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Thread: How to get your squirrel to love their rodent block!

  1. #1
    nsquirrel Guest

    Default How to get your squirrel to love their rodent block!

    I started giving Nutter rodent block a week before his eyes open. He would chew on it and shread it but not eat much of it at around 7 or 8 weeks I stated giving him veggies and fruit and a little later and nut here and there and of course his formula. Though as he got older and closer to weaning age I got worried because he wasn't eating his rodent block very much. So I came across the recipe for Boo balls and he loved them and a week or two later he started eating his block (he also weaned himself). Now he is a little over 12 weeks and in his release cage. When I take out his food the first thing he goes for it the Boo ball then he well eat the rodent block. Now the amazing thing is he will eat it before the veggies or FRUIT!!!! I give him 6 rodent blocks (Kaytee) a day though once I gave him 12 and he ate all of them. SO anyway I definently recommend Boo balls!!!

  2. #2
    nsquirrel Guest

    Default Re: How to get your squirrel to love their rodent block!

    Mamma2boo boo balls recipe

    Ingredients:

    50 grams (rounded 1/4 Cup) rodent block (crushed to a fine powder) I use Harlan Teklad 2018.

    50 grams (1/2 Cup) powdered Fox Valley squirrel formula. I use 32/40.

    50 grams (1/3 Cup) crushed pecans. You can substitute any nut you prefer, however I NEVER use peanuts.

    3 capsules of Multidolphilus

    10 grams (approx. 3/4 tsp) "organic" coconut oil (melted) (I reduced the coconut oil over the summer)

    1 jar (119 grams) of Earth's Best Organic baby food fruit (I use apples and plums)

    *You may decrease the nut amount over time. Eventually your squirrel will eat plain Harlan Teklad with no problem. I still offer the Boo Ball but it's nice to know I can throw in a handful of HTs and they will munch on them throughout the day.

    Directions for mixing:

    Mix dry ingredients together well (including the multidolphilus powder from inside the capsules).

    Mix organic baby food fruit in to your dry ingredients until well blended. It will seem very wet.

    Mix coconut oil into the mixture until well blended.

    Put in the refrigerator for a few hours. This lets it set up. It softens/moistens the rodent block and dissolves the FV.

    Once you are ready to serve it take out about a 1/2 -1 tsp of the mixture and roll is in your hands. Give it to your squirrel. Give them as many as they want. This food is fed freely.

    You may bake this recipe if your squirrel prefer crunchy to soft or if you want to offer them both. Mine prefer it soft but it's nice to offer a change from time to time.

    You can roll the Boo Ball and then use the bottom of a glass greased with coconut oil to flatten into a cookie or you can roll the entire batch into a tube and then cut or you can roll out the dough and use a cookie cutter ... the possibilities are endless.

    Place the cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet and place in a preheated oven (225 - 250). Bake approximately 15 - 20 minutes then flip them and put them back in for an additional 15 - 20 minutes. Because of the different thicknesses and shapes of the possibilities of cookies the baking time will vary a bit. Please judge for yourselves when they seem to be dried. You're not cooking them ... you're dehydrating them.

  3. #3
    nsquirrel Guest

    Default Re: How to get your squirrel to love their rodent block!

    By the way I used olive oil instead of coconut oil and I made by own fruit baby food.

  4. #4
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    Default Re: How to get your squirrel to love their rodent block!

    My little Jonah loves blocks, Ophelia on the other hand wanted nothing to do with them. I tried Boo Balls and she loves them. I;m hoping that as she grows up she might like HHB's too but until then...
    “You can judge a man's true character by the way he treats his fellow animals.” Paul McCartney

  5. #5
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    Default Re: How to get your squirrel to love their rodent block!

    nsquirrel— I have a sincere question or two. IF we have to do so much to “mask” the rodent block so the squirrel will eat it does that tell us something about the lack of quality or ingredients of the rodent block? And, what are the ingredients in your rodent block? (meaning no disrespect, just curious.)
    —E
    “Why she Had to go I don't know,
    she wouldn't say,
    now I long for yesterday."
    —Pointy Tail 03/17/09—

    "He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his LIFE, his LOVE, his LEADER. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion"—Unknown
    Handle every stressful situation like a dog. If you can't eat it or play with it, pee on it and walk away.

  6. #6
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    Default Re: How to get your squirrel to love their rodent block!

    Quote Originally Posted by Pointy Tale
    nsquirrel— I have a sincere question or two. IF we have to do so much to “mask” the rodent block so the squirrel will eat it does that tell us something about the lack of quality or ingredients of the rodent block? And, what are the ingredients in your rodent block? (meaning no disrespect, just curious.)
    Some commercial blocks have fish by-products in them, and squirrels do NOT like the smell/taste of fish. Some blocks are mostly corn, which squirrels do like, but get bored with fast. The reason HHB's were/are successful with squirrels is because they taste and smell like nuts, while still slipping in all those good vitamins & calcium.

    A tree squirrel's natural diet in the wild is, according to some, 75% plant matter. So think about it in human terms: if you're used to yummy fresh salads for every meal, do you really want to eat plain popcorn or cereal instead? I've had good luck with Mazuri and Zupreem blocks the past two years, but I won't say that they are anywhere near 75% of my squirrels' diet.
    Island Rehabber
    NY State Licensed
    Wildlife Rehabilitator


    "Ancora Imparo" (I am still learning)
    Michelangelo


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    If you can't afford the vet,
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    NEGLECT IS ABUSE.

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  7. #7
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    Default Re: How to get your squirrel to love their rodent block!

    Hi! That was most informative and makes a lot of sense why squirrels won’t eat them I mean, geeze, fish meal (yuck) and corn.

    I'm sure everyone knows most corn (whether for animals or humans) are GMO and here’s a recent article on what it can do to rats,link (so very sad).
    Top GMO crops are corn, soybean and alfalfa. Here is a video: http://geneticroulettemovie.com/ it’s free thru today.
    Even Dr. Oz is covering the topic on today's show.

    Also with fish meal, not sure if you know but its mostly preserved with Ethoxyquin (yes, a preservative but also a pesticide as well as hardening agent in manufacturing rubber).

    Not to mention the undisclosed source of animal fat (meaning the 4D’s—Dead, Dying, Diseased and Disabled, from any source, euthanized shelter dogs and cats, along with spoiled meat from the food store with Styrofoam wrapping included, road kill and rancid restaurant grease).

    I looked at Mazuri Rodent Block and ZuPreem Primate Diet.

    Agree that HHBs have much better ingredients AND they're made and sourced in the USA.

    OK, thanks for your insight, always good to cover food issues for those who don't know.
    I do personally wonder if “covering” food up to make them edible is idea good and perhaps its personal preference, IDK.

    Well, you all have a difficult job, I don’t envy you guys one bit. Thanks for doing what you do.
    —E
    “Why she Had to go I don't know,
    she wouldn't say,
    now I long for yesterday."
    —Pointy Tail 03/17/09—

    "He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his LIFE, his LOVE, his LEADER. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion"—Unknown
    Handle every stressful situation like a dog. If you can't eat it or play with it, pee on it and walk away.

  8. #8
    nsquirrel Guest

    Default Re: How to get your squirrel to love their rodent block!

    Actually he loves them plain now!

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