every 4-5 hours and sometimes he seems hungry and sometimes not. I've been introducing him to Henry's high protein blocks and some maple tree sticks and leaves. I had a notebook that had all this information in it and I can't find it for the life of me. I know that he will wean himself when he's ready, but I'd like to know when to go to three feedings a day, then two and when to increase his veggies.

    What is different about him is he is so terrified of sounds. Any sound. I have to turn off the washer, dryer and dishwasher, tell people in the house not to come into the kitchen when I'm feeding him. The iguana moving, the rabbit chewing a treat, someone opening the fridge or a bag. If he gets scared he will stop eating and I can't get him to start again. Of all the squirrels I've raised, this is the most unusual. Never had one this skittish.
    Thanks!
    I would recommend a quieter area for this baby so he doesn't have to be stressed over unusual noise.
    Not sure of chart you have, hope this one helps...
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    Step-N-Stone
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    Baby Brutus (09-30-2020)

  4. #3
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    Default Re: feeding chart

    Thank you. Yes, I do remember seeing this one too. I will start giving him more solids and I remember to give him no nuts or fruits to make sure he learns to love his blocks and veggies. I've tried feeding him in my bathroom and it is awkward for both of us. I just have to send every human out of the kitchen and turn all appliances off.

    Out of curiosity, how do you know if a squirrel is blind? He is just acting so different than my other squirrels at this age. When I approach his cage calling his name softly he acts all tough acting like I am an intruder even though he should know my voice by now. He won't act like he knows me until he smells me. I've tried moving the mug with the syringes when feeding him. All the other squirrels have figured out that was where the milk comes from. He hasn't. When he is in his cage he climbs up the sides and top of the cage, but is kind of hesitant and nervous of the branches. He will pull up on them and then freeze like uh oh... what do I do. Then come down on me when I hold my hand out. When I hold him up to a bright light he doesn't squint. When I take my hand and bring it close to his face really fast he doesn't blink or shy away unless I hit his whiskers.

    His eyes aren't cloudy. When he was found, he was found on a deck under the overhang of the roof. The mom could've been scampering across the roof and he slipped out of her mouth, or he dropped out of the nest, and fell off the roof and onto the deck of course head first. He was around two weeks old when I got him. Barely any fur and his eyes were covered just with skin. His balance has been off and it's taken him a minute to balance especially when playing with me.

    He's still young, but I don't want to release him if he is blind and set him up for easy prey.

  5. #4
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    Default Re: feeding chart

    Hmmm.

    A squirrel's eyes are different from a persons. They do not have central focal region like people. They have 270 degree field of view so their brains are processing a lot of visual information. If the injury occurred when he was young he should have some capacity to rewire, recalibrate, and compensate, hopefully.

    The fact that he is responsive to sound suggests that he can hear, at least to some extent. It is strange that he doesn't seem to be recognizing your voice.

    If he were visually impaired in some capacity that might explain why he is so hyper responsive to sound. Blind people will hear things that most humans are completely oblivious. Visual impairment may be leading to increased awareness of even minute sounds.

    If he starts leaping that will suggest that he has some degree of sight. Time will tell.

    They are very resilient.

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    Mommasika (09-28-2020)

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    Default Re: feeding chart

    Quote Originally Posted by Mommasika View Post
    What is different about him is he is so terrified of sounds.
    Was he eyes open when he came to be under your care or eyes closed?

  8. #6
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    Default Re: feeding chart

    Spanky he was about 2 weeks old when I got him. Still very pink and barely had fur. His eyes were little black balls under a thin layer of skin.

    In his cage he likes to jump in play on my hand but if I move my hand he jumps where my hand was. The are things he does that make me think he’s potentially sighted but it could be my hand causes a breeze. I think he’s ready for a bigger cage soon so I will see what he does in there. I have yet to see him walk across a branch. He will pull himself up, then get down. But he will climb all over the sides and top. When I’ve fed him in my bathroom and put him on the counter, when he walks around on the t shirt I have there, he doesn’t seem to have depth perception. If I let him, I think he’d walk right off the edge and slip before he realizes it. But that could also be because he’s a baby and hasn’t really experienced it much.

  9. #7
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    Default Re: feeding chart

    Quote Originally Posted by Mommasika View Post
    If I let him, I think he’d walk right off the edge and slip before he realizes it. But that could also be because he’s a baby and hasn’t really experienced it much.
    My suggestion would be to find a different place to feed him. He will get quicker and quicker and more and more curious. He will hit the floor before you realized it. However, if he is visually impaired he will likely not be able to maneuver himself so expertly to land on his feet and be able to choose a safe landing spot, as a healthy squirrel normally can. The bathroom likely has a tile floor.

    Wherever you choose to feed him, you might want to put a piece of padding on the floor.

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    Mommasika (09-29-2020)

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