Since local is not working, I guess I will buy online?

[Deleted]

I am having a hard time getting hearts.  I thought I was able to order from my grocery store but when I went to pick up my 3 pound order of chicken hearts (they called me to say "your 3lb chicken heart order is in") and received 3 packages of tyson's chicken hearts&gizzards...I knew I needed to do something else. Grr  

I would prefer to not supplement with taurine powder, so I'm going to suck it up and order online. (I did not want to pay the crazy shipping prices).
As I was looking at both Hare Today Gone Tomorrow and MyPetCarnivore, I started looking into the different grinds.  My 5 kids are doing well with the soup so I was thinking grinds could introduce them to new proteins while giving them real bone too (vs. egg shell powder).

My question is; should I do this?  Or are grinds a different ballgame?  If the grinds are a good idea, should I get whole grinds(with fur) or just meat,bone, organs?

If the grinds isn't a good idea, I guess I'll get lots of organs 

[gfountain]

Have you tried looking for beef tongue? It can be used as a replacement for hearts.

Where are you located? @poncesmom is a 'professional shopper' and has located sources for several forum members. Maybe she'll have luck locating a source for hearts.

Grinds are a different ballgame. I personally, would not use them. Besides the fact that one of my kids won't touch any kind of ground meat, grinds are a commercial product and you have no control over what goes into them and it's sometimes hard to find out exactly what is in them. I know there are very good grinds out there, and some ferrets have to have a ground diet because of mouth problems, but I prefer to have complete control of what they're eating. This is not to say that you SHOULDN'T feed them grinds... just giving you my point of view for my ferrets.

[Deleted]

Thank you gfountain! I was able to get a beef tongue and beef heart (back in August) at a butcher shop, but it was not a very welcoming experience so I'm hesitant to go back. (but that would be cheaper than ordering online)...hmm....

I'm in Pittsburgh, PA. I've tried googling Asian Markets/Grocery and it sounded like the stores that came up were spice and dry items. So yes, if someone can find me hearts that would be awesome!

Thank you for reminding me of that-another reason I wanted to switch to raw was to know what my kids were getting. With all the recalls and formula changes in the kibble world, that pushed me over the edge to switch!

[gfountain]

I actually have about 25 pounds of heart and tongue in my freezer at the moment! I wish I could send you some. A friend of a friend of a friend is a butcher and sent me a huge box of 'parts'. It will take my 2 fuzzies a year to eat it all! Have you checked in the grocery stores for tongue? A lot of them around me carry it; it's expensive though.

I tagged poncesmom so when she logs on again, she'll come to this thread. Fingers crossed that she can find something...

[Deleted]

ferretmomma,  I'll do some looking around and try to give you a list of markets to try.
I do Love to shop, so this will be fun. I'm just signing on, so let me catch up and I'll get back to you.

Have you tried this place? I was just talking to Paul and asking where his stepbrother lives in Pennsylvania and he pulled up this place:
Strip District Meats, Inc.
2123 Penn Avenue
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222
412-391-1762
Email: [e-mail]

Have you tried them? They're closed right now, but seem to have alot of everything.
I'll get you a list of Asian Markets. The only problem with those is that you almost have to visit them. There can be a language barrier on the phone.

[Deleted]

I haven't forgotten you, we were running errands all day yesterday. I'll around today for some markets.
@cindyrads lives in Pennslyvania. I tagged her to see if she sees this and has some ideas.

[Deleted]

Out of all the Markets that I looked at, The Best by far and with the biggest Meat/Organ section is the Oriental Market: 4768 McKnight Rd. plus.google.com/109949026909791458233/about?gl=us&hl=en

Lotus Food Company come in second. It's in the Strip, so the area is busy"
plus.google.com/109949026909791458233/about?gl=us&hl=en

Third is Wing Fat Hong Oriental Food, it has a good meat section and is close to Lotus"

2227 Penn Ave
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
Strip District
Get Directions
Phone number [phone]

Then there is Robert Wholey's. Not Asian but recommended as having some of the freshest meats and fish and a wide selection of Meats.

I hope one of these helps.

www.wholey.com/

[Deleted]

Thank you so much Poncesmom! I had forgotten about the one in the strip!(I'm about 45 minutes outside of downtown Pittsburgh=out of sight out of mind) I was able to pull up Oriental Market on McKnight Rd, but I did not think they had refridgerator/freezer items (that's close to an hour away from me but I am off work on Monday!) I appreciate you taking the time to look all that up! I hope I am able to find some treasures at the shops! Thanks again!!

[Deleted]

Poncesmom, thank you so much! I came home with 5.47 lbs of chicken hearts! I asked for 3lbs, but the bags were various weights and frozen solid (I have them thawing in the fridge as I type this I went to the oriental market-very cool place! I think I was there for over 45 mins just looking at everything (and trying to figure out what some stuff was)! What i could remember/identify was; pork kidneys, duck feet, pork brains, and quail eggs! Once I can get the kids onto frankenprey (just the soup stage now), I believe i have found my store! Thank you again poncesmom!

[gfountain]

Our professional shopper does it again! (dance) @poncesmom :thumbsup:

[Deleted]

I do think Stef should literally make it a profession (giggle)
Wouldn't have my quail or organs if it weren't for her! You've done your magic again @poncesmom, hooray!

[Deleted]

Thanks everyone. If I could go back 30 years, I would love to live in Manhattan and be a professional shopper. Sounds like Heaven. It probably would have been more fun and girly, then being an Non Comm in the Military.

[nancyl]

You should pick up some quail eggs. The ferrets will love them.

[Deleted]

Oct 21, 2014 18:51:17 GMT -5 nancyl said:

You should pick up some quail eggs. The ferrets will love them.

I thought about it but figured I came for hearts and I will be going back soon enough! (I also didn't see a price and didn't have too much cash on me).  I forgot the mention, I also saw baby octopus and whole quail in the freezer section (but I think the quail was $12-$15 for 4 or 6 bodies-I knew I should have taken pictures so I would remember everything!).  Last night, I weighed out 5 bags, 4oz each, of the hearts and then ran out of sandwich bags    And I still have just under a 3lb bag all in freezer!  I'm so excited! 

Does anyone have experience with switching a multiple ferret family? (I have 5 babies, 2 boys and 3 girls)  Now that I feel I can have raw available 100%, I want to fully pitch the kibble-but while we're (myself and hubby) at work and the kids are in the cage, could multiple soup bowls work?  Or would I just offer soup before we leave and then once we get home?

[Deleted]

Quail eggs- would I have to wash it before giving to the babies?(I'd like to give them the whole thing and see if they can break it open!)

Kidneys-I was talking with my mother all about the raw and she mentioned that kidneys(I saw pork kidney at the oriental market) would be filled with urine and stink; is this true?

Sardines- can the ferrets have these? (I think it's too early for my babies to attempt to eat these, but curious for the future)