| Home | About | Contact | Site Map | Links | Library |
Down Cage Soil:
After gnawing teeth are in use, pet should be placed in regular squirrel down cage soil (see Part IV) for its headquarters. Place down cage soil where it receives direct morning sunlight; move down cage soil to cool, shady part of room in warm weather. Fill down cage soil with 12-14 inches of good leaf mold or other clean, rich soil—soil from forest Floor is best; moisten soil when it becomes dusty, but do not allow it to get wet; change soil twice yearly. Squirrel does little burrowing, but soil is necessary to keep fur clean and free of parasites.After gnawing teeth are in use, place pet in chipmunk down cage soil (see Part IV), but give plenty of freedom in room. Fill down cage soil with 12-14 inches of leaf mold or other clean, rich soil (soil from forest Floor is best); moisten soil when it becomes dusty, but do not allow it to get wet. Change soil at least twice yearly. Scatter several large, flat rocks about for pet to burrow under. NEST: In the wild, is made in ground in hollow rotting log or stump. Obtain log or stump from woods and place in down cage soil; log or stump should have hole at either end or in sides.
See Also Back Cage:
1. Top of screen wire, hinged along back cage. 2. Bottom, ends, and back cage of wood; front of glass. 3. Doors in right end facilitate cleaning. 4. A half-inch dowel is placed across middle of cage 6" below top. Screen wire runway Vz" wide, is fastened to peg on end of cage, draped over dowel and along back cage of cage on several pegs, then forward across other end of cage and fastened to floor. 5. Use top and bottom of 4'/2" X 4" fruit can with cylinder of screen wire soldered on to make wheel; cut four 1" holes in each end. Wheel must turn freely on rod bolted through end of cage.Layer the material and lightly firm it down with the head of a rake or the back cage of a fork. Add the activator if necessary. Continue until the cage is full. Keep a cover over the top of the pile, and if the compost becomes dry, remove the cover and water it to encourage the rotting process. When the cage is full a 2in layer of soil may be spread over the top instead of sacking or polyethylene. Leave the cage and if possible start to construct a second cage.
On The Other Hand See Confined Cage Long:
Pet should have freedom of the room during the day; leave cage door open so that it can come and go at will. If pet must be confined cage long to cage, place cage in direct sunlight each morning and move to cool, shady part of room when weather becomes warm.Transfer fledgling to cage when it becomes active. Use commercial canary cage for young jay; large bird cage for crow and magpie (see Part IV). Cover cage bottom with thick layer of bird gravel. Place limb with sturdy branches in cage as perch. Train pet to use cage for headquarters by keeping food and water there.
