Bourbon's
Modified
Leadbeaters (BML)
This diet plan is designed to include:
the BML mix, below, fruits,
veggies each night, insects in the morning, if you choose not to use
the insects, please provide tree branches in their cage.
Please read EVERYTHING on this page
DO NOT feed this
diet plan with another diet plan.
The Basic BML Mixture
to be used with the entire BML plan as explained below
Any changes in this recipe, other than noted, the gliders may not like
it. The majority of my email that people have sent to me, stating their
gliders would not eat this, we have found, has been caused by
modifications,
and items being omitted added or substituted. This is a complete plan
and
does not need additions. If they still won't eat it, you can try the BML
(original mixing method). This
new method makes it sweeter. If some
don't like it this way, they usually like it the other.. for those
whose gliders were eating the bml using the previous mixing method of
turning the blender on and off you can find it here.
One
thing we have prided
ourselves in , is that as more information emerges we will make
changes. IF there is ANY chance of anything being an issue with
the diet, we will make changes accordingly.
With that
being said the changes made
to the BML page, is not really a
change in the basic BML diet plan. we have taken areas where we have
allowed flexability and really broken it down to the basic of the
basics. This is what was tested, and this is what has been found to be
nutritionally balanced. More and more we are seeing modifications
and additions that could be potentially harmful to your glider.
Everyone wants what is best for their glider, they strive and work hard
to find a diet that is balanced. The BML Diet Plan which includes the
fruits , veggies and optional insects, is balanced for as much as we
know, for each item substituted, modified, and added it takes a
balanced diet that was designed to be healthy and makes it unbalanced,
thus opening the door for potential problems.
1/2 cup Honey, do not use
honeycomb, raw or unfiltered honey, Most store bought Honey is
the
one to use unless it uses one of the three words above
1 4oz bottle PREMIXED
Gerber juice with
yogurt (Mixed Fruit or Banana)
both have yogurt mixed in, the fluid
is creamy colored. For those that
can not find this, you may substitute 2 oz of plain yogurt and 2 oz of
mixed fruit juice
Turn on blender, add the next
group of ingredients.
1/4 cup Wheat Germ
1 Teaspoon of Rep-Cal HERPTIVITE
vitamin suppliment ,
Blue label on a white plastic
container, DO NOT SUBSTITUTE this suppliment.
(My petstore ordered it for me)
2 teaspoons Rep-Cal Calcium
Suppliment non-phosphorus
with Vit. D3 in it.
Pink label on a white plastic
container (my petstore ordered it for
me)
2 2 1/2 oz jar
of Stage 1 or 2 Heinz, Gerber or Beechnut Chicken baby food
The chicken will say either Chicken
with Chicken Gravy or Chicken with
Chicken Broth either is acceptable
1 Egg (boiled or
scrambled)(I Hard Boil Mine)
the shell is no longer an
option . We do not use it at all.
for the next 2
ingredients alternate them, a little cereal with a little juice, a
little cereal with a little juice, going back and forth till both
ingredients are included
1/4 cup of Apple Juice, just the good ole apple
juice that you and I would drink, Not frozen, not baby juice,
just
regular bottle apple juice.
you may also substitute 1/8 of the
applejuice for white grape juice
1/2 cup dry baby cereal..
Heinz or Gerber
(Mixed or Oatmeal)
**NOTE: (most gliders do not like the taste of the oatmeal)
(I use rice with fruit bits)
Blend well for 5 minutes
turn off blender, then pour
it into tupperware bowl, or ice cube trays and FREEZE,
1 cube in ice cube
tray is approx. 2 tablespoons. (measure out your first couple of cubes,
place 2 tablespoons in each cube (noting some ice cube trays are bigger
than others)
It will freeze to the consistancy of ice
cream.
This mix will feed 1 glider
for approximately 1 month.
Do NOT mix the fruits
and veggies in before freezing.
the veggies are corn , peas,
carrots and greenbeans
the fruit is apples, grapes, watermellon, cantalope,
melon, frozen pitted cherries and blueberries
Do NOT feed the seeds of
apples or the pits of cherries. You can use fresh or frozen, but
do NOT used canned.
The rule of thumb per
glider is..
1 Tablespoon of the BML basic mix,
1 Tablespoon of fruits,
(apples, grapes, watermellon, cantalope, melon, frozen pitted
cherries and blueberries)
1 Tablespoon of veggies
(corn, peas, carrots and green beans)
Insects
(feed in the morning as dessert)
IMPORTANT NOTES ::
If
they eat it all the first night add a little more
each night till they leave only a little bit.
IF they DON'T eat it all, no need to worry. back off on every
thing only half of the
recommended amounts and only a few pieces of veggies increasing each day , till they leave only a
little
behind. If they are eating 3/4 of a tablespoon each then they are
doing good. There are gliders that do eat more thus the reason for the
tablespoon.
Young
joeys up to 6 months oop, may not eat the full amount offered or they
may not eat as many fruits
and veggies, and eat more of the mix. This is NOT cause for concern,
they
are just not ready for it yet. You can introduce them by offering them
as finger treats.
For nursing and lactating mothers. Stay with
this plan,
do not add or increase protein and calcium, They will eat more
BML if needed, and
less fruits and veggies. They also may want more insects, you can
increase
theirs by 1 or 2.
They get up and down all night
foraging, feeding and playing.
They only eat the insides of the
corn, peas, greenbeans, so closer inspection may reveal they are eating
more than you think.
some
very important things to keep in mind.
IF your gliders suddenly stops eating, it could
be normal, if you have
more than 1 cage, notice if all the cages slow down, if so there is
probably a good explaination. I tell people to keep a log of their
gliders eating habits, when they do slow down. check the moon phase, is
there a lot of atmospheric activity. something stressful in the home,
or changes made. I also ask people if they are famished when they go to
the table each night? of course not, well then we shouldn't expect our
gliders to be either. Are we over feeding them, giving them too many
treats, feeding the mealies at night before they eat. Changing their
foods around too much.Offering too much?? please ask yourself these
questions first.
Gliders do not tire of their food, the plan allows for daily variety.
If
you don't remember anything, please remember that your gliders
stomach is only as big as your thumbnail. it holds less than a
tablespoon of foods and liquids.
***Special Notes***
For Joeys that are under 5 weeks
OOP, please use the JOEY
BML. Ask the breeder how they age them, some large breeders age them
upon
emergence into the pouch. If that is how they age them, subtract 60
days
from their age.
If your glider has never
been introduced to insects, it
may SEEM like they do not like it, that is NOT the case. Break a mealie
in half, allow them to lick the guts, or squeeze it onto your finger
and
offer it as a licky treat. This can be started very young (mine start
this
at about 3-4 weeks oop, but only the insides.) If they are older (over
8 weeks OOP), you may try dipping the half in their favorite licky
treat.
As for insects,
Depending on what you
feed, and what size. I feed 2-3 Large (jumbo)
mealies per day (not superworms) small 5-7, Large or jumbo
2-3, superworms 1. Some of the most popular insects are . Mealworms,
moths, june bugs. My gliders do not like to
have
their mealies in the BML mix. I offer 2 to 3 mealworms
each morning. I may also offer them a few
moths, june bugs or Man'o'wars. If it is a bug.. Look out... In
the summer the fav is moths, june
bugs and man'o wars or skeeter eaters..
whichever people call them they look like giant mesquitos.
Caution : DO NOT feed
fireflys/lightening bugs. Do NOT feed roaches, or any insects
found on
the floor or on the ground, which could have come in contact with
pesticides,
either from your place, or someone elses. We no longer suggest or
advocate the use of crickets due to the problems posed with aflatoxin.
There are many ways to offer
variety this is some of the
ways I feed mine...
please notice I am not changing the ingredients of the diet, but how it
is offered.
After I spoon the BML mix
into their bowl, I feed their
veggies and fruits in various ways.
1.) Fold in a few frozen veggies.. corn, peas, carrots.
etc. into the BML mix
2.) I will give them fruits and veggies during the day,
for treats. reducing the amount I give them at night with their meal
3.) In a side bowl.
4.) If I "ICE" the BML mix with applesauce or another
fruit, I will reduce the amounts of fruit offered. By Icing you take
about 1/8
teaspoon of applesauce and spread it across the top of the BML mix,
take
the edge of a spoon and cut ridges into the BML mix.
Motts has snackpack flavored applesauce, try the
different
flavors to find out which ones your gliders like.
