Best when
Humans are getting fuzzy about hay-first feeding or treat culture is taking over the routine.
Care · Printable support
Feeding basics checklist
A short refrigerator-style sheet for hay, water, portions, and the myth-resistant basics that keep feeding steady.
Use this when feeding needs to stay simple, steady, and protected from guesswork or internet myths.
feeding
daily basics
myth resistant
One-page support sheet
Print, clip, and use in the room
Built for pressure. Use it in the room, then return to the handbook if you need more.
Field use
Spot first
Hay interest, chewing interest, droppings, water habits, and whether novelty foods are displacing basics.
Avoid
Reward-centered feeding logic that makes snacks feel more important than steady nutrition.
Next move
If eating enthusiasm or droppings slip, move over to the health watch sheet instead of waiting it out.
Use this for
Hold steady
Bring the basics back into view.
Keep hay central and easy to reach.
Check fresh water like a real daily baseline.
Keep pellets and greens consistent, not random extras.
Make sure every helper follows the same feeding plan.
Check now
Mark now
Short notes only. Catch the pattern.
Watch appetite, chewing, droppings, and water together.
Mark drift early; do not wait for refusal.
Keep treats from taking over the routine.
Note new foods or routine changes.
Course correction
Do not
These blur the signal.
Do not let rewards replace basics.
Do not assume "eating something" means feeding is fine.
Do not separate feeding from health watch.
If the pattern feels genuinely off, move from observation into safer action sooner, not later.
Notes
Today
Write enough for the next human.
Pair this with
Pair with: Hay first
Pair with: Safe foods
Pair with: Health watch sheet