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Post by Deleted on Apr 28, 2011 0:50:48 GMT -5
Oh boy... tried scruff and stuff on Fenton with the pinkies. He acted like he thought I was trying to poison him! Even when cut open, he acted like they tasted terrible! Fiona on the other hand ate hers immediately. Then when Fenton wouldn't eat his, she ate his too
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Post by katt on Apr 28, 2011 4:03:15 GMT -5
For the menu yes, post it here. As for Fenton...what a silly boy! We really have to go back to basics with him I guess. lol Did you try chopping them up super small and mixing them into his usual meat? If not see how he likes that. If he falls for it you can then gradually increase the size. If THAT won't work... Blend some pinkies into a soup with other meats and see how he likes that. (Pinky bones are relatively soft, but I would smash them up a little with a hammer or something first just to be a little more gentle on your blender ). See if he likes that. Try to make the proportion of mouse meat as high as he will eat it and the soup on the thicker end. Eventually you want to get to pureed meat with small pinky chunks. Then you can go to the step above: I have one more day to finish my thesis, so I might not be in tomorrow. I will be back in full force by Friday though.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 28, 2011 22:22:25 GMT -5
Update: Not sure if he will eat it all, but tonight I am proud to say, Fenton had his first kills... 2 of them! A hopper, then a "jumbo mouse"! Who would have known such a sweet little guy was such a vicious predator? [ ] P1010204 by walkerstop, on Flickr Fenton about to finish off the hopper: P1010207 by walkerstop, on Flickr Fenton says "This is MY MOUSE NOW!" P1010215 by walkerstop, on Flickr Fenton killing the JUMBO mouse! P1010218 by walkerstop, on Flickr Fenton eating jumbo! P1010220 by walkerstop, on Flickr Fiona gets a kill too! P1010216 by walkerstop, on Flickr I'm so proud of my little weasels!!!
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Post by Deleted on Apr 28, 2011 23:18:23 GMT -5
By the way I forgot to mention, Fiona is warming up to me more and is starting to get more and more cuddly! I didn't get her until after I had Fenton for a couple weeks, so I figure maybe she's behind him in terms of getting used to me. As of yesterday, she now gives me kisses! It's so cute, if I hold her up to my face she gives little ferret kisses!
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Post by katt on Apr 29, 2011 5:30:54 GMT -5
Awww! GOOO Fenton! What a vicious little hunter! Good job! Let me know how he does about eating it all. You take very good pictures. I love the "This is My Mouse Now!" with his paws reaching out to grab it and the one right before it with the hopper mouse. Fiona is adorable too. I am glad she is warming up! Don't you just Love it when they give you kisses? Btw - finished my thesis tonight! #woot# I am now DONE with school! Yaaaay! So I will be around a lot more.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 29, 2011 18:13:54 GMT -5
Awesome congrats on the thesis! What a big accomplishment!
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Post by Deleted on Apr 29, 2011 22:10:57 GMT -5
I'm so proud of my little hunters that today, they got mousies again!
This time I took video, muahaha...
Gonna post on Youtube... The ferrets were not as riled up this time so they were a little slow but they got the job done!
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Post by katt on Apr 30, 2011 1:14:36 GMT -5
Yaay! Where's the video?! ;D And where's your menu?
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Post by Deleted on Apr 30, 2011 1:30:31 GMT -5
Well the ferrets are eating mousey now! Fenton isn't crazy about it but Fiona loves it.
OK here is what I was thinking for next week's menu, does this sound OK?
Monday morning - Mousey (whole, jumbo mice) Monday night - Rabbit legs or ribcage (I forget which I have left) Tuesday morning - Chicken wing Tuesday night - Chicken leg Wednesday morning - Turkey neck Wednesday night - Turkey back / ribcage Thursday morning - Pork stew meat chunks Thursday night - More pork chunks Friday morning - 80% lean ground beef Friday night - More ground beef with chicken feet to chew on Saturday morning - Beef heart Saturday night - More beef heart, turkey gizzard Sunday morning - Chicken liver Sunday night - Turkey liver and chicken gizzard
As for the video, I'm workin on it!
Also trying to find a local source for chicks. Seems like chicken hatcheries would sell the "culls". Where do you guys get chicks? I really would like to feed these whole.
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Post by katt on Apr 30, 2011 3:06:13 GMT -5
Close. The main thing is you need more heart. Heart is the main source of taurine which is super important for them. I'd maybe add a heart meal or two in. You don't want to feed it every day but definitely 2-3 times a week and it should be a fairly substantial part of the meal that day.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 30, 2011 3:58:58 GMT -5
Ohhh.... I totally misunderstood about heart. I thought it fell into the category of 10% organs! I dunno how I missed that. I have not been feeding enough heart then! They have been only getting it about once a week.
The market down the street has duck, chicken, and pig heart. I can get some tomorrow.
So how does this sound, next week's diet second draft: Monday morning - Mousey (whole, jumbo mice) Monday night - Rabbit legs or ribcage (I forget which I have left) Tuesday morning - Chicken hearts Tuesday night - Chicken wings Wednesday morning - Turkey neck Wednesday night - Turkey back and ribs Thursday morning - Duck hearts Thursday night - Pig heart Friday morning - Pork stew meat, skin & fat Friday night - Pork stew meat, skin & fat Saturday morning - Beef heart Saturday night - Beef heart Sunday morning - Chicken liver Sunday night - Turkey liver and gizzard
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Post by Deleted on Apr 30, 2011 4:53:12 GMT -5
Also here are the videos! Sorry for the heavy breathing, I was excited and kinda close to the camera apparently Fiona: Fenton: Also, my nephew came over after the mouse feeding and brought his ferret, and we let them play outside in the grass for probably the first time in their lives, and they loved it! They just ran and danced around all over the place, they didn't even stop to wrestle, they just ran around like crazy! We got a workout chasing them! I've never seen them more excited, I think it's time to get leashes and take them outside more often!
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Post by katt on Apr 30, 2011 12:20:23 GMT -5
I would take out one meal of beef heart and add in a meat, and on either duck or pig hearts, I'd mix the hearts in with another meat. Too much taurine isn't really possible to my knowledge, but too much blood is. That's the trickiest part about heart is that you need the taurine but they have a high blood content. This can lead to soft to runny textured stools. If they are too soft too often, it can lead to a higher risk of prolapse. I have submitted your menu, along with a note of my suggestions to Heather. She will either give feedback on any other adjustments and once he menu is up to par she will graduate you. I take Koda out for walks in the summer all of the time. This will be Kenai's first summer with us so we'll see how he does. We go out a little in the winter too but for the most part it is too cold. He has been out a few times and he's a bit of a baby. I walk them both on their harnesses. Koda is very good at walking with us. We of course have to make several stops along the way to let him explore things but for the most part he follows right along. Kenai has been out a few times, the last time he did pretty well. He doesn't want to be left behind so if we just let the slack (I have those extender leashes) and walk away from him he hurries his fat little butt up because he's afraid of being left behind. ;D There really is very little difference between a ferret and a 2 year old! ;D ;D ;D ;D
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Post by Deleted on Apr 30, 2011 12:47:14 GMT -5
If the blood content is an issue due to the stools being runny, is it good enough to just feed a little pumpkin with the heart, or do I need to feed a lower blood content muscle meat with it?
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Post by katt on Apr 30, 2011 12:55:34 GMT -5
Hmmm...you know...that is a good idea...and a good question! I will find you the answer! *nods*
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