Acorns? among other questions

[Gypsy Love]

Sorry this is SO long! Is it too early to give my little red squirrel an acorn to play with/chew on? Her upper teeth were noticeably coming in last week, so I figure she is about 6 weeks old? She already loves nibbling on her rodent blocks. Watching her get used to holding food and sitting up like a squirrel was hilarious. I picked some acorns off the tree when they were green about a week ago and now they are a dark brown/green. They don't appear to have any holes or cracks in them. What would I have to do to them to ensure they would be safe? I can go get fresher ones if the ones I have are too old. I was thinking about cutting one in half for her so I could inspect the inside first. She is very interested in solid food, I often have to keep her from trying to nibble whatever I'm eating. Also, would it be okay to feed her frozen avocado flesh that has been thawed? What other first foods would you recommend? And when can I move her into a cage that is 36x36x20? She is climbing like a champ. Would it be a good idea to collect branches from the area she was born in to put in her cage so she will recognize the smell when she is released in the spring? What types of branches are best? Thanks!

[island rehabber]

Since those acorns never touched the ground I would personally have no issue with feeding them to my squirrel -- cut them in half if you like, just to be extra sure.

I love to use maple, oak and poplar as 'starter branches' for the kids, because that's what we have most around here. Use your judgment regarding the most common native trees near you. Just beware of wild cherry and yew -- toxic to rodents.

Avocado is nearly always welcomed by squirrels -- well, I only have greys here so not sure if reds like them too. Try it! (No pit or skin, of course...again - toxic.)

[HRT4SQRLS]

Acorns... Squirrels LOVE them. With that said I would not overdo the feeding of acorns with a baby squirrel. Believe it or not, they are not particularly healthy, especially for babies. They are a high phosphorus food. They have a calcium to phosphorus ratio similar to almonds. A baby squirrels bones are growing rapidly and you don't want to feed foods that would hinder bone growth. Make sure he eats the block. That is critical, especially for one that will be overwintered.

I always cut every acorn that I feed. I did an experiment one day. I took 4 perfect acorns from the tree. There were NO holes, cracks or any visual sign of deterioration. I took a sharp knife and cut them in half. 3 were perfect inside. 1 was black inside and completely deteriorated. This was not visible from the outside. An outside squirrel would throw that acorn down but a captive squirrel might eat it anyway. That's why it's risky.

I have found that baby squirrels love to chew small branches. Cut some small oak twigs. I cut them about 4 inches long and about 1/2 inch diameter. They really have a time chewing them. Someone gave me some of the dried Apple twigs that you purchase at the pet store. They loved those also.

[Gypsy Love]

Thanks, I'm thinking I might just give her 1/4 of an acorn once or twice a week until she is older. Would there be any risks in giving her just some of the caps to play with or is that a no-no?