| This is
Larry, Curly Sue (under Larry), and Moe the first day we
found them in our back yard. They were 4 1/2 weeks old, and were
about the size of chipmunks |
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The first
real cage was built out of hardware cloth and pine. The
temporary laundry basket that used to have a screen over the top of
it,
was too small for the "kids" at 6 weeks of age. |
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Larry, Moe
and Curly Sue (no fleas, bathed and well fed) at 6 weeks old playing and
taking naps. |
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| At 7 1/2
weeks a nest box built from paneling was installed in the cage. |
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Bob feeding
Larry a mixture of puppy formula and milk through a syringe. The
kids were fed this mixture 5 times a day. Larry is 7 1/2 weeks old
in this picture. |
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The kids
were fed bread, carrots and cheerios along with the formula mixture
at 8 weeks of age. Curly Sue is eating a carrot, and Larry is
showing off. |
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At 9 weeks the kids practiced nest-building using tissues. The cage and nest box have become too
small. |
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At 10 weeks a plexiglass
cage was attached to a window. A pvc tube leading from the cage to
the outside of the roof allowed the kids to come and go as they
pleased. |
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This cage would have provided a place for them to eat and sleep through the
winter. It also, conveniently, did not allow them to actually live
inside our house. |
| The kids had other ideas about their
winter home. They decided the engine compartment of Ingrid's truck
would be a great place to build a nest. NOOO. BAD KIDS. |
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At 11 weeks
a 9 foot hardware cloth cage was built, and then a new house was
attached to the end. The kids filled this house with
leaves and made it their own. |
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After they
were weaned, the kid's house was detached from the wire cage
while they were in it, and
hung in the oak tree in the back yard. |
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Release Day. Two extension ladders were tied together, the
house was hung from an oak branch, and the kids were
finally at home in a natural setting. |
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