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Post by ferretbrah on Dec 12, 2014 23:01:53 GMT -5
Sorry for confusing you haha. Well I finally got around to ordering from MPC and rodent pro . Should come in within 2 weeks.
I noticed for the last few days of doing solely chicken (ran out of everything), that they are probably allergic to it. They poop 2x as often and really bad diarhea . Also lower energy that was noticeable.
As for the grass fed beef they tried, I think that has to be the worst reaction I've seen trying to get them to eat it, even after making them eat a few bites . They both want nothing to do with it and will scratch and claw to get away.
12/3
Afternoon: Raw duck 1oz Raw quail 1oz
Evening: raw quail 1oz
Total: raw 3oz
12/4
Afternoon:
1oz raw duck 1oz raw duck
Evening: 1oz raw quail
Total: raw 3oz
12/5
Afternoon: raw quail 1oz Raw duck 1oz Night : Raw duck 1oz
Total: raw 3oz
12/6
Morning : Raw duck 1oz Afternoon : raw duck 1oz Evening: Raw quail 1oz Night: Raw quail 1oz
Total: raw 4oz
12/7
Afternoon: Raw duck 1oz Evening: Raw duck 1oz +1/2 duck heart each Raw quail 1oz + 1/2 duck heart each Night: Raw duck 1oz
Total: raw 4oz +1 duck heart each
12/8
Morning : raw duck 1oz Afternoon : raw duck 1oz
Evening: raw quail 1oz Raw duck 1oz
Total: 4oz raw
12/9
Morning : raw duck 1oz Afternoon : raw duck 1oz
Evening : raw chicken 0.7oz
Total: 2.7oz raw
12/10
Afternoon : raw chicken 0.8oz
Raw chicken 1oz
Evening: raw chicken 1oz Night: raw chicken 1oz
Total: 3.8oz raw
12/11
Afternoon: raw chicken 1oz Raw chicken 1oz Evening: Raw beef 0.1oz Night: FDR chicken 0.5oz each
Total: 2.6oz (2.1oz raw, 0.5oz fdr)
12/12
Afternoon : 1 duck heart each Late afternoon: 1oz raw quail Evening: 1oz raw quail
1oz raw quail. Total: 3oz raw + 1 duck heart each
Activity levels much lower eating the chicken. Poops also very diarrhea-like. They both despised the beef
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Post by Deleted on Dec 14, 2014 15:29:25 GMT -5
If you suspect a food allergy or intolerance to chicken, leave it off their menu for a week and see how that makes things better. If you see their poops and energy levels improve, then you might have to avoid chicken or try a free range/hormone free organic chicken.
Beef is tough because it's such a strong flavor. I've mentioned this before but you need a red meat meal in your menu. Everytime you introduce a new food, then you have to "start over" and teach them that this is food. Work on getting them to eat beef. Try mixing it in with some other protein or putting an egg over it. If you want to mix it in, start slow. Do a ten percent beef/90 percent other protein mix. The work up to 40/60 and then 80/20 mix. You can also make a gravy out of FDR and pour it over the beef. See if that works.
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Post by ferretbrah on Dec 15, 2014 11:28:42 GMT -5
Thanks, I'll have to try mixing it with quail bit by bit.
I should be getting the MPC and rodent pro orders in this week or beginning of the next I believe .
If beef still fails, I still have llama , goat, and mutton to choose for a red meat.
Also, since mice are going to be on the menu, how do I go about getting them started in it? Blend the mice up and mix with the quail as well? I hope I can get them eating them whole quickly.
How long is it ok to leave a mouse in and same for quail ? (Say the quail is half of a quail so it has some exposed to air)
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Post by Deleted on Dec 15, 2014 16:15:54 GMT -5
I'm tagging katt. She feeds whole prey and both her snakes and Koda and Kenai get mice, she will know more about the feeding of mice and their shelf life.
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Post by katt on Dec 15, 2014 16:34:29 GMT -5
Same rules apply as with other meats: Soups 6-8hrs Grinds 8-10hrs Chunks (so say chopped up mouse) 12-25 hrs depending on the size of the chunks Whole prey 24-48hrs
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Post by Deleted on Dec 15, 2014 17:28:31 GMT -5
Same rules apply as with other meats: Soups 6-8hrs Grinds 8-10hrs Chunks (so say chopped up mouse) 12-25 hrs depending on the size of the chunks Whole prey 24-48hrs Ferretbrah was also asking about how to get started with the mice. Should the mice be slit open, or just chopped up?
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Post by katt on Dec 15, 2014 19:06:13 GMT -5
Sorry thought the Q was about shelf life. There's an infinite number of ways to introduce them really. Cut the belly open and drizzle salmon oil in. Chop them into chunks and mix into chunks of a known meat. Mix commercial mice grind into other grinds and get them to eat ground mouse then move to chunks. Make soup and do a mini-switch. You can also offer them a live mouse and let instinct kick in - some ferrets have been switched to raw that way, but some will kill but not eat it and some won't make the kill until they recognize mouse as food. Every ferret is different. Some start with introducing pinkies mixed into chopped chicken/other meat, and then move up to bigger and bigger mice. Some start with adults and use one of the previously mentioned methods.
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Post by ferretbrah on Dec 16, 2014 0:00:56 GMT -5
Thanks guys it definitely looks like I have some nice options to try when it comes in. Now I just need to focus on teaching them to sit and stay for a Christmas picture haha
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Post by ferretbrah on Dec 18, 2014 23:33:32 GMT -5
Finally got both orders in the other day.
Both were packed really well.
I portioned out maybe 6 pounds of stuff before just throwing everything in the basement fridge to thaw.
I need to go out and get more containers , but I'll probably just get a few dozen more and end up portioning the 2nd half when the 1st half gets low.
The quail are freaking huge! They are bigger than my hand probably. They have feathers , head etc on them still so I'm not sure how I will go about introducing that.
I will hopefully portion some mice out this weekend as well and think about which route I want to start with. I will probably put some chunks mixed in or just blend a few to mix in to get them used to the taste.
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Post by katt on Dec 19, 2014 20:32:39 GMT -5
Good luck! Let us know what you try and how it goes.
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Post by ferretbrah on Dec 23, 2014 14:54:37 GMT -5
12/13
Afternoon: raw quail 1oz Raw quail 1oz Evening: Raw quail 1oz Night: Raw quail 1oz
Total: 4oz raw
12/14
Afternoon: raw quail 1oz Raw quail 1oz Night: Raw quail 1oz
Total: 3oz raw
12/15
Afternoon: raw quail 1oz Raw quail 1oz Evening: Raw quail 1oz
Total: 3oz raw
12/16
Afternoon : raw quail 1oz Raw quail 1oz Evening: Raw quail 1oz Night: Raw quail 1oz
Total: 4oz
12/17
Afternoon: raw quail 1oz Evening: rabbit 1oz Rabbit 0.5oz Night: Rabbit 0.5oz
Total: 3oz raw
12/18
Afternoon : 1oz duck 1oz duck Brooklyn : 1 quail egg Evening: 1oz turkey Overnight: duck 0.1oz
Total: 3oz harry 3oz +quail egg Brooklyn 12/19
Morning: 1oz duck Afternoon : 1oz duck Evening: 1oz duck Night: 1oz quail
Total : 4oz raw each
12/20
Afternoon: rabbit 0.7oz
Night: duck 1oz Brooklyn +1/2 duck heart Duck 0.9oz harry+ 1/2 duck heart
Quail 1oz
Total: harry: 2.6oz + 1/2 duck heart Brooklyn: 2.7oz +1/2 duck heart
12/21
Afternoon: duck 1oz Evening: Rabbit 1oz Quail. 1oz Night: Duck 1oz
Total: 4oz
12/22
Afternoon: duck 1oz Rabbit 1oz Evening: Duck 1oz Night: Duck 1oz
Total : 4oz
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Post by ferretbrah on Dec 23, 2014 14:57:36 GMT -5
I am maxed out on freezer space. I still have a little over half to portion out .
Right now the rest is in the fridge but I will probably have to go out and buy a small deep freezer for like $100.
That way I will let the portioned out food dwindle down and then when I have enough I will re-portion the rest of the food.
Still have to portion the quail and mice , they have yet to try it.
They did not like llama or goat when offered so far but I will keep trying.
Poops are much better without the chicken, though still not formed too well.
They are still needing to be hand fed to eat. They don't touch anything in the cage, but they occasionally will kick some quail remains up at night by themselves.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 28, 2014 14:17:15 GMT -5
The hand feeding is important in the beginning, as you know. But, you do need to get them to eat on their own.
Try sitting with them at breakfast and offer them the first bite only. Then just sit there with them. At night, do the same thing but offer them the first bite and then walk away.
I wonder if two feeding dens would help.
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Post by ferretbrah on Dec 28, 2014 14:52:14 GMT -5
They usually get fed separately, as one is either wandering around the room or sleeping in the closet. They seem fine eating together though, and will eat out of the same hand if it is quail and sometimes turkey.
If it is a different meat than those two, they will eat the first bite, and then run off and be done with eating unless we put a hand around their body lightly to keep them there. It is almost like you are holding your hand if you were to pet them.
I'll start trying that today with their meals. Right now, I am aiming for 4 meals a day of 1oz, which seems about right for them during the winter.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 28, 2014 15:47:11 GMT -5
Mine eat separately too. It makes keeping track of five ferrets and what they eat harder.
Lately, I've been feeding all five in our bathroom. I'm still trying to intro Keller into the business and so breakfast is served in the bathroom, where no one can slip away and I can supervise their interactions. In other words, keep Keller safe from Roamy and Juliet. :slap:
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