Experiencing new meats!

[Deleted]

So i got some new meats for Kaiju to try today. One of my favourite things (apart from having a happy healthy ferret of course) about feeding raw, is the expression on my butchers face when I give them my order list for various meats!! It's priceless! My recent order included chicken necks, hearts, a whole rabbit, pancreas, kidneys and brains. I literally had to explain the ins and outs of my ferrets eating habbits to stop them thinking I was practicing witchcraft. 

Anyway...........Brains.

How squishy and weird are they!!!

I didnt know whether to feel slightly queasy or super intrigued by the alien like texture and the fact they turn to mush if you squash them....needless to say, weighing and prepping was quite fun today! 

Then came Mr Rabbit......all cleaned and sectioned with organs separated in a little tub. Absolutely fine. The head however, complete with teeth tongue and eyesockets....Well i admit i did find myself apologising to the little guy whilst packaging up his little head ready for the freezer. He didn't look too impressed.

Do ferrets even eat the heads by the way?

I'm normally fine with all meat. Preparing it, handling it etc. Im putting it down to the fact I used to own rabbits. But it is a meat I've been wanted kaiju to have for a long while now! So it was time to man up! yay for carnivores! 

Bon appetite Kaiju, you officially eat better than I do!  


 

[RedSky]

The looks are always fun, especially when your ordering next to little old ladies. I used to get the dogs meat from a family friends butchers so they knew that it was going to the dog but as it was in an indoor market in a busy town there were ALWAYS OAPs around.

I've never had head come with the rabbit, I'm not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing. The place I order the raw food from now (it's aimed at raw feeding for dogs) sells lamb heads, either full or cut in half and occasionally pigs heads in the same way. I wanted to get some for our dog but my OH insisted that I really really shouldn't. I do think that for a lot of people it is harder to feed or eat something with a face. I'm struggling with the idea of having to chop up a mouse or clean up mouse remains from around the cage.

[Deleted]

I really wasn't expecting the head I think that's the only thing that made me go a bit soft. I swear it was looking at me. I've been wanted her to have rabbit as a regular part of her diet. I think because its such a natural thing for ferrets to eat I guess, along with rodents. I tried her on some in December but it was from a store, and looked no different to chicken meat all cleaned and cut. But its so expensive, So I thought this time I would get a whole one from the butcher. The head is whole so I'm assuming brains and everything are still inside....yummy

Do you feed your dog raw? I would love to give mine a more natural diet but I'm not sure of percentages to make it balanced

[Heather]

My guys use the head as a football and for the game of steal and stash. Even Dodger who's still very new at this game of raw, has fun with the head. Generally I throw outside in their play area....eventually it works it's way back into the house and then I throw it out there again. It will spend a few days outside only to come back in. Each time it's a bit more chewed...chances are they will eat the eyes out of it and the brainstem. The skull of the larger rabbits seems to be too hard for them to consume. Sometimes I will cut it in half, so they can get at the brain matter easier
ciao

[RedSky]

I'm getting softer, I used to work at a small petting farm looking after birds of prey, reptiles and other 'exotics' and would feed chicks and mice to a variety of animals without ever thinking anything of it. I guess I'll get used to it again, and I'm sure a few more rabbit heads and you will be chucking them in the freezer as if it were an apple going into the fruit bowl. I think it's also harder when you have those animals or similar, oh I'll toss a mouse in the ferret cage and then I'll feed the hamsters and gerbil some seeds isn't a good thought, well not for me.

Yeah, I've been raw feeding for a few years. It's pretty much the same as with ferrets, only dogs don't 'need' taurine like ferrets and cats do. I still feed my dog heart, it's one of his favourite foods, and like ferrets has the same effect on the way back out though. My dog is 30kg (66lb) and eats about 750-1000 grams (26-35oz) a day. It's always worth looking up information from various sources but when I was searching I found a great forum that I still use now, called dogsey.com which has a section on raw feeding and lots of great people. They have links to other sites and information and encourage you to make your own mind up about what to feed and what not. Some believe that dogs should only eat meat and don't need anything else, while others add other bits to their dogs meal such as fruit (many use berries and apples) and veg, some even add in brown rice, potatoes (often sweet potato) and supplements. I do think it is a personal thin (mainly to the dog but the owner is the one to decide) as to what you add, I personally will feed my dog some fruit and veg occasionally and I add supplements everyday but don't feed plain carbs as part of his meal but have given him some when I've made if for myself and have left overs.

Rabbit head football sounds like a good ferret game. Does it not start to rot after a few days though? How long is too long to leave something like that out?

[bitbyter]

My girls were similar to Heather's crew. Other than eating the brains, eyes and chewing on the ears a bit, they just played with it. Since then I haven't bothered getting them. If you have a dog, try giving him the head.

[Deleted]

I think I'm going to look into it! He's only 20kg but he's a 'grazer'. He's not food motivated at all unless its something he really loves. I would love him to enjoy his food a bit more and get the most from his diet! If I can raw feed my ferret I have no excuse really

Rabbit football..hmm that would have to be a game she played by herself I think! I used to have a snake so mice and rats arent an issue for me although I've never owned rodents as pets. (Not that I dont think they're cute)! I'm sure it will get easier with rabbit. I have no plans to have anymore animals besides ferrets so I'm sure I'll harden up a bit

I guess once the brain matter etc is eaten, it will take longer to rot? No idea I will let you know haha

[Deleted]

If she doesn't eat it I will let the dog have it

[RedSky]

Just wanted to let you know I gave them a mouse this morning, I thought I'd try it whole before having to put myself through chopping it up and glad I did. Bolin knew what he was doing, but seemed a little disappointed it wasn't moving. After a 3 way tug of war he ate head to waist, Mako had a nibble and I left him playing with it, when I checked an hour later it was all gone, nothing left of it that I could see.
I'm not sure if Korra thought it was a soft toy or a baby, but she wasn't impressed that Bolin wanted it, and then eat half of it. She has been extra bitey this afternoon too.

[Deleted]

AW bless her! I'm sure she will learn fast that its food and that she will have to get in there fast if she wants her share of mouse that's brilliant they ate it though! Clever fuzzies, I'm glad you didn't have to go through cutting it up! I'm going to see if I can find a supplier so I can try Kaiju on them. There must be somewhere around here that sell them! People must own snakes and reptiles here so I'll have a look around

[RedSky]

I get mine from the local pet shop, it's a small pet shop none chain pet shop. They are a little more expensive than from the chain stores (like Jollyes or Pets at Home). Just try calling a few local pet shops and asking.

I'm pretty sure they sell them at our local garden centre too (they have a really really nice pet section).

I can't promise that Kaiju will eat them though. Our dog actually runs away from them, I used to be really mean and chase him around the house with a frozen mouse. Poor dog... But he's a 30kg staffy cross that never backs down from anything so discovering his fear of a teeny tiny dead mouse was somewhat strange and amusing for me.

[Deleted]

My ferrets have never had adult rabbit. They did eat the three babies I lost from my litter over the winter. (and any from future litters, as well) The only part of a two week old rabbit that they didn't eat was actually the stomach. Guess they don't like rabbit milk.

I always snicker over the looks when I'm buying meats for the ferrets and the cat!

[Deleted]

I swear my dog is scared of everything. Except other male dogs which he attacks given the chance! He's scared of Kaiju, but she loves him and always wants to play. But if her head gets too close to his he either runs away or jumps up out of her reach! We had a live mouse in our house once and he ran away from that too! I had to catch it all by myself, silly dog.

I will def ring around and see if I can find some whole prey. I have no idea what she will do with mice or rats, but she's been raw fed since leaving her mama at 9 weeks so hopefully it will be a success! However you never really know with ferrets, I may well have to play surgeon and cut them up! Eeeew!

The rabbit I got came with liver heart kidneys and brain matter inside the intact head. The rest of the meat was sectioned out so I guess they took away the rest of the innards. I think its an adult though, the head is about the size of a tennis ball

[crazylady]

Hi some will eat the heads some wont lol luckily I have a mix so if one group leave a head one day it goes to those who will eat it as an extra breakfast treat lol they mainly eat the brains ears and eyes from the head as heather has said whats left goes for football practice lol its weird too when you give a group a whole rabbit in its fur coat all you get back are the back feet and the fur all in one piece ( if they are not head eaters you get the head too ) they are magnificent at working there way under the skin to remove every bit of meat lol take care bye for now
Bev