Feeding Woes advice needed!!

[daniellenc]

While Miranda gladly eats 18-21cc's per feeding 4x a day plus one HHB a day Niko is another story. Getting 12-15cc's in him is an outright chore met with lots of scratching, biting, and mad noises. Now I don't mind the scratching, biting, or noise but he needs to be eating more than this. He also eats 1 to 1 1/2 HHB's a day- as a matter of fact he eats them better than Miranda but we need more fat in his diet to beef him up.

I have tried feeding in the cage, between the bars, and just leaving a bowl of formula in there- neither will drink out of a bowl yet at 8.5 weeks or a water bottle that I have seen. I have pinned him down, chased him around the room like a toddler begging for a bite, and pretty much everything you can think of- he is just a feeding nightmare.

So I was wondering about these boo balls as an option when he won't eat well for me, but I am concerned about the amount of nuts in them and not sure my store has coconut oil. Is this a feasible option and if so are there variations in the recipe that would provide a more well rounded diet??

[CrazySquirrelLady]

I wonder if you could grind up a HHB super fine and mix it with FV milk, make a thick mush..... My squirrel will eat it right off a plastic spoon.....

[jesse1535]

I've always fed mine boo balls and never had a problem with them. My first squirrel was about eight or nine, maybe ten months before he was released and he was on boo balls for most of his life. I had originally gotten him HHBs, but I was 15 and without a job so the little money I had wasn't enough for HHBs (plus I had a little two week old squirrel as well!) Someone from the board had messaged me the recipe for boo balls, and my boy seemed to like them more. My little two week old was on them as well once he was old enough.
The first couple times I give them the boo balls, they have trouble holding it cuz its so cold :P So you may have to help him hold it the first couple times haha
And I make mine without coconut oil, I can never find it.
I'm not a professional though or anything, I'm just a highschooler who gets babies from time to time haha :D This is just my little two cents xD

[Jackie in Tampa]

In all fairness..
you all need to really research..
you cannot throw stuff in a bowl and call it healthy...
just because it appears tyo be healthy
adding each elemental vitamin and mineral as totals needs to be considered... every living mammal has a RDA...
research before you get too creative..
in the end you may be doing more harm than you realize...
boo balls....:shakehead so very very bad...
overloaded on some important vitamins and under on others..
YOU NEED TO BALANCE!!!!!!
There is a nutrition forum here with many threads with all the details, and advise needed...
reading is fundamental {always wanted to say that...ha}!

[daniellenc]

Well my store did have coconut oil woot, but the reason I asked here is that I can not find a reliable chart on ratios of necessary vitamins, minerals, fat, and calories. I plan on feeding formula first 4x a day and supplementing to get a little extra in him....not using these as actual replacement meals. If anyone has a good chart handy I would love to get a look. I purchased coconut oil, organic sugar free applesauce, and probiotic capsules. I have FV and Ultraboost on hand.

[Jackie in Tampa]

gotta say one more thing and then I will let you nutritionists do your thing..
I feed HHBs as they are...they are perfect.
I have many many NRs, all ages, all isuues..
they are all perfectly healthy!
I follow the Cal to phos chart to a science..
I feed a large mixed veggie plate everyday..I do feed nuts, however MY SQS have the perfect balanced diet and THEY ARE THE PROOF!
many were actively seizure prone head trauma sqs..many were MBD postive with and without seizure activity..
we are seizure free and have been for years..
alsoI post pics as proof..have for years am proud of my commitment and very thorough with my diet..also have several sqs without teeth, and that is the ultimate challange...

I will belly up to the bar....
signed
HHB avid feeder!

I am telling you that for a sq that will be released in short time, boo balls will not kill them..
BUT to know they are not a good thing and
they are incomplete shows lack of sincere commitment.
If you cannot afford to do rehab right...let someone else do the rehabbing...
peace dudes...
good luck little sqs


PS..there have been 18k threads, fights arguements on the feeding subject... harDhar

I promise to not come back to this thread...
I had to share because I am about sqs 100%...

[daniellenc]

Maybe you are misunderstanding my question and intent. I feed HHB's and FV- he is not in my opinion and I may be wrong hence my question eating enough FV to be getting a balanced diet. Since he loves his HHB's I figured mixing a little formula in them when he has a poor formula feeding was beneficial- if I am wrong that's fine and the reason I asked:D If letting him gorge on HHB's is complete and allowing him to wean early is healthy then by all means I will, but EVERYTHING I have read on here says weaning before 10 weeks is a :nono - so I am trying to do the right thing.

Not sure why you would take that as my commitment being insincere, or question whether I could afford their care till spring based on a question that comes from concern, and my willingness to feed however I am directed. I am asking if him eating 12-15cc's 3-4x a day and 1 whole HHB is balanced because I don't know. I am asking if it is not balanced if adding some formula into ground HHB with some applesauce to bind per a recipe I found on here is a feasible solution till he is old enough to wean. You didn't answer either question and assumed I was intentionally trying to cause him nutritional harm and too broke to feed him:thinking - not sure where that impression was created but that was not my intention:)

[Jackie in Tampa]

I have to say what I do because it gives me clear conscious..
I can sleep.
When I see BOO balls or coconut oil.../red flags and crossbones blurs my vision..

sorry you are having weaning issues, but I see no relation to that and coconut oil and boo balls?
I did see you on that old thread...:shakehead yuck

[daniellenc]

K no boo balls I am ok with that if it's not complete I don't want that as an option, but how do I get more than 12-15cc's into this guy 4x a day?? Are HHB's and this amount of formula complete- he is 260 grams? I wouldn't ask if I didn't care and want to do the right thing. I wouldn't ask if I wasn't unsure. So I am asking to be told what to do so I do it right.

Not sure what thread is yuck, lol but like everyone we all had to do this a first time and this is mine. I want to do it right and know he is getting the nutrition he needs. I am sorry I got the wrong impression about boo balls being an additive to their diet- they are a sticky here for squirrels who need a nutritional boost which is why I asked:dono

[SammysMom]

Okay I believe that if he is 260 grams then 13 cc is 5% and is fine for him to have 4x per day. He is eating HHBs as well and that is perfect. Get some healthy veggies in there and you will have a healthy squirrel on your hands.

[Jackie in Tampa]

Okay I believe that if he is 260 grams then 13 cc is 5% and is fine for him to have 4x per day. He is eating HHBs as well and that is perfect. Get some healthy veggies in there and you will have a healthy squirrel on your hands.Yep...perfect!:thumbsup

IS Boo bAlls a stickey for real?

[daniellenc]

Thank you Sammy'smom knowing he is eating good is what I needed to know since I wasn't sure and can only compare him to his chubby sister who would eat all day if I let her:D

[Jackie in Tampa]

I am one of those that have seen what wrong looks like..so I worry..
I know that diet is key to happiness in the trees.
I also have a house full of people failures...forever NRs
because people don't know what is right and think peanuts etc...

weaning early is a major issue... they need strong bones to make it..so i do understand your worries..
I just hate seeing that Boo Ball recipe mentioned as I feel it is not ideal and we know there is better, nothing personal..
I really do not want newbies to get attracted to BooBalls, that's it in a nut shell..
is that really a stickey...going to go look now..wow:sanp3

[daniellenc]

This is where I found it http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=28096

I had no clue it was a bad thing and as I researched the board all I found were praises for this recipe- there are like 100 threads that talk about how fab they are:D

He may just need to go down to 3x a day since he is intent on those HHB blocks- they're like crack to him. I figure formula at 6, then quarter of an HHB, formula at 2, another quarter HHB, then formula at 10, and a half HHB for the night?? Just an idea btw critique away. I know in another week I will have to add in a veggie meal as it is and I am a nervous wreck trying to make sure I am doing everything right, but it seems one meal a day he just says no thank you. I originally cut out some HHB thinking that was it, but he still doesn't want to drink any better for me- she would live with the syringe on her mouth and still eats HHB's quite well, but he is intent on being a big boy:thinking