Acorns and aflatoxins

[Jyf115]

I saw on a nutrition guide from Henry’s that some acorns have aflatoxins and should not be fed.

I’m raising my first baby squirrel and I think he is about 7 weeks now. We found him with eyes closed March 1.

Anyway, there is a large 70+ year old Post Oak in my front yard and a mature old Southern Oak in my backyard. I see squirrels all day digging up acorns.

Can I assume these acorns are safe since the local squirrels are eating them?

I’d like to put some in a forage/dig box so my squirrel can learn to dig for them and have a food source when he is eventually released.

[CritterMom]

The problem is mostly with acorns on the ground. The ones still attached to the tree are *usually* ok.

The thing is, those squirrels out there have a TON of acorns to choose from. If one smells a little off it is nothing because they can toss it and only have a million others to check out. In captivity, they likely have one or two. That makes those acorns really precious and they will give a try to one that they would toss if it was sitting in a pile of other acorns.

We have a member here who's screen name is TomahawkFlyers who recently lost his precious little flying squirrel to a bad acorn. I, personally, do not feed them at all to captive squirrels.

[Charley Chuckles]

Years ago I fed acorns to my Charley Chuckles because I didn't know any better, dear Lord I even kept them in the freezer thinking they would stay good 😱
Thank God I didn't kill my CC 🙏
Once I joined this board I learned not to feed them.
When in doubt do without 👍

Once your squirrel is released he will know how to forage it's instinct hard wired in them 😁

[Jyf115]

The problem is mostly with acorns on the ground. The ones still attached to the tree are *usually* ok.

The thing is, those squirrels out there have a TON of acorns to choose from. If one smells a little off it is nothing because they can toss it and only have a million others to check out. In captivity, they likely have one or two. That makes those acorns really precious and they will give a try to one that they would toss if it was sitting in a pile of other acorns.

We have a member here who's screen name is TomahawkFlyers who recently lost his precious little flying squirrel to a bad acorn. I, personally, do not feed them at all to captive squirrels.

Ok, thank you for the information!

Do they instinctively know which ones smell off?

[Jyf115]

Years ago I fed acorns to my Charley Chuckles because I didn't know any better, dear Lord I even kept them in the freezer thinking they would stay good 😱
Thank God I didn't kill my CC 🙏
Once I joined this board I learned not to feed them.
When in doubt do without 👍

Once your squirrel is released he will know how to forage it's instinct hard wired in them 😁

Thank you!

[TomahawkFlyers]

"We have a member here whose screen name is TomahawkFlyers who recently lost his precious little flying squirrel to a bad acorn. I, personally, do not feed them at all to captive squirrels."

Nor will I, ever again. We thought we were being kind, when in fact we were playing Russian Roulette with his life. Eventually, the loaded chamber came up. I do not wish to appear forward, but the message is so important that it is worth the risk of offending: "Please, just don't."

Jamie

[lovesquirrels1]

Art Curl stores them by the bucket load and has apparently never lost a squirrel from them. He told me the secret was collecting in good condition (not old ones laying on the ground) and never offering it as the only food source. He believes they eat the bad ones when it's the only thing in their cage, I think or maybe when they don't have many to pick from (I didn't clarify). Too risky for me, I decided to pass on the acorns. They have a very thin shell and the primary reason I feed nuts is to wear their teeth down. I didn't get the impression an acorn would do much for that.

[TomahawkFlyers]

Hazelnuts offer a chewing challenge, look a lot like acorns (no cap) and give forth a nutty treat when all the work is done.

[lovesquirrels1]

That's what I use hazelnuts, walnuts, and pecans in shell but only once a week. Hazelnuts are great because they aren't huge like the others.