Chickens and squirrels???

[Laylahege]

I have a problem.
I had some trees removed, leaving 3 orphaned squirrels. I formula fed them. At about 10 weeks I opened the enclosure a bit, thinking they would explore, but come back to the enclosure to sleep and eat because that's where I put food and they were still nursing a bit from a syringe. WELP I was wrong. Day 2 of them being "free" I found 2 of them nested in a nesting box in my chicken coop.
The door stays open during the day and I leave the nesting box lid up if it's nice outside. My birds free range all day and are locked up at dusk.
I relocated them to their enclosure and gave them milk and food there. An hour later... Back in the coop. It's raining today so I think the coop being the warmest, driest place outside is probably why they moved in. Unfortunately they're very tame squirrels. The chickens don't mind them and they don't seem to mind the chickens. Everyone still layed in the nesting boxes today.
Common since tells me this will not work out though. Should I just move them to a park miles away from my property? I never thought about this being a problem haha!

 

[Wonder Quails]

Take it easy for now, wait until a few days and see what happens!

 

[Wonder Quails]

Can you take pictures?

 

[Laylahege]

Can you take pictures?

Impossible to get a still shot of them because they move so fast they were awake and running around. The nesting box is where they've made their little nest. One of my hens is already perched and doesn't seem to notice them

 

[WI chickens]

They aren't going to hurt anything short of maybe chewing on some wood. I would leave them alone. They aren't going to bother the chickens.

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

Common since tells me this will not work out though. Should I just move them to a park miles away from my property? I never thought about this being a problem haha!

They may be small, cute and harmless now, but I say listen to your intuition that long-term the situation will not work out.

https://squirrelenthusiast.com/will...uirrels Harm Chickens?,food, eggs, and chicks.

 

[Al Gerhart]

Tree rats are not a good mix with chickens. Once they are older, especially if one or more is a female, they will need more protein during pregnancy and nursing. They will get eggs and even chicks if they can get to them. They will also bring in a lot of vermin and pests into the coop that will be disease vectors.

Taking the squirrels for a ride, nature abhors a vacuum. If there is a territory suitable for squirrels it is very likely already occupied. Dropping a young squirrel into an occupied territory isn't going to end well for a young squirrel that hasn't grown up around adult squirrels. If it doesn't have to fight for its life it might well starve since its parents weren't around to supplement its instinctive behavior. If I was going to dump such a critter its best chance, not that much better but some, would be a public park where it has a chance of getting some non natural sourced food.

Good intentions get torpedoed by reality sometimes. Saving some babies sometimes just creates problems down the road. Nature is harsh and pitiless but there is always a method to the madness and perceived cruelty where creatures compete for resources or are part of the food chain itself.

 

[Laylahege]

Tree rats are not a good mix with chickens. Once they are older, especially if one or more is a female, they will need more protein during pregnancy and nursing. They will get eggs and even chicks if they can get to them. They will also bring in a lot of vermin and pests into the coop that will be disease vectors.

Taking the squirrels for a ride, nature abhors a vacuum. If there is a territory suitable for squirrels it is very likely already occupied. Dropping a young squirrel into an occupied territory isn't going to end well for a young squirrel that hasn't grown up around adult squirrels. If it doesn't have to fight for its life it might well starve since its parents weren't around to supplement its instinctive behavior. If I was going to dump such a critter its best chance, not that much better but some, would be a public park where it has a chance of getting some non natural sourced food.

Good intentions get torpedoed by reality sometimes. Saving some babies sometimes just creates problems down the road. Nature is harsh and pitiless but there is always a method to the madness and perceived cruelty where creatures compete for resources or are part of the food chain itself.

Thanks for the reality check. I think I'm going to contact the wildlife rescue closest to me, they might take them. I'm in the suburbs so our parks are very "peoplefied".
I'll give them another week of the formula, tapering down, and make my move. There was 1 female and she's gone.
Nature is a cruel beast!

 

[Laylahege]

Update... The chickens may have won the battle for territory. This morning there was a beautiful fresh laid egg where the squirrels had been sleeping. They had been acting fairly afraid of the birds too. Checked the enclosure we left out for them and sure enough, they were back home. I've found a permanent place for them at a wildlife rehab center. They'll be leaving soon!

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

Update... The chickens may have won the battle for territory. This morning there was a beautiful fresh laid egg where the squirrels had been sleeping. They had been acting fairly afraid of the birds too. Checked the enclosure we left out for them and sure enough, they were back home. I've found a permanent place for them at a wildlife rehab center. They'll be leaving soon!

Glad to hear the situation worked out well for all concerned.