I'm totally confused!!!!!

[fsalter53]

I have read the nutrition section on here so many times and written all the foods they can eat and cant eat, I feel dizzy,:crazy Sadie & Sage will be 2 months at the end of Jan 30, right now what they eat is formula 2 times a day maybe 3 and they eat 1/2 pecan each, every day and both eat a piece of orange every day, reg. & wheat cheerios a couple every day, they drink water, sage loves a piece of avaca. every day. And I just bought reptocal to sprinkle where ever, I dont have the blocks yet I want to wait till the end of the month and they will be 2 months and start them on the blocks and slowly take formula away, :dono so could anyone add to this diet or "HELP" in any way, who could afford all those veggies and fruits at one time, I only have 2 little babies. ????????????????????????????????????????
buy different ones each week right? I didnt mean all at once, I exagerated, what ever. I cant spell. HELPPPPPPPPPPP.:multi :multi :multi :multi :multi

[jvillereptile]

my babies eat broccoli, collard greens, romaine lettuce, sweet potato, tomatoes, apples, oranges and then the seeds and nuts. i buy romaine and collards every week because i have more then just squirrels that eat that and the rest i rotate like one week hey get sweet potatoes and apples and the net week the get broccoli and tomatoes the seeds stay in the cage which are dusted with rep cal and herptivite. i also give them corn on the Cobb whenever i can get it. i get all my food from the farmers market so i don't spend a fortune on food for them. my babies stop eating esbilac on their own at 8 weeks

[fsalter53]

my babies eat broccoli, collard greens, romaine lettuce, sweet potato, tomatoes, apples, oranges and then the seeds and nuts. i buy romaine and collards every week because i have more then just squirrels that eat that and the rest i rotate like one week hey get sweet potatoes and apples and the net week the get broccoli and tomatoes the seeds stay in the cage which are dusted with rep cal and herptivite. i also give them corn on the Cobb whenever i can get it. i get all my food from the farmers market so i don't spend a fortune on food for them. my babies stop eating esbilac on their own at 8 weeks

:thankyou so what it boils down to is what I buy for my self and family I just set aside for my babies, I will continue formula till 2 months old, I want them to get all they can and be strong. :thankyou :thankyou :thankyou

[jvillereptile]

basically yeah. if you check out my one thread about my new flyer you can see how happy my squirrels arei have posted picks of my group in it

[muffinsquirrel]

There is nothing wrong with buying 3 green beans, one mushroom, a really small piece of broccoli, and 2 grapes! They may look at you kinda funny, but they'll get used to it. And if they get brave enough to ask you why you are buying bits and pieces, they'll DEFINATELY look at you funny. But the very best thing to do is make friends with the produce manager at your store - often they will fix you up with little bits and pieces of different things for free, or at least really cheap!

Mine are started on a variety of solid foods by the time they are 6 or 7 weeks old, while they are still on formula. As they take less formula, I give them a small dish of yogurt with esbilac powder mixed into it. They can lap that, and it makes sure that they are getting everything they need while they are changing to solids, and it seems to make the weaning easier.

I continue giving them yogurt 3 or 4 times a week even after I stop the Esbilac - it's a good source of calcium, and if ever I need to give them any meds, I can mix it in the yogurt.

muffinsquirrel

[Jackie in Tampa]

I push formula! As long as they will take it.
If I have time, I give it to them in syringe...if not, a shallow bowl!
My flyers are 3 and 3.5 monhs old, and they still love it!
Glad they are doing good Francine :thumbsup

[4skwerlz]

The longer your babies stay on formula, the healthier they will be.

[fsalter53]

There is nothing wrong with buying 3 green beans, one mushroom, a really small piece of broccoli, and 2 grapes! They may look at you kinda funny, but they'll get used to it. And if they get brave enough to ask you why you are buying bits and pieces, they'll DEFINATELY look at you funny. But the very best thing to do is make friends with the produce manager at your store - often they will fix you up with little bits and pieces of different things for free, or at least really cheap!

Mine are started on a variety of solid foods by the time they are 6 or 7 weeks old, while they are still on formula. As they take less formula, I give them a small dish of yogurt with esbilac powder mixed into it. They can lap that, and it makes sure that they are getting everything they need while they are changing to solids, and it seems to make the weaning easier.

I continue giving them yogurt 3 or 4 times a week even after I stop the Esbilac - it's a good source of calcium, and if ever I need to give them any meds, I can mix it in the yogurt.

muffinsquirrel


Ok good advise you gave me, let me ask you this, they like to sleep most of the day, I wake them to give them formula and they will eat real good, I try to leave them veggies or other stuff but in the day time they really dont want it, so I leave the little dish at night when I go to bed with stuff for them and guess what they eat a little of everything. Im wanting to order some blocks from the girl who makes them as soon as I can, so what do you think, I need to put them on a schedule???? right.:dono

[Legomom]

They are nocturnal.....so, unless you wake them up, they will sleep all day. I leave a bowl of Nut n Berry in the cage for Teddy during the day to nibble on should he wake up. I only give him the yogart and veggies at night when I know he'll be awake. Most everything is gone by morning. :)

[gs1]

hello fsalter:

you're very lucky - let me list the reasons:

1. your babies are still healthy - you've got time - wonderful luxury.:D

2. your babies are still healthy and you're getting information from very knowledgeable people - almost immediately.:D

3. your babies don't need anything else right now but formula and eventually in a bowl - easier.:D

4. you can make 4squerlz blocks in a few months and they're almost 100% perfect for them to eat, cheaper than trying the supermarket route - the supermarket goodies can be extra and fun.:D


did gamma give you the diet 'talk' yet? Did you hear about the special growth light? Totally important for prevention of mbd - very bad for their bone structure and sometimes fatal.

all the best.:tilt

[fsalter53]

They are nocturnal.....so, unless you wake them up, they will sleep all day. I leave a bowl of Nut n Berry in the cage for Teddy during the day to nibble on should he wake up. I only give him the yogart and veggies at night when I know he'll be awake. Most everything is gone by morning. :)

what is nut and berry and where do I get it?

[fsalter53]

You can get it in the Bird section at Wal-Mart. :D Here's what it looks like....

http://www.3dpetproducts.com/3D/detail.asp?Product_ID=186

I remember seeing that, :thankyou :wave123

[Ardilla]

did gamma give you the diet 'talk' yet? Did you hear about the special growth light? Totally important for prevention of mbd - very bad for their bone structure and sometimes fatal.

all the best.:tilt


Flyers are nocturnal and do not need the full spectrum light.

[gs1]

Ardilla!!! thank you so much, i was so confused too!!! So, really they don't need the light to metabolize the calcium? wow!!! there's so much i don't know. .

:thankyou

well, i can stop harassing fsalter about it then ... whew.:D

so now can someone tell me about this seed mixture? nut and berry?
is it a treat or part of their diet?

What about the 4swerlz blocks - they're still necessary right?

please excuse my ignorance:D so happy to be learning more.

all the best.

[Ardilla]

The Nut N Berry is a bit confusing. It should be available to them, but it shouldn't be the bulk of their diet because of the calcium : phosphorus issue. The bulk of their diet should be rodent block or squirrel block, follwed by a small percentage or veggies/greens, followed by even smaller percentages of fruits, nuts, proteins, and treats.

This is what I do for Penny:

Nut N Berry mixed with Chuckanut Squirrel Diet in cage at all times (mostly Chuckanut, which is just pumpkin seeds, which have a better calcium : phosphorus ratio). This is in there all the time, but I keep very little in her bowl so she doesn't fill up on it.

Some dried meal worms at all times for protein (just a few), plus small bits of roasted chicken and chicken leg bones on occasion (for calcium and protein). When I don't have roasted chicken on hand I might give her a Chicken Chip or Chicken Popper instead--those are found in the dog treat section at Petsmart.

At night when she's awake I put out her 4S squirrel block for her.

After an hour or so (I want her to fill up on the squirrel block, so I wait), she gets her Dannon La Creme yogurt (a small baby spoonful--I put it out every night because she LOVES it and she's still young), some fresh greens and assorted veggies with a few small pieces of fruits (this entire "salad" is very small), and a small almond, OR half a pecan, OR a half a walnut, out of the shell and lightly dusted with Repcal (calcium plus Vitamin D powder from the reptile section). I try to switch out the type of greens/veggies and fruits regularly because she'll get sick of stuff after a day or two. She's so spoiled and picky. ;)

She also gets small pieces of mushroom (from the grocer) about every other day. Flyers can make their own Vitamin D from muchrooms. The vitamin D helps them metabolize the calcium, which she gets from the yogurt, her leafy greens, and the RepCal powder.

For treats she gets hibiscus flowers, bottle brush flowers, and pomegranate buds/fruit from my yard. She really enjoys this.

She also gets L&M vitamins in one of her water dispensers.

[muffinsquirrel]

With 4S Squirrel Blocks, they won't need the extra vitamins. The blocks have all the vitamins, calcium, etc, that they need. I still use the Nut 'n Berry mix, but not as often, and I still give them yogurt because it's good for them and they all like it. I use the Chicken Chips or Chicken Poppers and lots of 'wild' foods that I gather. And I give them in-shell nuts almost every night - it keeps them busy and keeps their teeth worn down correctly. I feed them either live or freeze dried meal worms, and moths, june bugs, etc, in season. When they are still young, but have started sleeping through the day, I feed them formula morning and night, and give them their blocks and veggies at night. If they happen to wake up and come out during the day, and I see them, I will also feed them formula then. Eventually, they just don't have any interest in the formula any more. But I still put the yogurt in a small bowl for them, and they still eat it.

muffinsquirrel

[Ardilla]

Duh! I had stopped giving the vitamin drops, but I forgot it was on purpose and then felt neglectful and started them again. I'll stop them again. And maybe stick a Post-It on the vitamin container so I'll remember why I'm not using them. :shakehead

I also make sure she has one or two in shell "gnawing nuts" in her cage to keep her busy and keep her teeth from getting long.

[Jackie in Tampa]

:thumbsup Great info you two flyer die hards!:thumbsup

[Ardilla]

I'm thinking we need a flyer-specific sticky at this point.

[gs1]

absolutely.:multi Ardilla. you do need a sticky. :thumbsup

[fsalter53]

:thankyou :thankyou :thankyou Sadie & Sage will love all the food Ideas, they are growing everyday. :wave123 seeeeeeeeyaaaaaaaaaa