natural foods??

[Space_It]

I know that many people have said to use rodent blocks to feed their pet squirrels. Which i understand its the easiest way for pets to get the nutrients needed. Me on the other hand i am willing to go out of my way to scavange for food for my Bug. I am not opposed to giving her the blocks but she is a very picky eater. She doesnt care for nuts anymore that shes getting older. She prefers her greens suck as dandelion greens (her favorite) or clovers snap peas.... Etc... She also likes melons n some fruit... Not all fruit. She is a very picky eater and when i say that i mean she is VERY picky. She does have some nut pieces (no salt added i made sure) in her feed bowl but she legitly refuses to eat them u til she has had her melons or fruits of some sort and def refuses anything till i bring her greens. Mainly dandelion greens n clovers.... Which she eats up to 10 leaves depending on the size 3 to 4 times a day. Is it possi le that she will be perfectly healthy with the diet shes doing?? I plan to still experiment with other veggies n fruits as that what she prefers and would like to stay away from the blocks if they r not a necessity if she is getting all her nutrients she needs. She isnt obese n she is not under weight. She has a beautiful coat and a full fluffy tail. She seems to be perfectly happy until my bf tries to be buddies with her then she goes cowgirl on him latching on n attacking him. My daughter can handle her to an extent but i dont let her handle her to much otherwise im paranoid shel get bit. Just want to make sure im feeding her correctly. All her food is acquired from outside not around any sprayed areas.

[DarkLies212]

Most of us forage for food for our squirrels. It's not that we don't want to replicate their natural diet, it's that as humans, we can't. When they're in a cage, they accept most of what we give them as edible (some will even eat toxic stuff because it came from their human), so their natural instinct of "I need this, this, and this to stay healthy" is dulled. Here's some posts that explain wild foods and blocks/veggies/fruits better.

https://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/...-rodent-blocks

https://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/...locks-Confused

,
The Henry's Blocks provide all the minerals and vitamins that Dibs needs for the day when fed with a healthy diet. We can't reproduce a natural diet that squirrels get from their native foods. The blocks have concentrated nutrients. We could feed veggies all day long and not fulfill their dietary needs. Whereas the Henry's blocks are concentrated, the 'other' rodent blocks could be classified as fortified or enriched.

If they ate the concentrated blocks free choice, it is possible that they could be receiving too much of a good thing. Remember, over supplementing is not good either. They can have all the 'other' blocks they want without a risk of over supplementing. I'll warn you now that MANY squirrels will not eat the 'other' blocks especially after eating the Henry's block. The Henry's blocks are made with pecans and are usually well received if they start off on them. My bet is the Dibs will turn up his nose at the other blocks. That's fine, don't worry, because he's getting everything he needs if he is on the healthy diet and eating his Henry's blocks.

[Space_It]

I wasnt trying to refer that no one goes and scavanges for their pet squirrel. Sorry if it sounded that way. My Bug is just very picky and has been staying away from anything that isnt picked fresh. I did try some kind of rodent pellets from petsmart n she refused to eat them. I am just curious if there are people out there who feed their squirrels steictly fresh foods. Cuz for winter she will have to deal with getting those blocks n store bought greens cuz i wont be able to just walk outside n pick her greens n such. Unless i make a greenhouse n have a yearlong garden going.... But i am going to try different rodent blocks or pellets ive heard them called both.

[cava]

Mine absolutely refused the store bought blocks but were happy to eat Henry's Healthy blocks. They are fresher (keep in freezer until ready to feed) and I had piece of mind that they were getting what they needed. I still supplemented with veggies, occasional fruit and occasional nut treat. I also picked safe stuff from outside.

[Lighten-Up]

I am one who would personally prefer to feed squirrels only wild foods. The issue that I am running into is that I know that squirrels need to have a full range of nutrients, that include vitamins, minerals, fats, fat soluble vitamins, macro and micro nutrients, the correct light spectrum, etc, etc. What I'm not sure about it, is where do squirrels get all of this in their diets. Some eat bark, bugs, stuff in the dirt.

S0 until I would know for sure, what is actually needed to keep a squirrel healthy, I have defaulted to the blocks as part of their diet.

Please note, that I am not a fan of any processed food. In my opinion, processed foods have drawbacks. I know this, thus I am always seeking to try to learn what a squirrel needs. I also know that if a squirrel is lacking in a nutrient, it will suffer, so if I don't know yet how to insure that they get all the nutrients they need, I am wiling to give block while I continue to learn.

These are just my thoughts. I wanted to share them, so that you know that I value your thought process. There is much to learn in this area and I wish you well.