Help! What can I use in a pinch -out of HHB

[Snicker Bar]

I'm sending my son to the store... What are some tested and tried quick fixes for a couple days for these three picky girls?? I've scanned the forums and I'm going to try a couple recipes ( btw is that book out and for sale?) All I have on hand locally (while waiting on order of HHB to come in)is the Oxbow Regal Rat, which they would rather starve and die than to eat. I've tried mixing Esbilac , banana, applesauce, avocado, etc to no avail. Are there any organic commercial cereals ( or even Cheerios??) that I could try, to mash into powder and roll an Oxbow Boo Ball concoction in, that might entice them to eat it? I already mix the called for nuts into the goo; so hate to roll in extra nuts and make them too, well , nutty? Just in a pickle here...

[cava]

Hi there.

When I was being mentored by a local rehabber she instructed me to use milk bread (bread moistened with milk) instead of blocks (or before blocks). I came here and learned about blocks and hhb, so I stopped doing it. The rehab who uses it has hundreds of squirrels go through a year.

Anyway, it's Oatnut Bread by Brownberry and sold at Kroger grocery stores. It's moist enough that I could roll it into a ball. I recommend freezing most of it, it's fresh and goes bad quickly.

Good luck.

[DarkLies212]

Not having blocks for a few days won't hurt them. When I ran out before I made my own, it made the squirrels appreciate them more!

[Snicker Bar]

Wow, milk bread! Never thought of that- and we actually have a Kroger here, so I'll give it a try, thanks! And glad to know ( but they would beg to differ) they won't die without their HHB Wild Bites... It's the ONLY block they will eat. We go through 4 bags or so a month... Because fat Bunny loves their leftovers that fall on the floor 😑

[cava]

Wow, milk bread! Never thought of that- and we actually have a Kroger here, so I'll give it a try, thanks! And glad to know ( but they would beg to differ) they won't die without their HHB Wild Bites... It's the ONLY block they will eat. We go through 4 bags or so a month... Because fat Bunny loves their leftovers that fall on the floor 😑

I'm told actually adding milk to the bread for youngsters can be dangerous because if they get too excited and suck it up they can aspirate it. That's why I stopped doing it. But that would't happen with plain bread (I mean, unless they like to inhale their food...literally):gigg

[Lighten-Up]

I once ran out, somehow missed the timing of an order, had no ingredients to make them at home, I felt panicky, they were out of blocks for a week.

But then I realized that they had been eating them everyday for quite a while, so they had a good nutritional base in them. And thus I realized they were going to be fine, and they were. But I was glad when the blocks arrived, and I made sure to keep them in stock. All that to say, I do understand how you feel! :-)

[Mel1959]

I've rolled boo balls in flax seed, sesame seed, ground nuts, fox valley. I'm sure there's other things that I can't recall at the moment. You could definitely try rolling boo balls in crushed Cheerios (both the honey nut and plain) or even oatmeal. You never know what they might like. Good luck!


I'm sending my son to the store... What are some tested and tried quick fixes for a couple days for these three picky girls?? I've scanned the forums and I'm going to try a couple recipes ( btw is that book out and for sale?) All I have on hand locally (while waiting on order of HHB to come in)is the Oxbow Regal Rat, which they would rather starve and die than to eat. I've tried mixing Esbilac , banana, applesauce, avocado, etc to no avail. Are there any organic commercial cereals ( or even Cheerios??) that I could try, to mash into powder and roll an Oxbow Boo Ball concoction in, that might entice them to eat it? I already mix the called for nuts into the goo; so hate to roll in extra nuts and make them too, well , nutty? Just in a pickle here...

[Snicker Bar]

Great, I'll try rolling them in all of the above lol. And the bread, it should be fine since they are not weanlings ( although it's appears they inhale their junk foods- fruits and nuts). I'll experiment with all these suggestions, and thanks again. Looking forward to the official squirrel recipe book when it comes out!😊

[Ekorre]

Just a note about Oxbow Regal Rat. I tried everything I could think of to make that stuff palatable...to no avail. I think it's the fish meal that makes it stink so much. Hope you find something that works! :Squirrel :Squirrel :Squirrel

[Snicker Bar]

Gross😝 I didn't know that! I wouldn't eat it either; maybe the good stuff is almost here. I'll never let it run out again ... Famous last words

[Radagast]

I've run out of HHB in the past by accident. I would ask the pro rehabber folks on this forum what they think of this, but what I do is feed my eastern grey 279098dried meal worms. They are available in the bird food section of many grocery stores. I'm pretty sure they are high in calcium. Another thing I have is Henry's powdered vitamins for squirrel as a back up. I mix like 1/8 tsp. with a well baked walnut-sized scoop of sweet potato and very ground up pecan for taste. I freeze this to keep it's shape.

[SammysMom]

You are getting great advice! The only thing I will disagree with (Sorry!) is dried mealworms being high in calcium. Though they are a good source of protein, they are too high in phosphorous to use as anything but a treat.
I know the woes of running out of HHBs! Right now I am waiting for an order to come and praying it is tomorrow or I will have a mutiny on my hands...:eek

[cava]

Yeah, I just got some in today. I was out for two days. They went from hiding them under pee toys to snatching them out of my hands and biting each other over it. So, may be running out isn't so bad. :huh

[Snicker Bar]

Meal worms?? Wow had no idea they would have a taste for them! Thankfully my order came in today!! It's been a rough week- lots of grunting and complaining every time I offered a new , labor intensive concoction ... Not appreciated by them, but I do appreciate all the suggestions! They are enough to survive, barely it would seem by their curses in squirrel language 😑

[Radagast]

I gave my little one meal worms because she kept eating all of the dead bugs on the window sill of her room. I really only give her some once a month. But if the phosphorus is too high, it should be given sparingly for sure. The sweet potato balls are a favorite, though.:w00t