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Post by Deleted on Apr 28, 2013 20:37:28 GMT -5
Have been adding little pieces of wing to soups...Riley and Stevie of course just crunch them up. Sammie has eaten a few of the smaller pieces...not so much bones. Milo has regressed a little...hasn't been all that interested in soups until I spoon feed him a bit to get started...then he will continue on his own.
But they are eating so all is well.
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Post by Sherry on Apr 29, 2013 9:05:52 GMT -5
Just keep pushing with Milo and Sammie, and start increasing the number of smashed up bone bits to soup ratio. What you want is for the wing to be smashed up just a bit bigger than the commercial grind you are using so they get used to texture. As they accept it more, you'll increase the ratio and finally the size of the bits.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 30, 2013 20:50:33 GMT -5
About the same....their HT at the moment is duck and has good size chunks in it so not adding wing cause if it is too many chunks they turn up their noses. And Milo is being a brat and wanting to be held when he eats lately. But at least he eats if I hold him. Sent from my Xoom using proboards
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Post by Sherry on May 1, 2013 9:07:05 GMT -5
I've found sometimes during stress(and yes, switching them is stressful for them) certain ones want a lot of reassurance. Being held while being fed could simply be Milo's way of getting that reassurance. With the chunks, keep increasing slowly. Maybe one or two bits a day.
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Post by Deleted on May 1, 2013 21:04:04 GMT -5
Everyone was less than thrilled with feed times today....Riley was crunching away for a little bit both in the morning and tonight. But he seems to just be fine...he eats whenever he feels like....nibbles on chunks at night and picks what he likes out of the soups. And Milo eventually ate a good amount once I held him at each feeding. The girls weren't all that interested at all....got them to spend sometime with their heads in the bowl by burying a little ferret vite in their soup Hopefully tomorrow will be a better eating day. I know I shouldn't have favorites but I think I have really fallen in love with Riley! He is such the class clown...but he is also my little (OK not so little!) cuddler. He likes to climb up and sit on my shoulder and eventually just ferrets into my shirt (I had a fleece over my shirt so he was just inside the fleece). He spent the entire time I spent clipping everyone's nails in my shirt...sort of hanging down my back with his head out of my collar. I was sitting on the floor so wasn't too far down if he should fall. So freak in cute! And the other day I had a hooded sweatshirt on and he sat in the hood forever. Its very cute....course he is such a fatty that he ends up choking me after awhile Anyway...other than eating the kids and I had a good day! Especially with Riley on my neck I couldn't help but notice how silky soft his coat is!!! And he doesn't smell at all!!! Sent from my Xoom using proboards
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Post by Sherry on May 1, 2013 21:20:01 GMT -5
Sounds like you've found your heart ferret Boris was mine Keep pushing the reluctant one, but understand some days they won't be as hungry as others
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Post by Deleted on May 3, 2013 9:48:00 GMT -5
Nothing really new to report...we seem to be in a holding pattern But everyone is happy ;D Sent from my Nexus 7 using proboards
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Post by Deleted on May 5, 2013 21:18:40 GMT -5
Nothing too exciting to report...except their last couple of meals have been entirely hare today grinds mixed with some grocery store ground meat...so no NV mixed in. Still plan on using NV just trying to mix it up a little for them hoping they will be forced to eat bigger chunks one day Sent from my Xoom using proboards
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Post by Sherry on May 5, 2013 22:09:51 GMT -5
Okay, thanks How is it going with adding in chopped up bone?
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Post by Deleted on May 7, 2013 8:50:50 GMT -5
As long as it is small Sammie will eat some...but if it gets too big she wants no part of it. Milo will eat some of the smaller pieces too...although still eating best if I hold him and his bowl. Stevie and Riley eat pretty good...they still get chunks and wings to gnaw on as well as soups with everyone else. Riley is the only one who is still a fatty...everyone else looks trim and sleak with their new spring coats. Sent from my SGH-T889 using proboards
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Post by Deleted on May 7, 2013 15:18:12 GMT -5
Was just feeding the kids and was amused to see Milo steal a small boney chunks from Riley (dance)! Nothing too crazy to get excited about for most people...but works for me. They both had taken some chunk from their own soups and ran off to eat them in the same place but Milo finished his and then grabbed Riley's from him. It was very cute!! Tiny steps!!
Also have some new weights...I have taken a couple of weights since the last time I posted but just didn't post them all. But today's weights are: Sammie - 694 Stevie - 792 The girls have dropped a little too since Feb when I first started to weigh them...but they seem to have leveled off now Riley - 1.40 - he is a chunk!! Milo - 920 - he is down from his sort of steady weight of 1.15/1.10...but I am thinking it is just springtime weight loss
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Post by Sherry on May 7, 2013 17:48:14 GMT -5
Sounds excellent! Keep upping chunks until they are eating those straight up, then you can start increasing the sizes
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Post by Deleted on May 10, 2013 7:50:04 GMT -5
About the same here...Sammie doesn't seem to want to get past smallish chunks in her soup...but at least she does eat the soup. Added some NV yesterday after not having it for about a week and little Ms. Sammie had her face buried in everyone's bowl ;D Guess she missed it!
And Milo and Riley had another little tussle over a chunk and Milo won again;D As exciting as I think that is, it is still only a chunk that they took out of the soup...still not interested in straight chunks.
And Riley is just too funny! Cause he just feeds himself when he wants from chunks left in cage he isn't always really hungry when I put soups in. So his newest trick is to hangout of the hammock and steal food from Stevie if she has grabs something and runs off to eat it else where. ;D it is funny to just see him hanging there and sort of swing over to reach what he wants. Clown!;D
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Post by Sherry on May 10, 2013 10:01:29 GMT -5
Okay, new plan now Riley- do you want him on full bone in raw? If so you will need to start balancing his diet since he is eating chunks over mince. He'll need heart, liver/organ added in as well as a mix of proteins. Same for Stevie and Milo if they prefering them as well. Unless you plan on limiting them to only a couple of meals a week of bone in. With Sammie increase the NUMBER of small chunks in her mince. You are going to need to push her a bit to get her caught up with the rest ;)If she's at 1/4 small chunks, increase them to 1/3. You should be able to increase them every 3-4 days now, until she's eating all small chunks with maybe just a smear of mince as a lure.
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Post by Deleted on May 10, 2013 16:23:44 GMT -5
I think I will just continue as I have been with mostly commercial grinds of some sort with some bone in chunks left for whoever will eat them. Nobody is so excited at feed time that they dive into the chunks...maybe cause they know soups are coming...or maybe just cause it is spring time and their appetites are less. But this is my first spring doing the raw and not sure what is normal appetite or what is stubborn ferts who are just holding out for soups...but I rather have them eating than not. I do make sure I switch up proteins for everyone whether it is soups or leaving chunks out for Riley. But most of the chunks I leave out are the HareToday grinds...which are really just smallish chunks or wings that have been smashed up a bit. I do cut up some heart or liver occasionally for Riley (and Stevie will eat some too) and he will eat it...I just don't want him to decide he isn't going to eat it if we ever get past this stage. Their appetites will pick up again before winter right? Maybe then they will be ready to dive into chunks?!
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