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Thread: Homemade Henry's Blocks did not turn out well!

  1. #1
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    Default Homemade Henry's Blocks did not turn out well!

    Hi!

    I currently have 10 juvenile squirrels and one adult I am rehabbing and was rolling through those Henry's Picky Blocks at such a pace I decided to attempt to make my own. I used the recipe on this site with Henry's Healthy Pets Vitamins and my results were not so great.

    They blocks turned out more like chips to my dismay! Does anyone have any tips to make them more square like the ones in the pack from Henry's? (Please know I am a huge supporter of Henry's and am not trying to make counterfeit blocks! It's just that I go through so many!)

    Thanks!

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    Homemade Squirrel Block Recipe
    Makes approximately a 4-week supply for a 1-pound squirrel.

    Preheat oven to 205 degrees Fahrenheit

    Dry ingredients:
    80 g Pure Whey Protein Isolate for adult formula (for growth formula, use 160 g).
    130 g finely ground nuts (any kind; peanuts, pecans, or almonds work well)
    1/3 cup wheat flour (optional)
    1 tsp aluminum-free baking powder
    1 package (45 g) Henry's Healthy Vita-Mins*

    Wet ingredients:
    1 whole egg
    1 tsp vanilla or almond extract (optional)
    1/2 cup water, or a little more, as needed (this is for growth formula only; do not add water to the adult formula unless the dough is too dry when mixed)

    Instructions:
    Place dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.

    Add all the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix with a fork until dough sticks together. It will be fairly dry, like pie crust dough. Wearing gloves or with your bare hands (oiled), press the dough down and then start to knead it. Once the dough forms a ball, place it onto a lightly greased surface and knead a few more times until smooth and uniform in color. Roll dough out into a roll or flatten into a square, and place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake for 1 1/2 hours. While still warm, cut into 60 pieces with a sharp knife

    Allow the blocks to cool for at least 2 hours. Then place in zip-lock bags and store them in the fridge or freezer. They will keep in the fridge for several weeks. They will keep in the freezer for several months (unopened and with as much air as possible removed from the bag before sealing). Some squirrels enjoy eating them cold or frozen, but you can also put a cold block into the microwave for about 5-10 seconds to warm it up.

    Feed 2-3 per day for a 1-pound (453 g) squirrel. Different squirrels will have different energy requirements.

    *If you want to make your own vitamin/mineral premix, please consult the Nutrient Requirements of Laboratory Animals-Rats, or one of the standard nutrient profiles for rats, such as those used in commercial rodent blocks.

    Copyright 2009 Henry's Healthy Pet Foods, Inc.

  2. #2
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    Default Re: Homemade Henry's Blocks did not turn out well!

    I have never actually made these, but as a bit of a foodie, I have two questions/comments. First, are you absolutely positively sure you put the baking powder in? And second, I see it doesn't specify how large a square to roll them into, but maybe you just did yours too thin. That would also make the baking WAY too long. I would roll the recipe out to 3/8" - 1/2" thick, and start checking them at 45 minutes to an hour for doneness (same "poke a toothpick in the middle and see if it comes out clean" thing you would do for a cake or brownies) to determine how much longer. Take them out right away when it isn't gooey in the center anymore - it will continue cooking from residual heat for a while...

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  4. #3
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    Default Re: Homemade Henry's Blocks did not turn out well!

    I’m not sure why the recipe would say the flour was optional. It seems like you’d need it to provide some substance to the batter. A better source for wheat flour is coconut flour.

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  6. #4
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    Default Re: Homemade Henry's Blocks did not turn out well!

    Quote Originally Posted by Mel1959 View Post
    I’m not sure why the recipe would say the flour was optional. It seems like you’d need it to provide some substance to the batter. A better source for wheat flour is coconut flour.
    The whey protein isolate is a powder, like flour. It would dd the same texture.

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  8. #5
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    Default Re: Homemade Henry's Blocks did not turn out well!

    Second time is a charm!

    My mistake was I added 130 g of wheat flour instead of 1/3 cup the first batch! Oops! I also made the batter more like cake batter for the second batch and used a mini-cupcake mold. I cut them into fourth's to ensure all the vitamins were distributed evenly.

    Much better! Even my neuro adult squirrel ate them!


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  10. #6
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    Default Re: Homemade Henry's Blocks did not turn out well!


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