Degu Birthday Treat

[vchan000]

So I'm feeling whimsical

We were told our rescue boy was about 6 and a half when we got him at the beginning of the year, so I'm declaring his birthday to be in late June and want to make a birthday treat for him for his seventh.   

Their regular feed is split between versele-laga pellets and the Housemanns SAB diet forage, seed mix and with lots of timothy hay on the side.  Regular treats are sunflower seeds, crocks, and once to twice monthly pistachios.  (and whatever dandylions I pick out of my yard in the spring and summer months)

If I want to traumatize him with a wee hat and a once in a lifetime (or at least once a year) treat, what would you recommend?  

[deguconvert]

Have you ever tried Brazil nuts, or walnuts, or hazelnuts, or almonds? Our degus would absolutely crazy about Brazil nuts.

[vchan000]

There was the Great Walnut Incident of 2017...

We the two boys we had at the time a walnut each, in shell. Much fun was had by both of them as they made it impossible to converse at a normal level by chewing at the walnuts with vigor. Until Mac broke through the shell first. At which point Oz promptly abandoned his walnut, and set about trying to murder Mac to get the open one.

[klbishop]

...... this happens to any treat with my clan ....

[deguconvert]

That could be a memory that makes the idea unwelcome . . . but they don't have to be nuts that are in shell. Especially for a special occasion, such as a birthday treat. Is this rescue boy living alone, and no fear of being mugged for his nut? Would chewing through a nut shell be a much enjoyed part of the treat?

[misscatafer]

We give ours a quarter of a walnut each for Christmas. We wrap the walnut piece up in tissue, then wrap it up again in kitchen roll, then make it look pretty with a bow made out of either tissue or hay. It's great fun watching them unwrapping their presents!

[moletteuk]

LOL sounds a lot like the 'world war three of Cumbria' that we had in 2011 courtesy of my 3 girls and 3 hazelnuts.

I would say nuts out of shells, walnuts were the absolute favourite of my lot. I have done an extension of Misscatafer's idea which was wrap nuts in whatever, stuff into toilet rolls, cut slots so you can fold up ends of toilet rolls, then hang them on strings (or wires if your goos are really smart).