Basic Nutrition

[stepnstone]

No, it is not a "popular belief."
HHBs have been used with success as the foundational block for squirreles for many years.

Being adamant about first ingredients being nuts reveals one's lack of knowledge of what determines the order of ingredients on a food label.
The order of the ingredients on a food label is determined by WEIGHT, NOT by concentration of nutrients in a given ingredient.
Hence, since BY WEIGHT nuts outweigh other ingredients, they are listed first.
BUT the vitamins and minerals are CONCENTRATED, so even though they are lighter in physical weight, they "OUTWEIGH" the "heavy" nuts by nutritional concentration.
IN other words - nutrition-wise vitamins and minerals overpower the nuts.

MOREOVER, the concentration of vitamins and minerals in HHBs has been based on lab data about rats. THAT means, that HHBs have been formulated pretty much like all that rat block (i.e., based on the same data) yet with a special focus on squirrels, and what makes them far superior to even good commercial block is that they use all human grade ingredients and NO fillers.
The carefully calculated concentration of vitamins and minerals in HHBs neutralized ANY and ALL possible undesirable effects of nuts. Thus, nuts are only fulfilling their function of making block attractive to squirrels, while concentrated vitamins and minerals fulfill their nutritional "healthful" function.


Comparing block to block, commercial rat block (and some more so than others) use a lot of fillers, and not great ones (soy one of them).
For large rehab and for very, very tight budgets commercial block is used just fine.
But for singletons or whenever budget permits, HHBs are still superior.

There has never been ONE single squirrel with MBD on HHBs.
Furthermore, there have been countless squirrels who recovered from MBD and other injuries on HHBs as their block.

So, to imply and suggest that HHBs are somehow harmful and their benefits are a "popular belief" is a rather grave misinformation.

In order to get over this whole "nuts are listed first" people need to learn that ingredients are listed by weight; and people also need to learn about the differences between weight of a substance and a concentrated substance of lesser weight and so on and so forth.

Different people have their own preferred modes of feedings - and that's fine. But when shared it is best to share them exactly as "personal preferences" and not as some kind of authoritative statements labeling others - in this case HHBs - as a "popular belief."

While more experienced board members may be able to sort out through such comments, newbies may not.

Let's keep personal preferences as such and, when some strong statements are made as in this case of labeling the benefits of HHBs as "popular belief" - let's support such strong claims with facts (such as what determines the order of ingredients in a food label) and not with one's own "preferred beliefs" and misinformation.

Thus, so far there are such facts about HHBs:
1) not one squirrel became ill with MBD on HHBs. EVER. NEVER.
2) a great number of squirrels recovered from MBD on HHBs
3) They are formulated specifically for squirrels with rat data as foundation.
4) ingredients on food labels are listed in the order of weight, NOT concentration.
5) HHBs use all high quality human grade ingredients.

Thank you astra!!

I have seen that "contrary to popular belief" comment against HHB's posted in other forums and this time I was typing as you were posting!
Besides the fact that HHB's are fresh baked with human-quality ingredients with no artificial preservatives, colors, fillers, additives, preservatives or by-products.
And they are a low-carb, soy-free diet that provides optimum health and nutrition. There is a big difference between a commercial Rat/rodent block and Henry's
Healthy blocks. Henry's squirrel blocks were scientifically developed and designed for squirrels and their daily nutritional requirements.
No commercial rodent block to date can lay claim to that!

[astra]

Thank you, stepnstone!!!

I've come across such completely unjustified and misleading vilification of HHBs before, too. So, felt prompted to finally say it in the open and not just in PMs.

And as one more example of weight vs. concentration:

If we put a tiny concentrated fatal drop of cyanide in a pound loaf of bread, the wheat flour will be listed first, and the tiny concentrated drop of cyanide will be last b/c it will be even smaller than the amount of yeast needed to make the loaf rise.
And, hopefully, it is unnecessary to explain that despite a very heavy first ingredient - wheat, the tiny but very concentrated last ingredient will overpower all the pound of edible stuff and will fulfill its grim function.

Likewise, I think it's time to stop this "HHBs have nuts as the first ingredient" because (will repeat myself) - the concentrated vits. and minerals neutralize whatever undesirable cal: phos ratio nuts may have.

Thank you astra!!

[I]I have seen that "contrary to popular belief" comment against HHB's posted in other forums and this time I was typing as you were posting!
Besides the fact that HHB's are fresh baked with human-quality ingredients with no artificial preservatives, colors, fillers, additives, preservatives or by-products.
And they are a low-carb, soy-free diet that provides optimum health and nutrition. There is a big difference between a commercial Rat/rodent block and Henry's
Healthy blocks. Henry's squirrel blocks were scientifically developed and designed for squirrels and their daily nutritional requirements.
No commercial rodent block to date can lay claim to that![/I]

exactly!!!

[Spanky]

Also, do you guys pick greens from outside and include that in their veggies? (clover, sorrel, dandelion, grass, maple leaves, etc.?)

Absolutely, yes!

While some individual situations sometimes vary, this is a general outline. Block - first, then - greens and veggies, then- treats.

IMO this is where squirrel's people sometimes go off track... you should get them eating the block very well first. Once they are eating it really well, I continue to give them their block first, before anything else. So the morning (and evening) routine is clean out the *leftovers from the buffet, give them their block. And wait.Don't give in... they will eat it (and usually without challenge if you followed Astra's advice that they get not other solids introduced until they are "hooked" on their block). I often use the analogy that they will line up for their block like kids at an ice cream truck in July if you follow this advice!

After they have eaten their blocks, then the get the buffet including a little fruit (which they usually go to first). They quickly learn (or are trained?) that they will not get the buffet until they have eaten their block.

*leftovers: I usually have considerable leftovers because I provide more then they can eat and a good and varying variety. Wilds have a variety of wide open space and find what their bodies need and demand. Captive squirrels have a variety of only what their people provide them. Give them a variety and they will eat what their bodies demand and need... and that will change as they get bored with this veggie or that veggie. My Step had not gotten cauliflower in weeks because he had stop eating it.. last night he got some.. this morning he was eating the last of it when I greeted him good morning!

[astra]

Absolutely, yes!



[FONT=comic sans ms]IMO this is where squirrel's people sometimes go off track... you should get them eating the block very well first. Once they are eating it really well, I continue to give them their block first, before anything else.

After they have eaten their blocks, then the get the buffet including a little fruit (which they usually go to first). They quickly learn (or are trained?) that they will not get the buffet until they have eaten their blocks

that's what works for me, too. Block always first in am and until that's eaten - no other food. I know that some people have slightly different routines and it works for their sqs. But in my case - nothing else until block is eaten (every am), just like Spanky described.

[PennyCash]

Absolutely, yes!



IMO this is where squirrel's people sometimes go off track... you should get them eating the block very well first. Once they are eating it really well, I continue to give them their block first, before anything else. So the morning (and evening) routine is clean out the *leftovers from the buffet, give them their block. And wait.Don't give in... they will eat it (and usually without challenge if you followed Astra's advice that they get not other solids introduced until they are "hooked" on their block). I often use the analogy that they will line up for their block like kids at an ice cream truck in July if you follow this advice!

After they have eaten their blocks, then the get the buffet including a little fruit (which they usually go to first). They quickly learn (or are trained?) that they will not get the buffet until they have eaten their block.

*leftovers: I usually have considerable leftovers because I provide more then they can eat and a good and varying variety. Wilds have a variety of wide open space and find what their bodies need and demand. Captive squirrels have a variety of only what their people provide them. Give them a variety and they will eat what their bodies demand and need... and that will change as they get bored with this veggie or that veggie. My Step had not gotten cauliflower in weeks because he had stop eating it.. last night he got some.. this morning he was eating the last of it when I greeted him good morning!

I followed advice like this 4 years ago and I can attest that once your squirrels have learned to love their block then everything else is so much easier. I'm a bit of a tough momma who doesn't give anything out of the healthiest 1 and 2 blocks on the feeding chart in the am when she's hungriest. In the evening she gets to have other healthy choices, 1 item from the 3rd block and 1 serving of fruit as a dessert. At most she recieved 1 and 1/8? nut from me since I used just a tiny piece of nut as a incentive to cage up after breakfast and at night she was given a nut in shell for caging.
To this day my girl will grab her block as the first thing to eat even if there is some yummy fruit on the plate.
She still gets formula and still loves it although she only gets it once a day if that anymore...
Easiest for me was to realize was if you wouldn't let your child eat junk before healthy food then why would you give into a squirrel who needs you to be just as diligent (perhaps even more) in their diet.

[Daisey007]

Thank you astra!!

I have seen that "contrary to popular belief" comment against HHB's posted in other forums and this time I was typing as you were posting!
Besides the fact that HHB's are fresh baked with human-quality ingredients with no artificial preservatives, colors, fillers, additives, preservatives or by-products.
And they are a low-carb, soy-free diet that provides optimum health and nutrition. There is a big difference between a commercial Rat/rodent block and Henry's
Healthy blocks. Henry's squirrel blocks were scientifically developed and designed for squirrels and their daily nutritional requirements.
No commercial rodent block to date can lay claim to that!

This is probably my favorite comment!

"Besides the fact that HHB's are fresh baked with human-quality ingredients with no artificial preservatives, colors, fillers, additives, preservatives or by-products."

A claim that something is "Human-quality" implies that the item being referenced is edible for people in legally defined terms. "No artificial preservatives"... That's true. The product depends on refrigeration and/or freezing as a preservative... however, it DOES spend several days in the mail void of either refrigeration or freezing. Oops, that means the product was 'unprotected' during that time.

"There is a big difference between a commercial Rat/rodent block and Henry's Healthy blocks. Henry's squirrel blocks were scientifically developed and designed for squirrels and their daily nutritional requirements. No commercial rodent block to date can lay claim to that!"

WRONG! Just more "misinformation"... They were developed based largely of the nutritional requirements of RATS with a little extra calcium and nuts added. And of course, squirrels have very little in common with rats other than the rate of growth in their teeth.

[lilidukes]

Because I have so many squirrels I feed
my squirrels the homemade HHB's. The
ingredients are
Whey protein isolate (I use 130 grams)
Henry's vitamins (33 grams)
baking powder (1 tsp)
eggs (1)
water (2 or 3 Tbs)
finely chopped pecans and almond slivers (110 grams total)
coconut oil for the pan

My kids are all disabled in one form or another.
Each of them are healthy with beautiful shiny
coats big fat tails and shiny eyes.

I have 3 different squirrels who came to me
with severe MBD. Their X-rays showed hollow
bones. Along with the emergency MBD protocol
I only fed blocks, leafy greens, broccoli and
sugar snap peas until their recovery was well
under way. They are all very healthy now.
Their block is always the very first
thing they eat from their salad bowls every day.

I've been feeding HHB's for 7 years. They are
expensive and very time consuming to make.
But very worth the cost and time. All I have
to do is look around me for proof.

Rodent block never enters my home.

You can call Leigh at Henry's for any
nutritional advice or questions.

[Daisey007]

Because I have so many squirrels I feed
my squirrels the homemade HHB's. The
ingredients are
Whey protein isolate (I use 130 grams)
Henry's vitamins (33 grams)
baking powder (1 tsp)
eggs (1)
water (2 or 3 Tbs)
finely chopped pecans and almond slivers (110 grams total)
coconut oil for the pan

My kids are all disabled in one form or another.
Each of them are healthy with beautiful shiny
coats big fat tails and shiny eyes.

I have 3 different squirrels who came to me
with severe MBD. Their X-rays showed hollow
bones. Along with the emergency MBD protocol
I only fed blocks, leafy greens, broccoli and
sugar snap peas until their recovery was well
under way. They are all very healthy now.
Their block is always the very first
thing they eat from their salad bowls every day.

I've been feeding HHB's for 7 years. They are
expensive and very time consuming to make.
But very worth the cost and time. All I have
to do is look around me for proof.

Rodent block never enters my home.

You can call Leigh at Henry's for any
nutritional advice or questions.

Chances are that unless those blocks are offered when they first start nibbling solid foods, they wouldn't eat them anyway. And you can absolutely forget feeding them after they've tasted the HH blocks, it won't happen. I would prefer to make my own blocks like you are doing. Is the recipe you provided the complete recipe, and do you vary the ingredients?

[lilidukes]

Chances are that unless those blocks are offered when they first start nibbling solid foods, they wouldn't eat them anyway. And you can absolutely forget feeding them after they've tasted the HH blocks, it won't happen. I would prefer to make my own blocks like you are doing. Is the recipe you provided the complete recipe, and do you vary the ingredients?

I don't do babies anymore unless they are
injured or sick. I deal with a lot of adult
wilds. ALL of the squirrels here eat my
homemade version of HHB's even wilds.
I did not make up the recipe it is all
within the guidelines provided by Leigh
at Henry's. I use the higher side of the
whey protein because I have flyers too.
I've only played with what kind of nuts
I use to entice the squirrels to eat protein
and vitamins.
That is exactly what I use to make them
except I multiply it times 4 and make huge
batches twice a week. That's how many
squirrels I feed.
I throw away veggies not block.