Boo Balls for growth?

[Kristal]

I am boarding Xephers kits while she is away in the US for two weeks. They're between 7 and 8 weeks old.

They are quite skittish, and definitely not interested in being handled today. I don't blame them. My house is full of strange noises and smells. Plus they were older orphans when they were found than mine were.

So nursing seems like an unlikely proposition, at least for the time being, but they do love the boo balls. I wonder if there is enough formula in those for growth? They do have tiny tummies, so I wonder if it is a good idea to fill them up with non-formula "filler".

The formula that went into this batch of boo balls is the 20/50.

[momma2boo]

If you're concerned you can always add the FV to baby food fruit or organic full fat vanilla yogurt. The filler is Harlan Teklad 2018 (growth) rodent block. Pecans are added to entice and the wet ingredient (your baby food fruit choice) is used to hold it all together.

Have you tried to burrito them in a piece of fleece and nursing them that way?

:thumbsup

[Kristal]

If you're concerned you can always add the FV to baby food fruit or organic full fat vanilla yogurt. The filler is Harlan Teklad 2018 (growth) rodent block. Pecans are added to entice and the wet ingredient (your baby food fruit choice) is used to hold it all together.

Have you tried to burrito them in a piece of fleece and nursing them that way?

:thumbsup

No, not yet. They have been here less than 24 hours, and they were not very tame to start with. I think Xepher found them when they were about 5 weeks old. She told me that she only takes them out to feed for a few minutes, and that they are prone to hiding or running away and being difficult to coax back if they are out and they get scared.

I have their cage covered atm, but maybe the first thing I will do is take that off so that they can look and see what all the sounds and smells are. I just want them to calm down a bit before I try putting them in a burrito. I know they hate confinement, and I am not their person, so I don't want to traumatise them. Xepher did not use a burrito either.

My modus operandi with the squees has always been let them tell me what they need, and I have raised four huggy, gentle and intelligent squirrels who don't fight each other for dominance or bite me by doing that.

I reckon that is the best way to deal with another species - not to impose my idea of how they should be, but sometimes that could be warranted, too. I don't want these guys to get out of the habit of taking formula or to wild up too early, so maybe I will have to try wrapping them up to get them to nurse soon.

I think I will wait until I at least have their nipples and syringes, though. She forgot to bring those, so they should have gone in the mail today. I did not use nipples for my kits, so I have none.

How about I put some of my 32/40 FV into the boo ball mix that she gave me? Would that make it more nutritious or nutritious enough in case I cannot get them to nurse?

[CritterMom]

I think if you increase the ratio of FV and maybe cut the nuts out entirely they would be okay for the short term. I mix my boo balls with yogurt instead of baby food, too.

[Scooterzmom]

Hi Kristal:

So glad you could take Xepher's babies for her. As it turns out I'm sick as a dog and I would have been afraid of passing them whatever bug I have. Ever since Scooter I've been terrified of transmitting my bugs/viruses to them. I'm paranoid as can be with my guys right now, walking around their studio with gloves and a mask just to be on the safe side. :(

She did tell me they're all legs and arms when feeding time comes, so... yeah.... you might have to burrito them. I find that it helps if Hami's been fed and is kept quiet while I feed my young ones. Makes them calmer if the surroundings are calmer at meal time. Pebbles is so calm, such an easy baby - same age they are - I'm not sure how I'd deal with these two speedy gonzales kids :)

BTW she had started to introduce them to "some" solids... peeled grapes, lettuce, zucchini, strawberries (if I recall) and I had suggested she makes boo-balls in case you'd have trouble feeding them; figured at least they would get "some" nutrition that way. I think that once they see you bringing some food to them they will most likely take to you a bit easier. I know that with Romeo and Juliet, because they had been brought to me after a week with other people, I had to syringe-feed them through the bars for the 1st 2 days... until they got used to me and let me at least pick them up and burrito them.