Squirrel won't eat the rodent block

[anicol]

Hi there! So my little Susie just buries her Henry's rodent blocks and won't eat the Kaytee version either..What can I do? She seems healthy at this point but I fear for MBD. What can I feed my stubborn little girl?

[lennysmom]

Hi there! So my little Susie just buries her Henry's rodent blocks and won't eat the Kaytee version either..What can I do? She seems healthy at this point but I fear for MBD. What can I feed my stubborn little girl?

When you say rodent blocks, are you referring to the Henry's blocks? I have had little success in the past getting my squirrels to eat the commercial rodent block, but they will eat the Henry's block that are specially made for squirrels sold here: www.henryspets.com. I don't give my squirrels any other treats until they eat their Henry's block along with healthy veggies once they are weaned. For my real picky eaters, I will occasonally add a touch of almond butter or peanut butter on the top to get them interested, but most of mine will take the Henry's without it. Hope you are able to get your girl to eat her healthly food.:grouphug

[anicol]

Yes, sorry, as stated in my post it is Henry's block.

[HRT4SQRLS]

Have you tried the Henry's Picky eater block? None of mine will eat the Henry adult or high protein blocks.

[anicol]

I could try... I guess it's just hard for me because I live in Canada and with shipping just for a month supply it's almost 80 CAN$ So I'm just trying to see if there is any alternatives out there to keep her healthy. I found this recipe online from a squirrel rehab Center, thoughts?

1 cup rice flakes (Heinz or Gerber's' baby rice cereal) 1⁄2 cup ground-up pecans
2/3 cup sesame seeds
1 Tablespoon Brewers' Yeast powder.
11⁄2 to 2 heaping teaspoons KAL brand dolomite powder Vitamin C -- 1000 mg. (mashed tablets)
6 - 10 alfalfa tablets, mashed
1/4 teaspoon iodized salt
Cod liver oil (enough for 6000 I.U's ( Use liquid, not capsules.)
1 to 2 teaspoons Raw Coconut Oil
• Choose from any of a combination of the following optional ingredients to make 1⁄2 cup liquid:
• Mashed banana • Applesauce • Frozen strawberries with syrup or natural juices • Apple juice concentrate (no water added) • Fruit cocktail ( remove maraschino cherries) • Canned pears or peaches in heavy syrup or natural juices • Frozen blueberries (or fresh if available)
Mix all ingredients in a mixing bowl then pat the dough into a square approximately 5/8 inch thick. Mark the dough with a long knife until you have 10 rows in each direction. This will yield 100 nut squares of approximately the right size. Make the cuts in the dough and move the squares onto a cookie sheet for drying. They can be dried for two to three days in indirect sunlight or under a warming lamp. (I do mine 24 hours in a food dehydrator!) Store them in the freezer and serve one per day.
Convenient kits are available at SquirrelNutrition.com for $8.25 plus shipping for a 3 month supply!

[Eejay]

Ive been struggling with this as well. I've gone thru lots of threads looking for ideas. My first attempt was crumbling block up into yogurt. That worked for about a week.
The next week i coated blocks with coconut oil.. She grew tired of that after a week as well.
Then i made home made block with recipe from here. That went well for about a week. I just made boo ball recipe from tsb as it is going ok so far.
I also started coating a few blocks with a hazelnut oil .

[anicol]

Ive been struggling with this as well. I've gone thru lots of threads looking for ideas. My first attempt was crumbling block up into yogurt. That worked for about a week.
The next week i coated blocks with coconut oil.. She grew tired of that after a week as well.
Then i made home made block with recipe from here. That went well for about a week. I just made boo ball recipe from tsb as it is going ok so far.
I also started coating a few blocks with a hazelnut oil .

Can I please have your recipes!!

[HRT4SQRLS]

I could try... I guess it's just hard for me because I live in Canada and with shipping just for a month supply it's almost 80 CAN$ So I'm just trying to see if there is any alternatives out there to keep her healthy. I found this recipe online from a squirrel rehab Cent er, thoughts?


Oh my, that is expensive! I wouldn't pay that either.

Have you seen the thread that has recipes that are used by members here? Here is a link. On Post #68, the recipes have been compiled into a booklet format.
http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?52232-Healthy-recipies-for-our-picky-squirrels-(aka-Squirrel-Friendly-Cook-Book)&highlight=Recipes

The recipe that you posted looks odd to me. I personally wouldn't use it. I would try to 'doctor up' a rodent block that you can readily get in Canada. The link has several recipes using ground up rodent block.

[Eejay]

Oh my, that is expensive! I wouldn't pay that either.

Have you seen the thread that has recipes that are used by members here? Here is a link. On Post #68, the recipes have been compiled into a booklet format.
http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?52232-Healthy-recipies-for-our-picky-squirrels-(aka-Squirrel-Friendly-Cook-Book)&highlight=Recipes

The recipe that you posted looks odd to me. I personally wouldn't use it. I would try to 'doctor up' a rodent block that you can readily get in Canada. The link has several recipes using ground up rodent block.




This post above is where im getting recipes from. Im in canada as well. I did order the vitamins from henrys to add to her homemade blocks

[anicol]

281416

So this is the recipe I saw on the cookbook forum that would best work for me. Is it nutritious enough for my girl?

[lennysmom]

Yes, sorry, as stated in my post it is Henry's block.

Oops, sorry don't know how I missed that.:embar I was going to mention that there were some recipes others had made as alternatives and I see some have been posted - perhaps she will like one of them. I feed the picky blocks to my finicky eaters, but I understand about the shipping costs. The above recipie does look like it would contain the proper nutrition to me though.

[anicol]

Oops, sorry don't know how I missed that.:embar I was going to mention that there were some recipes others had made as alternatives and I see some have been posted - perhaps she will like one of them. I feed the picky blocks to my finicky eaters, but I understand about the shipping costs. The above recipie does look like it would contain the proper nutrition to me though.

Is the recipe I posted above seem okay to you?

[anicol]

This post above is where im getting recipes from. Im in canada as well. I did order the vitamins from henrys to add to her homemade blocks

Really? Where in Canada?

[lennysmom]

Is the recipe I posted above seem okay to you?

I'm no expert, but just reading through the ingredients, I would think it's ok.

[Eejay]

Im in southern ontario...approx 45 min west from toronto..

[anicol]

Im in southern ontario...approx 45 min west from toronto..

Oh nice. I'm in Alberta

[anicol]

Oh my, that is expensive! I wouldn't pay that either.

Have you seen the thread that has recipes that are used by members here? Here is a link. On Post #68, the recipes have been compiled into a booklet format.
http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?52232-Healthy-recipies-for-our-picky-squirrels-(aka-Squirrel-Friendly-Cook-Book)&highlight=Recipes

The recipe that you posted looks odd to me. I personally wouldn't use it. I would try to 'doctor up' a rodent block that you can readily get in Canada. The link has several recipes using ground up rodent block.

So I made 2 of the recipes and she hates it! Won't eat it...idk what to do anymore. Do I just stick to a diet of healthy veggies and hide crushed vitamins/supplements in apples or peanut butter or something....

[Eejay]

So I made 2 of the recipes and she hates it! Won't eat it...idk what to do anymore. Do I just stick to a diet of healthy veggies and hide crushed vitamins/supplements in apples or peanut butter or something....
Were you able to put hazelnut extract or oil in as ? I think that is probably the only reason Lilo eats the block recipe.i tried the boo balls. She ate them the first day but now is giving me a hard time .so now ive added few things and. Baking it to see if that works...coat the home made ones with coconut oil maybe? The struggle is real..i havent won this battle yet either..all i think about is how to get her to eat

[Spanky]

So I made 2 of the recipes and she hates it! Won't eat it...idk what to do anymore. Do I just stick to a diet of healthy veggies and hide crushed vitamins/supplements in apples or peanut butter or something....

May I ask about her hating the blocks, what process was used to introduce the block (those healthy, wholesome, nutritious blocks that were so lovingly prepared)?

A squirrel is like a toddler (IMO) and like a toddler if offered the choice between, say Gummy Bears or Broccoli, the bag of gummies would disappear while the broccoli become not only cold, but moldy and sprouting fungi; forgotten and ignored in favor of treats. However, if the broccoli were the only option it would be eaten (and personally, while not a huge fan of broccoli myself I would eat it quickly while it was still warm.. for me smothered with butter and heavily salted!).

It is my observation that the squirrels in my care do not (necessarily) eat their block (day after day after day) because they would rather not eat anything else, but because they don't get the option to eat anything else unless... until... and only after they eat their block. A singleton is much more stubborn than a group simply because every squirrel in a group will fight to have / take / covet whatever the squirrel next to them is showing interest. But she will eat the block. If given no other options. She'll learn to love (covet?) her block, if she learns that the fresh veggies, fruit and whatever she likes comes only after she eat her healthy block. A healthy dinner is required before a decadent desert. She will chose to eat dinner (block) if that is the only path to desert.... :thumbsup

[Eejay]

May I ask about her hating the blocks, what process was used to introduce the block (those healthy, wholesome, nutritious blocks that were so lovingly prepared)?

A squirrel is like a toddler (IMO) and like a toddler if offered the choice between, say Gummy Bears or Broccoli, the bag of gummies would disappear while the broccoli become not only cold, but moldy and sprouting fungi; forgotten and ignored in favor of treats. However, if the broccoli were the only option it would be eaten (and personally, while not a huge fan of broccoli myself I would eat it quickly while it was still warm.. for me smothered with butter and heavily salted!).

It is my observation that the squirrels in my care do not (necessarily) eat their block (day after day after day) because they would rather not eat anything else, but because they don't get the option to eat anything else unless... until... and only after they eat their block. A singleton is much more stubborn than a group simply because every squirrel in a group will fight to have / take / covet whatever the squirrel next to them is showing interest. But she will eat the block. If given no other options. She'll learn to love (covet?) her block, if she learns that the fresh veggies, fruit and whatever she likes comes only after she eat her healthy block. A healthy dinner is required before a decadent desert. She will chose to eat dinner (block) if that is the only path to desert.... :thumbsup
Thank you for that.. I have read that a times on the forums.. Lol my squirrel parenting apparently is softer than when my kids were young . think us newbies need to toughen up a bit..
Im naturally a worrier , think that is why i keep trying to cater to Lilo..ive just coated the booballs with some coconut oil and some sesame seeds.. And now is eating them up..and even the ones i havent coated.

[Spanky]

Im naturally a worrier , think that is why i keep trying to cater to Lilo..ive just coated the booballs with some coconut oil and some sesame seeds.. And now is eating them up..and even the ones i havent coated.

Oh, that is great news! Maybe Lilo has a new favorite food?

[Eejay]

Oh, that is great news! Maybe Lilo has a new favorite food?
Its funny how she seems to get bored with different foods when at first she loves it. Im just so worried about her health. Her fur is looking better now the patches of coarse hair are starting to get sleek again, so thats making me less stressed. Still not sure if it is molting or her eatting habits. She is taking in more formula lately as well. That is saving my sanity..

[Eejay]

So I made 2 of the recipes and she hates it! Won't eat it...idk what to do anymore. Do I just stick to a diet of healthy veggies and hide crushed vitamins/supplements in apples or peanut butter or something....
Im still new to the squirrel world. But from what ive gathered from my constant search and reading .. If you want to try to hide vitamins in other foods.. Just make sure you dont feed high phosphorus foods..it would end up cancelling out the calcium content.
Anything i try that works for me .even if for just a little while i will post here in case you havent tried it yet. So far i am having some success coating in coconut oil and rolling sesame seeds into it

[anicol]

May I ask about her hating the blocks, what process was used to introduce the block (those healthy, wholesome, nutritious blocks that were so lovingly prepared)?

A squirrel is like a toddler (IMO) and like a toddler if offered the choice between, say Gummy Bears or Broccoli, the bag of gummies would disappear while the broccoli become not only cold, but moldy and sprouting fungi; forgotten and ignored in favor of treats. However, if the broccoli were the only option it would be eaten (and personally, while not a huge fan of broccoli myself I would eat it quickly while it was still warm.. for me smothered with butter and heavily salted!).

It is my observation that the squirrels in my care do not (necessarily) eat their block (day after day after day) because they would rather not eat anything else, but because they don't get the option to eat anything else unless... until... and only after they eat their block. A singleton is much more stubborn than a group simply because every squirrel in a group will fight to have / take / covet whatever the squirrel next to them is showing interest. But she will eat the block. If given no other options. She'll learn to love (covet?) her block, if she learns that the fresh veggies, fruit and whatever she likes comes only after she eat her healthy block. A healthy dinner is required before a decadent desert. She will chose to eat dinner (block) if that is the only path to desert.... :thumbsup

Omg you are brilliant...lol. I felt really bad and wanted to cave and give her an apple slice as I could tell she was hungry but wouldn't eat her balls. But yesterday I gave her only her balls and she ate the whole thing I couldn't believe it! Then again this morning! I'm such a happy squirrel mama right now lol

[Eejay]

Omg you are brilliant...lol. I felt really bad and wanted to cave and give her an apple slice as I could tell she was hungry but wouldn't eat her balls. But yesterday I gave her only her balls and she ate the whole thing I couldn't believe it! Then again this morning! I'm such a happy squirrel mama right now lol
Woohoo! Im happy for you! Lol i know the struggle! Lol the struggle is real..

[anicol]

Woohoo! Im happy for you! Lol i know the struggle! Lol the struggle is real..

It's tough cuz I've become so attached to her and I'd hate myself if something happened to her that I could of corrected with diet and I want to give her the best life ever!

[Eejay]

It's tough cuz I've become so attached to her and I'd hate myself if something happened to her that I could of corrected with diet and I want to give her the best life ever!
Exactly how i feel!

[Eejay]

I made some new blocks over the weekend. So far she is eatting them no problem. Ground up oxbow blocks, crushed nuts, vanilla whey protein, sesame seeds, vanilla extract. Henrys vitamins. Fingers crossed she keeps eating these

[Nancy in New York]

I made some new blocks over the weekend. So far she is eatting them no problem. Ground up oxbow blocks, crushed nuts, vanilla whey protein, sesame seeds, vanilla extract. Henrys vitamins. Fingers crossed she keeps eating these

Keep up the great work. These little ones can be SO fussy! :w00t