Eastern Grey Squirrel Diet Advice

[Lo_laa]

Hello!

I recently [about 6months ago] started taking care of the grey squirrels who visit my backyard daily. There are eight of them, all of them will take food from my hand. I am careful to not make them dependent on me by overfeeding. I feed them once in the morning at the same time. They will not run up to me if I am outside, I just stick my hand out from my backdoor. I don't want them getting habituated and running up to any strangers for food which could possibly endanger them. I want to make sure I am not overfeeding, or feeding anything inappropriate for them. Currently I order bulk nuts from anuts.com that consist of walnuts, almonds, pecans and hazelnuts in the shell- they mainly get this daily. They also get some black oil sunflower seeds and peanuts in the shell [sparingly]. Occasionally I give them cherries, apples or avocado as a treat [very little avocado]. I tried several other things that they did not like and will not eat: Kaytee backyard wildlife food blend for wild squirrels, exotic nutrition squirrel complete diet, Herron outdoors wildlife feed for squirrels, and kaytee fort diet pro health.

Is there any other squirrel diet I can buy that they will like? I am spending a fortune on nuts every month. I want to confirm I am not feeding anything wrong, or overfeeding them as I know overfeeding certain foods can be really bad for them as well. Thank you in advance!!!

[TomahawkFlyers]

Unlike captive squirrels, your herd has access to all the items they need for a balanced diet. Try to not give them so many nuts that they lose their drive to seek out their natural diet. If you want to supplement the nuts or replace some of them with something better for them, Try Mazuri or Teklad rodent blocks. They'll probably turn up their noses at first, but if the nut supply is reduced, they'll eat the blocks. There is also a recipe for homemade blocks (don't laugh - I've eaten one or two and while they are fairly bland for a human, they taste quite good. It smells like Christmas when they're baking. Think nut cookies without sugar. Extra points if you try one.) If you want the recipe, let me know!

Jamie

[island rehabber]

Your squirrels are very wise not to eat the Kaytee and Exotic Nutrition stuff: it's no good for them. Most of it is made from corn and sunflower seeds, all very high in phosphorus, which throws off their blood calcium big time. So does too many nuts, so cut back some on those. Thank you, though, for caring so much about these babies!

[Lo_laa]

Thank you guys. I found the food pyramid of henrys website yesterday and now I am feeling terrible that I've been doing it so wrong. Yes, can I please have that recipe? I have enough time on my hands to make things and it sounds fun. Thank you both so much.

[TomahawkFlyers]

Do. Not Feel Terrible. Feel good about yourself because you want to do it right. Here you go, remember, extra points if you eat one. If you do, do it in front of the squirrel. Nothing like wanting something somebody else has:

Squirrel Block Recipe
Squirrel Refuge Version

Preheat oven to 205 degrees Fahrenheit (This temperature might seem odd, but it is correct.)
Prep time 25 Minutes, Bake time 90 Minutes

Ingredients:
· 3 cups nuts (walnuts, pecans, almonds, filberts, or a mix of these. Mixing Pecans and Walnuts with one of the other nuts ensures balanced Vitamin E.)
· 150 grams or 1/3 bag Henry’s Healthy Protein powder
· 3 Large Eggs
· 2/3 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
· 2 tsp Vanilla
· 2 tsp Aluminum-Free Baking Powder
· 1 to 2 Tbs water
· 33 grams or 1/3 bag Henry’s Vita-mins

Required Recipe Tools
· Grinder or food processor to finely grind nuts
· Electric Mixer (standing mixer works great with the bread hook)
· Gram scale and or measuring cup
· Rolling Pin
· Plastic sheet or pastry cloth (preferred) or oiled surface
· Parchment paper (preferred) or lightly greased cooking sheet
· Pizza cutter (preferred) or sharp knife

Preparation
1. In bowl number 1, measure out whey protein and set aside.
2. In bowl number 2, break open the three eggs and add vanilla.
3. In bowl number 3, add the baking powder and Vita-mins.
4. Grind the nuts as finely as possible (without turning into nut butter).
5. In bowl number 4, add whole wheat flour and ground nuts.

Mixing
5. Place the contents of bowl number 2 into the mixer and mix on medium-high speed until eggs and vanilla are thoroughly combined.
6. Add the contents of bowl number 3 into the mixer.
7. Mix medium-high speed, scraping the sides as needed, until smooth.
Note: the baking powder will begin to bubble when added to the wet ingredients and tend to clot until fully combined.
8. Add the contents of bowl number 1 to the mixer and mix on medium speed until mixed well and fairly smooth. Mixture should be sticky.
9. Slowly add the contents of bowl number 4 to the mixer, mix on low speed, scraping the sides. The mixture will be dry. If too dry, add a small amount of water.

Rolling
10. Roll out dough to 1/3” to 1/2” inch thick and shape into rectangle with your hands. The dough is very thick and somewhat stiff. You did it right if the dough is difficult to roll and shape!
11. Place the dough on parchment paper or lightly greased baking sheet. Tip: Roll it out on a plastic sheet so it easily transfers to the baking sheet.

Baking
12. Bake in oven at 205 degrees Fahrenheit for 90 minutes. The low baking temperature helps keep the vitamin and mineral chemical structure intact making a healthier block.
13. When done, remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes.
14. Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife cut lengthwise 1/2 to 3/4 in apart.
15. After making all lengthwise cuts, turn and cut crosswise until small cubes are formed.
16. After cutting, let cool for two hours.
17. Place on a paper towel to help absorb additional nut oils, if desired.
Storage
18. Once completely cool, place block in bag or closed container in the refrigerator (lasts for two to three weeks) or the freezer for longer storage.

Don't be a stranger!

Jamie

[Lo_laa]

Thank you so much. I'm very grateful to have found this website. Everyone has been so nice on here and I'm excited to make them healthy food. Part of the reason this has been so important to me is these squirrels were friends with my late cat Layla who died in August. She would hang out with them in the yard and they would chase each other around. She helped raise some of the babies. I have a lot of cute videos of them together. When she died, it was absolutely devastating, and to distract myself I started paying more attention to the squirrels and it has helped me so much. It feels like a way to continue to care for Layla through them. So thank you again.

I ordered the stuff from Henrys. I just want to make sure the other brands I'm using for the rest are okay- Simply Organic Pure Vanilla Extract, 365 Brand Aluminum Free Baking Powder, 365 Brand Organic Whole Wheat Flour.

[TomahawkFlyers]

I am sorry to hear about Layla's passing. Virtually everyone here has lost that one companion who meant so much to us. Do keep in mind that just as with humans, other animals have souls of their own. They remain interconnected with us in ways that we simply cannot comprehend. As lonely as it might be without Layla's physical presence, if you are able to open your mind and heart to her spiritual presence, you will find that Layla remains there with you.

Regarding the blocks, excellent! Your squirrels will thank you many times over, and payback will come in the form of remarkably healthy, energetic, and super-friendly squirrels. All the ingredients you've listed are perfect. Happy baking, even though you'll have to mortgage the house to buy the eggs!

Jamie

BTW - there are a lot of visual learners here. If you want to post links to videos or post pictures, your generosity will be welcomed by all.

[Lo_laa]

I think it was a success! Going to try to do a better job rolling it out and cutting it at the right size next time. My husband and I tried one and it was pretty gross haha but the squirrels seem to like them. Got a couple who are being resistant and demanding nuts but most of them seem to really like it! I just have to figure out how to portion it out correctly and make sure each squirrel is getting the right amount, since they aren't always here all at once. I'm going to make big batches and freeze them. Thank you so much this is so fun for me.




https://youtube.com/shorts/Jxj16C1LW8A?feature=shared

[island rehabber]

Wow, those are beautiful! Dare I say they look exactly like the ones from Henry's? Great job.

[TomahawkFlyers]

Just like Downtown! Good job! Squirrels are like kids. If they turn up their nose at dinner, don't make them PBJ's! As the old commercial used to say: BLOCKS (Beef)! It's what's for dinner. Portion are covered on Henry's site.

I think it was a success! Going to try to do a better job rolling it out and cutting it at the right size next time. My husband and I tried one and it was pretty gross haha but the squirrels seem to like them. Got a couple who are being resistant and demanding nuts but most of them seem to really like it! I just have to figure out how to portion it out correctly and make sure each squirrel is getting the right amount, since they aren't always here all at once. I'm going to make big batches and freeze them. Thank you so much this is so fun for me.




https://youtube.com/shorts/Jxj16C1LW8A?feature=shared

[Lo_laa]

You guys flatter me! Thank you haha. They are all cooperating and eating it now, some are even choosing the blocks over hazelnuts!! They get their blocks and 2 hazelnuts each now per day, along with whatever safe fruit/produce I have around as a treat. The one baddie is Squinty. He is a menace. He is always the first one here in the morning and is always the last to leave. He jumps up on my windows and looks into the house for me. I have to hide from him. He is being super bratty about eating the blocks, but he is bratty in general lol. He takes the blocks from me and then dramatically throws them on the ground. He got his nickname because he squints his face and closes his eyes whenever he takes food from me, which many times results in him accidentally biting me. He also bullies the other squirrels. He is quite the character though and I still love him.