I had to look this up on the internet cause I just didn't know they would eat a chicken...YES THEY Will.......LOL-LOL
Cheeky little devils!!!!!
Unlike rabbits or deer, squirrels cannot digest cellulose and must rely on foods rich in protein, carbohydrates, and fat. In temperate regions early spring is the hardest time of year for squirrels, since buried nuts begin to sprout and are no longer available for the squirrel to eat, and new food sources have not become available yet. During these times squirrels rely heavily on the buds of trees. Squirrels' diet consists primarily of a wide variety of plant food, including nuts, seeds, conifer cones, fruits, fungi and green vegetation. However some squirrels also consume meat, especially when faced with hunger. [2] Squirrels have been known to eat insect, eggs, small birds, snakes and rodents.
Ground and tree squirrels are typically diurnal, while flying squirrels tend to be nocturnal except for lactating flying squirrels and their offspring, who have a period of diurnality during the summer.[3]
Predatory behavior by various species of ground squirrels, particularly the thirteen-lined ground squirrel, has been noted.[4] Bailey, for example, observed a thirteen-lined ground squirrel preying upon a young chicken.[5] Wistrand reported seeing this same species eating a freshly killed snake.[6] Whitaker examined the stomachs of 139 thirteen-lined ground squirrels, and found bird flesh in four of the specimens and the remains of a short-tailed shrew in one;[7] Bradley, examining white-tailed antelope squirrels' stomachs, found at least 10% of his 609 specimens' stomachs contained some type of vertebrate mostly lizards and rodents.[8] Morgart (1985) observed a white-tailed antelope squirrel capturing and eating a silky pocket mouse.[9] Black squirrels in Russia have been accused of pack behavior in the killing and consumption of a dog.[10]
