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Post by Deleted on Feb 11, 2013 14:01:57 GMT -5
They do not have a favorite treat. The only ones that do are Tilly and jack but they are already eating the food. Rolo used to like ferretone until his buddy passed away now he will not take the stuff. I gave tilly a drumb stick with the skin and it took her awhile but she cleaned it to the bone. I will keep trying to get them to eat on thier own. I am just afraid they will not get enough food and the boys are skinny to begin with. she did not eat the bone I let my dog break it in half to see if the exposed marrow would inspire tilly to nibble on the bone. She is eating ground pheasant in the bowl.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 11, 2013 14:18:40 GMT -5
Here are their weights:
Tilly 1 3/4 lb Shadow 2lb Rolo 2 1/2 lb Jack 2lb Milo 2lb
I forget to also say that if i make the soup really watery Tilly sticks her whole face in the bowl and blows bubbles its kind of funny. Not sure why she feels she has to stick her whole face in the bowl but she does.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 11, 2013 16:54:37 GMT -5
I have a ferret who likes to blow bubbles in warm water for no reason I can fathom.
Keep allowing your picky boys their kibble after a couple of hours of raw feeding, they can't go without food too long. Just keep up doing what you're doing- dab some soup on their noses repeatedly every day, keep handing feeding. It took my Mayhem two weeks to voluntarily lick some soup. The older they are, usually the more stubborn they are.
As for bones for Tilly, you are probably going to need to offer her small slivers to start off with mixed into her soup and meat pieces to get the idea across to her. Chop up something like a chicken wing into small slivers if you can and try giving her that.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 14, 2013 13:29:22 GMT -5
I gave them ground rabbit they do not seem to like it as much as the pheasant but they did eat all of it just took longer. Still forcing it on the all but two. Even if i mix it with ferreton I still have to put it in their mouths.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 14, 2013 14:39:38 GMT -5
New proteins often require being mixed in for a bit in slowly increasing ratios in order to get them used to the new flavor. Once they're used to it they'll usually take to it easily. Mine hated venison and lamb initially, now they adore lamb. And they're ok with venison, although it's not their favorite. Just stay persistent, dab on noses, scruff and stuff if you must. You actually sound like you're getting off lucky with ferrets that old- a lot of them will spit the soup back out, thrash around and fight you tooth and nail like you're trying to poison them. simple dislike is much easier to deal with. Have you tried feeding them pumpkin before? I find it's an irresistible treat to 8/9 of my ferrets and mixing it in with soup goes over very well. You could also try a milk like treat if they enjoy that- something lactose free, like goat's milk. I think they have commercial products as well, or just a little heavy cream.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 17, 2013 21:23:41 GMT -5
I caught Shadow eating out of the bowl for the first time. Hopefully she will continue. Milo is doing the worst still have to jam it down his throat even if i coat it with something else. Rolo eats very little but at least he is eating some from a spoon. So far they have had chicken, turkey, pheasant, and rabbit. I'm going to try ground mice tonight.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 17, 2013 21:48:43 GMT -5
That's excellent news! How do you have their soup bowl set up, by the way? Is it in the middle of the floor or cage, or is it tucked in a corner? I ask mainly because they may feel it's not secure enough and be uncomfortable, perhaps being in a feeding den sort of enclosure might encourage some of them. A plain old card board box works well.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 19, 2013 19:13:15 GMT -5
Well i gave them ground up whole mice and it is not one of their favorites. I guess they have to get used to the fur. Tilly would take some and go off and eat it but normally the bowl is empty after awhile but not this time.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 19, 2013 22:34:53 GMT -5
Fur can be tough for them to get used to, I'd say keep any other mice you have in the freezer and once they are all happily eating soup and ready to start chunks we can revisit them trying to eat mice. Besides mice what have you tried feeding lately? Mine insta fell in love with pork, if you haven't tried it.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 27, 2013 13:37:38 GMT -5
I'll have to take a weight on all the little guys to see if there is any changes. They do have nice coats though.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 27, 2013 13:48:50 GMT -5
How are they doing with the soup? Is anyone fighting you on it still, or still insisting on being hand fed?
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Post by Deleted on Feb 28, 2013 14:42:37 GMT -5
They still want to be hand fed. When i feed beef i have to start everyone off by stuffing it down there mouths and then some will eat out of the bowl. Chicken is def their fav. I have not tried pork yet. So far it has been rabbit, chicken, turkey, beef and pheasant.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 28, 2013 18:15:55 GMT -5
Are you giving them a new protein by itself or mixing it with an old one they like such as the chicken? They tend to be easier to introduce new things to if you do it gradually by mixing in a growing proportion of the new over several days.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 6, 2013 15:58:14 GMT -5
i did not think to mix the proteins i just give a different one by itself they did not seem to mind except for the mouse i think it was because there was fur in it as well. Now I have three out of the five eating out of a bowl on there own two more to go.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 6, 2013 18:10:21 GMT -5
Just keep at it, it can take a while but eventually they'll cave.
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