RODENT BLOCK RECIPE

[TinyPaws]

I put this recipe together and Timothy absolutely loved it as did Dani....IF there are revisions I should make please let me know...

15 rodent blocks (I use a plastic bag and a large flat river rock to pummel)
3 finely grated hazelnuts
2 finely chopped hazelnut (for texture)
1 finely chopped pecan
4-5 hickory nuts, biger pieces finely grated, smaller ones chopped (texture)
10-12 cheerios, cut in 4
1/8 teaspoon of Rep-Cal
water to moisten
1/8 teaspoon of pure whipped honey (it never hardens,shelf live forever)
2 teaspoon natural ORGANIC smooth peanut butter

mix well, sprinkle water as needed
press into small balls and refrigerate

I made the balls about the size of what 1 rodent block is...

Anyway, Timothy ate every bite....I figure he should get one per day...I don't know.

I like advice from one of you experts about the ingredients and how much/often to give.....:thankyou

[foxsquirrels]

Hi Tiny Paws, your recipe sounds good to me, but I am not a nutritionist. Here is the Rodent Block Recipe that I have seen GB post:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Here is the homemade recipe for Squirrel Blocks (what you made were Critter Scones. They are a treat). They are more nutritious for squirrels than anything you can buy.

I will also post a link with info on the ingredients.

Squirrel Blocks: Latest Recipe (8/25/08)
For Adult Squirrels (over 12 months old)*
Makes 56 blocks, or about enough for 4 weeks

Preheat oven to 225 degrees.

Vitamin mix:
1 tablet Vitamin B-12 (each tablet has 100 mcg)
2 tablets Vitamin B-complex (contains 100% human RDV; no more, no less)
8 tablets Calcium + D (each tablet has 500 mg calcium + 125 IU Vit D)
4 tablets Calcium (each tablet has 600 mg calcium carbonate)

Dry ingredients:
2 scoops** Pure Whey Protein Isolate
2 scoops pecan meal or ground pecans (or 19 halves chopped fine)
2 scoops almonds or walnuts (or other nuts) chopped fine
2 tsp aluminum-free baking powder***
Optional: 1 scoop of unprocessed wheat bran (some squirrels don't like it)

Wet ingredients:
1 whole egg
2 tbsp plain nonfat yogurt
4 tbsp natural peanut butter
2 gels Cod liver oil (1000 mg)
1/2 tsp vanilla or almond extract

Crush pills to a fine powder in a small bowl and mix well. Add wet ingredients to the bowl and mix well. Now combine dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Add the wet ingredients and mix until uniform. Dough will be fairly dry, like a pie crust or biscuit dough. Add a few drops of water if necessary until dough will barely hold together in a ball. Turn the ball onto a clean, lightly oiled surface and knead it exactly like bread dough. It should turn golden color and have a texture like nougat. Divide into four equal portions and roll each one into a "snake." Cut each snake into 14 pieces and place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes. Feed 2-3 per day for a 1-pound (450 g) squirrel.

[lillysmom]

Tine Paws..
that recipe sounds alot like what I put together last week..
although the whipped honey is new to me..

I'm not much on baking (cooking either)
not even sure my oven works:rotfl
but I'm doing whatever it takes to get Spike to eat the Rodent Block:thumbsup

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

TP your recipie sounds very similar to Chris Clarks except she dosent add the honey. :thumbsup :thumbsup

[TinyPaws]

I added a bit of honey to give it a sweet taste making it more appealing...I'm just wondering how many balls he should get per day...

[TinyPaws]

This is a recipe that is used instead of rodent blocks...Mine is with using the rodant blocks, so the nutrition value would be about equal...
Hi Tiny Paws, your recipe sounds good to me, but I am not a nutritionist. Here is the Rodent Block Recipe that I have seen GB post:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Here is the homemade recipe for Squirrel Blocks (what you made were Critter Scones. They are a treat). They are more nutritious for squirrels than anything you can buy.

I will also post a link with info on the ingredients.

Squirrel Blocks: Latest Recipe (8/25/08)
For Adult Squirrels (over 12 months old)*
Makes 56 blocks, or about enough for 4 weeks

Preheat oven to 225 degrees.

Vitamin mix:
1 tablet Vitamin B-12 (each tablet has 100 mcg)
2 tablets Vitamin B-complex (contains 100% human RDV; no more, no less)
8 tablets Calcium + D (each tablet has 500 mg calcium + 125 IU Vit D)
4 tablets Calcium (each tablet has 600 mg calcium carbonate)

Dry ingredients:
2 scoops** Pure Whey Protein Isolate
2 scoops pecan meal or ground pecans (or 19 halves chopped fine)
2 scoops almonds or walnuts (or other nuts) chopped fine
2 tsp aluminum-free baking powder***
Optional: 1 scoop of unprocessed wheat bran (some squirrels don't like it)

Wet ingredients:
1 whole egg
2 tbsp plain nonfat yogurt
4 tbsp natural peanut butter
2 gels Cod liver oil (1000 mg)
1/2 tsp vanilla or almond extract

Crush pills to a fine powder in a small bowl and mix well. Add wet ingredients to the bowl and mix well. Now combine dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Add the wet ingredients and mix until uniform. Dough will be fairly dry, like a pie crust or biscuit dough. Add a few drops of water if necessary until dough will barely hold together in a ball. Turn the ball onto a clean, lightly oiled surface and knead it exactly like bread dough. It should turn golden color and have a texture like nougat. Divide into four equal portions and roll each one into a "snake." Cut each snake into 14 pieces and place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes. Feed 2-3 per day for a 1-pound (450 g) squirrel.

[4skwerlz]

Since the exact amounts of nutrients in the rodent block are unknown, I can't comment on whether your recipe is nutritionally complete. However, most rodent blocks contain generous amounts of nutrients, and certainly your recipe would be better than no rodent block at all. It's good that you kept the "extra" ingredients to a minimum to avoid diluting the nutrients too much. I would minimize the honey (which you've done) and also reduce or eliminate the cheerios, due to their high glycemic load. I would think you could feed these freely.

To be clear, I can't say whether these have enough or too much of any nutrient, but if this is the only way to get Timothy to eat rodent block, then it's better than no rodent block at all.

[TinyPaws]

:thankyou That is my goal...because I know he wasn't touching them before...this way he likes to nibble on them...I will shelve the cheerios in the next batch...and maybe put in some sesame seeds instead....
Since the exact amounts of nutrients in the rodent block are unknown, I can't comment on whether your recipe is nutritionally complete. However, most rodent blocks contain generous amounts of nutrients, and certainly your recipe would be better than no rodent block at all. It's good that you kept the "extra" ingredients to a minimum to avoid diluting the nutrients too much. I would minimize the honey (which you've done) and also reduce or eliminate the cheerios, due to their high glycemic load. I would think you could feed these freely.

To be clear, I can't say whether these have enough or too much of any nutrient, but if this is the only way to get Timothy to eat rodent block, then it's better than no rodent block at all.

[TinyPaws]

Just want to update the progress.....Timothy loves and still eats his balls,(the rodent block balls, not....:D )....He started to stash them so I broke them up in small pieces and that took care of the stashing, now she sits there, (hangs upside down), and eats them....He eats 1 each day, half in the day and half at night, plus whatever vegitables and fruit he will eat...which is not much :sanp3 but I still offer them to him.....

[Fallinwhisper]

Sounds like I'm in the same boat with Pip. She wont touch any Rodent Block that I can get at the pet stores. I cant even get her to eat veggies most of the time. She does like grapes and apples though. I am currently offering her some pellets. The brand is called Sunseed and its called Vita-rat - Vitamins & Mineral Enriched, High Protein formulation and Calcium fortified. (http://www.petfooddirect.com/store/product_detail.asp?pf_id=100311325&dept_id=256&brand_id=102&Page=). To me, it just looks like Gerbil food. It has some pellets, whole sunflower seeds, some other goodies. She will only pick out the seeds and wont touch the rest. There are a few whole pieces of Rodent Block in there, she just tosses them aside, literally. lol She will throw her food if she doesn't like it. I also have some alfalfa. Not sure if that is good for them or not. She seems to like picking at it. The only treats that I do give her is maybe an almond or acorn and some little Peach wood pieces from the pet store. She loves to nibble on those.

Id love to make some of my own Rodent Blocks and find one that she will eat! She looks healthy to me. Active, shiny coat, etc. So she is eating, she's just very picky. I just want to be sure she is eating and liking something healthy! :D

[4skwerlz]

Sounds like I'm in the same boat with Pip. She wont touch any Rodent Block that I can get at the pet stores. I cant even get her to eat veggies most of the time. She does like grapes and apples though. I am currently offering her some pellets. The brand is called Sunseed and its called Vita-rat - Vitamins & Mineral Enriched, High Protein formulation and Calcium fortified. (http://www.petfooddirect.com/store/product_detail.asp?pf_id=100311325&dept_id=256&brand_id=102&Page=). To me, it just looks like Gerbil food. It has some pellets, whole sunflower seeds, some other goodies. She will only pick out the seeds and wont touch the rest. There are a few whole pieces of Rodent Block in there, she just tosses them aside, literally. lol She will throw her food if she doesn't like it. I also have some alfalfa. Not sure if that is good for them or not. She seems to like picking at it. The only treats that I do give her is maybe an almond or acorn and some little Peach wood pieces from the pet store. She loves to nibble on those.

Id love to make some of my own Rodent Blocks and find one that she will eat! She looks healthy to me. Active, shiny coat, etc. So she is eating, she's just very picky. I just want to be sure she is eating and liking something healthy! :D

The trouble with those seed-mix type foods is exactly what you said: they pick out what they want (the seeds) and leave the rest. Squirrels have a VERY high calcium requirement--almost 100 times the requirement for people when you consider their small body size. Seeds actually deplete calcium from the body. Also, a diet based on fruit, seeds, and nuts will be severely protein deficient. And that's not even considering all the other vitamins and minerals they need. She may look healthy now, but I can't tell you how many squirrel moms come to TSB saying their squirrel was fine yesterday and now she's having seizures.....many of them die.:shakehead Please read the "Healthy Diet" located in the Squirrel Nutrition forum. In a "nutshell":


--80% of her diet MUST be rodent blocks, or if she won't eat those, the squirrel blocks. The recipe is in the Nutrition forum.

--The rest of her diet must be vegetables from the list in the "Healthy Diet for Pet Squirrels" plus natural foods from outside.

--Occasional treats can include fruit, extra nuts, or other yummies.

A lot of squirrels won't touch commercial rodent block, but almost all of them love the TSB squirrel blocks.

Good luck, and if you have questions, just ask. :thumbsup

[Fallinwhisper]

I understand completely. I have been trying to feed her so many different types of Rodent Block. I have been speaking with GB on a recipe that I will try this weekend. What a picky little girl :shakehead

[TinyPaws]

I don't know if Timothy is going thru the change...?....He is turning 8 months old....His picky eating has gotten worse....The vegies and fruit he would eat before, now he doesn't even eat them most of the time....Mushrooms, radiccio, baby broccoli, carrots, green pepper, apples, grapes, avacado...the list goes on....though I continue to offer these things, most of the time he won't touch it...He did eat 1/2 a mushroom last night and some baby food sweet potatoe, other than that nothing except the rodent blocks I fix him...

I know children go through a picky eating stage where all they want is junk food....Does anyone know if squirrels go through this too?

He is also changing in other ways too...he has become more affectionate with me and he once again took up sleeping in the sleeve of my steelers sweatshirt...something he has not done for months...He grooms my hand, give me kisses and love nibbles....he loves to play rough, hand wrestle and chasing my hand...he doesn't bite hard anymore, just playful....

I know he has an appitite because whenever I bring food in the playroom to eat, he climbs up to my mouth and grabs it off the spoon or fork before I get it into my mouth, sometimes he will try to take it from my mouth with his mouth...so now I try not to eat before I go in there so not to bring food in there....

Any clues? Any suggestions?

[lordskeep]

Hi, I'm wondering how much is a scoop? A cup? I want to make the recipe correctly.:dono

[TinyPaws]

Hi, I'm wondering how much is a scoop? A cup? I want to make the recipe correctly.:dono

I believe the pure whey protien comes with it's own scoop inside the container..

[Jackie in Tampa]

I believe the pure whey protien comes with it's own scoop inside the container..
yep, Now Brand does.

[vlchan]

I put this recipe together and Timothy absolutely loved it as did Dani....IF there are revisions I should make please let me know...

15 rodent blocks (I use a plastic bag and a large flat river rock to pummel)
3 finely grated hazelnuts
2 finely chopped hazelnut (for texture)
1 finely chopped pecan
4-5 hickory nuts, biger pieces finely grated, smaller ones chopped (texture)
10-12 cheerios, cut in 4
1/8 teaspoon of Rep-Cal
water to moisten
1/8 teaspoon of pure whipped honey (it never hardens,shelf live forever)
2 teaspoon natural ORGANIC smooth peanut butter

mix well, sprinkle water as needed
press into small balls and refrigerate

I made the balls about the size of what 1 rodent block is...

Anyway, Timothy ate every bite....I figure he should get one per day...I don't know.

I like advice from one of you experts about the ingredients and how much/often to give.....:thankyou

Is it dangerous to feed regular peanut butter?

[DarkLies212]

Is it dangerous to feed regular peanut butter?

Just like with organic peanut butter..in moderation, no it isn't dangerous. Many of us prefer to feed our fuzzies organic to keep them from eating as much artificial nastiness as possible.

[vlchan]

Just like with organic peanut butter..in moderation, no it isn't dangerous. Many of us prefer to feed our fuzzies organic to keep them from eating as much artificial nastiness as possible.
I noticed if she eats peanut butter her stools get real soft. Thank you for responding!

[Anne]

Try using Almond Butter.