My squirrels have weaned - do I have to worry about nutrition?

[Simmerpop]

My squirrels are likely about 11 weeks old. We're going to open up their cage for soft release in start of May. They're already in their soft release cage and have weaned themselves, which makes me anxious because for foxes that seems early - I keep offering fox valley but no takers. I'm giving lots of Harry's blocks and veggies and natural branches and buds I find in the neighborhood - I'm seeing lots of stool but some is loose. Do I have to worry? Anything else I can do for their nutrition? I want ot give them a great shot out there. Also, now they're outside and getting plenty of natural light, do I have to worry about MBD?

[Spanky]

My squirrels are likely about 11 weeks old. We're going to open up their cage for soft release in start of May. They're already in their soft release cage and have weaned themselves, which makes me anxious because for foxes that seems early - I keep offering fox valley but no takers. I'm giving lots of Harry's blocks and veggies and natural branches and buds I find in the neighborhood - I'm seeing lots of stool but some is loose. Do I have to worry? Anything else I can do for their nutrition? I want ot give them a great shot out there. Also, now they're outside and getting plenty of natural light, do I have to worry about MBD?

11 weeks is early to be in a outdoor soft release cage.

Are they eating the Harry's blocks (are these HENRY's Block)? What other foods are they getting...

[Simmerpop]

I'm approximating their age. They may be 12? I'm not leaving the cage open but they're definitely happy for the extra space and interactive life - what is the reason I should've kept them in the smaller cage? I can try to move them back.

Henry's blocks, yes - both picky and wild. Local trees with buds and berries. Kale and peas - they love uncooked peas. Avocado and this wild squirrel mix from amazon that has dried corn, pumpkin seed, more rodent blocks, grubs, etc. I've tried to give the formula every day and they're not interested at all.

[Simmerpop]

If helpful, here's a picture when they were found kicked out of their nest by local cat from a a neighbor. They had eyes open and could move but not yet sit up. They seemed to have both teeth. This was March 16, so 5 weeks ago. I've tried to approximate their age and requested help quite a few times on this board.

[Spanky]

Henry's blocks, yes - both picky and wild. Local trees with buds and berries. Kale and peas - they love uncooked peas. Avocado and this wild squirrel mix from amazon that has dried corn, pumpkin seed, more rodent blocks, grubs, etc. I've tried to give the formula every day and they're not interested at all.

You are probably pretty close on age. I'd not plan on opening the release cage portal until they are at least 15 weeks.

I would not have had too much concern about formula weaning until the post about the squirrel mix from Amazon... while that may be fine to feed wild squirrels, the dried corn, pumpkin seeds etc. is likely a recipe for disaster. Seeds, dried corn and things like meal worms are calcium robbing foods that can result in Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD). These are some of the worst of the "bad foods" and should be avoided when raising squirrels. It is not possible to feed enough calcium rich foods to offset a diet heavy in calcium robbing food... I often use the analogy that this is like eating a super-sized Big Mac meal with an apple pie... but then having a diet coke and thinking the diet coke offsets all the bad stuff in the meal. It simply does not work that way.

If you can post the product link and we can look at the ingredients, but it is almost assuredly not a wise food choice for raising squirrels and I'd suggest stop feeding that at all.

It also makes me nervous if their new space allows a fall of more than say 3 foot. MBD results in brittle bones much like osteoporosis in elderly people. The bones are brittle and break much easier than healthy bones. Is there a soft or semi-soft bottom to the release cage?

Here is link to healthy food diet for captive squirrels:
https://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/...-Pet-Squirrels

[Simmerpop]

Well that sounds absolutely horrible. Here’s the link.

https://a.co/d/ihAIbmq

These two are spunky and full of energy. No sign of any MBD currently. Pooping up a storm 99% regular and running all around. The bottom has a nice thick moving blanket. I put in lots of veggies and they love the peas the much but they also love the pumpkin seeds in that mix for sure.

If they have weaned what can I do to ensure more calcium aside from removing that food and continuing blocks, which they eat daily, and adding more calcium rich veggies? They do seem totally fine.

As per release, confusing! The sticky note seemed to say have them in for 30 days (though some argued a week) so I thought moving in now for release was best. Because they are together I thought 13 weeks was appropriate but if 15 weeks is best we’ll do that! Knowing they should be in for 30 days (if right) I thought keeping in now would be best.

[Spanky]

I am not a fan of EN squirrel food (and that is a huge understatement)... the most important thing to do right now is stop all the calcium robbing food (the EN; do not feed any dried corn, meal worms, seeds or nuts).

Broccoli, peas (in the pod), butternut and acorn squash, bok-choy, sweet tater, beet greens (my squirrels love the greens whenever my wife buys fresh beets) are all good sources of calcium. But again, it is more about not feeding calcium robbing foods.

I had a discussion with a guy I bumped into at my vets clinic when I was taking in a squirrel to be seen. When he was in high school he worked at a vet clinic. He raised a few different kinds of wildlife but never had any "luck" releasing squirrels. He wanted to pick my brain about how I was able to successfully release so may squirrels. He'd get them to the release cage and they seemed perfectly healthy to him. Is wasn't long before it was realized they were fed the incorrect formula followed by a terrible nut and seeds diet. Then one day he'd some out and 1 or 2 at a time would be dead at the bottom of the release cage. Eventually they all met the same fate. This is not as uncommon as I wish it were.

One of the things with squirrels is they are masters of disguising when they are sick, injured and otherwise unwell.... weak appearances make them prime targets for predators. Once squirrels start actually displaying they are sick or hurting, they usually are in critical condition. It takes a tremendous amount of experience to pick up more subtle tells of when a squirrel is unhealthy.

As for release... the amount of time in a release cage does very. Some rehabbers think a week is enough, others prefer 2, 3 or even 4 weeks before opening the portal (then they usually need another week or 2 to completely move out). Some of that is also driven by how may batches of squirrels a rehabber has to get released in a season as well. In my experience, 3 weeks seems to be the right amount of time. But I wait for a period of days when relatively good weather is expected to open the portal, since the first day (or night) away from the security of the release cage does not seem like a thunderstorm or other bad weather is ideal. Also at least 3 weeks (for me) before the 4th of July, otherwise they stay in the RC until after the fireworks.

Leaving them in the release cage or not is something you'll need to assess. If they were on a pure diet of EN I'd say get them into the smaller cage... but since they are eating Henry's and some veggies (they are actually eating those things, right?) then stopping the bad foods, softening the floor of the cage may be all that is necessary. I would suggest they are 16 - 18 weeks before opening the portal only so they get an extra wee or few of good foods only.

[Simmerpop]

Thank you so much! I’m on it.

[Simmerpop]

Hi guys!

I’m afraid I need more help. I’ve removed entirely the wild mix the squirrels were getting - which I was giving 1/3 daily portion of their food with two Henry’s blocks picky eaters and the final 1/3 portion of fresh veggies - they really liked pease.

Due to advice above I stopped the mix and picked up lots of calcium heavy food - bok Choy, peas in shell, acorn squash, broccoli, kale, beet greens…. Well they haven’t touched any of it except the peas in shell which they’re eating a ton of. They also “eat” their Henry’s blocks consistently (assuming it’s normal to just see a massacre of crumbs all over) for every feeding. Now one of them has diarrhea. Is this ok? Any trick to getting them to eat the veggies? I’m chopping it up but nothing. They have zero interest.

I’m worried because they didn’t not have diarrhea before.

[Spanky]

Are you washing the veggies? The diarrhea is of concern and often is a result of eating unwashed vegetables.

They are not eating the veggies yet (IMO) because they are holding out for the junk food that they had gotten used to eating. This is very much like changing a toddler (well, even an adult's diet) from a bunch of junk... cotton candy, gummy bears, McDonald Happy meals and soda to a more healthful diet... a healthier balance of veggies, fruits and proteins.

We refer to having fed the junk and now converting to a healthy diet as having taken the very difficult road. They will not starve themselves.. though they'll do a very good job of convincing you they are starving... with perfectly healthy food available for them to eat.

[Simmerpop]

Thank you so much for your continued help. I did not wash all the veggies, only some - the diarrheas is only slight but I'm so anxious because their food all sits there uneaten so I'm watching everything like a hawk. They are existing on peas and HHB. I'll start washing it all and keep watching.

Is it normal to see the HHB just chewed to pieces on the floor? Are they still getting the nutrition when it seems so little of it makes it to their belly?

[Spanky]

Thank you so much for your continued help. I did not wash all the veggies, only some - the diarrheas is only slight but I'm so anxious because their food all sits there uneaten so I'm watching everything like a hawk. They are existing on peas and HHB. I'll start washing it all and keep watching.

Is it normal to see the HHB just chewed to pieces on the floor? Are they still getting the nutrition when it seems so little of it makes it to their belly?

The always start by chewing up.. and not actually eating.. the HHB. It is not until, and only when they are eating... actually eating... the HHB that we recommend introducing veggies. But the HHB only diet (with formula) is back at about 6 weeks of age... by 7 - 8 weeks old they are usually eating it well.

I'd maybe try handing out HHB before providing them their veggies and other foods. Cut them in half so they fit through the bars and see if they don't actually gobble them down first thing in the morning when they are most hungry.

I'd suggest not providing too many pea pods... maybe 1... or 2 at most... per squirrel per feeding. The WILL eat the other stuff, they are just focusing on what is most appealing to them...everything in moderation as my grandpa used to say.

Have you considered offering some formula and seeing if that might interest them (formula is the single best thing they can eat... if they will eat it).

[Simmerpop]

Yes - they slowly took less and less formula but i was giving them fox valley until about 3 days before this post. I still offer it, even now, and they won't take it. The girl stopped first (she was always a bit more advanced than the boy). I wish they would take it because it would ease so much of my worry.

I did introduce the henry's blocks right when they said to, when they were only consuming formula, and for awhile they sat untouched and then I'd start seeing them nibbled or hid around their cage like they were trying to store them. Then I started seeing the crumb explosions. At that point, and with them weaning, we started introducing more veggies and that mix. I've been cautious about fruit and nuts given all I've read here, but that mix did have some raw nuts.

Ok. I'll start limiting. I'm sort of bringing a veggie buffet with the blocks at once because I'm so worried they're hungry. I'll try what you say with blocks first thing in the morning and then more as the day goes on IF they start eating their blocks. Is there a way to get a sense of the daily portion for a 11 week old squirrel? Not with blocks, with other items?

I'll also try formula again tonight. They sniff it and move right on. It made me worried when they weaned themselves since everything on here made it seem like foxes are impossible to wean and drink formula forever.

[4AllSquirrels]

HI, I'm new to this forum. I am an animal lover, and I am so grateful for the Outdoors... I thrive there. I'm responding to your question regarding nutrition for squirrels, and all small animals.

Over the years I have supplied many squirrel owners, rescuers, and feeders with deer and elk antler, that I cut into small pieces that are easy to hold and eat, and they love it. Deer shed their antler every year, and small and large animals eat the shed antlers for their nutritious benefits. But squirrels are missing this natural source when deer are pushed out... and fresh antler never being available.

I learned about Antler being a natural source of Calcium, Potassium, Magnesium, Phosphorous, Zinc, Iron, and other essential minerals. So important for healthy bones, muscles, and nervous systems... as well as grooming healthy teeth and gums. Also, a prime reason why Antler Dog Chews are so popular.

I buy and work with the top grade A#1 fresh shed antlers, and I cut antler daily for my craft. If you would like to try some antler pieces for your squirrels, let me know and I can send you some... I'll extend this offer to anyone else interested in trying some antler pieces. Yes, for free!

antlerartisans@hawaii.rr.com