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Post by Deleted on Jul 8, 2015 15:56:07 GMT -5
So I am making thread so while I wait for a mentor I can track when I started the switch.
As of right now I am waiting for my ingredients for my soupie to thaw in the fridge. They have been in there for 5 hours and they are still super frozen. This waiting game sucks. So far the only thing I have fed her is a raw egg yolk that went over pretty well.
I have chicken thighs to start her off with. I also have two chicken hearts and chicken liver with egg shells that will be grinded up. So far I know your supposed to pick three different proteins for them and I would like to stick with chicken and beef. I am not a big fan of pork myself so I was wondering if there were another protein that's not to close to chicken that I could use?
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Post by raynebc on Jul 8, 2015 16:12:01 GMT -5
Other proteins I use are quail, turkey and lamb.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 8, 2015 16:15:35 GMT -5
Where do you find quail at? Would a whole foods store have this or an Asian market? Is lamb fatty enough for a muscle meat meal?
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Post by Deleted on Jul 8, 2015 18:25:35 GMT -5
Where do you find quail at? Would a whole foods store have this or an Asian market? Is lamb fatty enough for a muscle meat meal? I find mine at an Asian market. Even the small markets that are mainly dry goods, have a freezer section. Golden Blossom seems to be the main brand. A package of six runs me about $9. Lamb is nice and fatty. It can be pricey depending on where you live. I like using duck gizzards instead. I get the fatty gizzards and it gives me a nice other protein for less money. Then in the Spring, when Lamb comes down in price, I buy it on sale. Your area may have better prices, if so, definitely buy some. Lamb is considered a hypo allergenic meat. Ferrets rarely have issues with it. Plus it's a red meat, so it is high in Iron and Vitamin B.
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Post by FireAngel on Jul 8, 2015 18:32:21 GMT -5
Quails are often found at an Asian market so are a ton of other more exotic proteins for them such as frog legs! They are also a good source to pick up organs. Lamb is a great choice for ferrets. Mine eat sardines, rabbit, guinea pigs, mice, rats, beef, lamb, pork, chicken, duck, turkey and quail. (Not all in one week) Feeding raw definitely takes a lot of planning and forethought at first but gets easier and faster as you go.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 8, 2015 20:03:21 GMT -5
Money isn't an issue. If I have to buy expensive cuts for Shelby I will do it. I went to the Asian market here in Colorado Springs and they had so much! I bought a whole tub of chicken hearts and pork kidneys. So I have everything I need for a switch .I also saw frog legs beef tongue quail which I will buy next time I go when she is more advanced and needs more variety. I have chicken wings all taken apart into sections from the tips to the middle to the drumettes I believe it is called. I also have beef stir fry pieces, chicken thighs. I just need to figure out if I need more bone in meals or will the chicken parts work?
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Post by FireAngel on Jul 8, 2015 20:37:32 GMT -5
You don't have to buy expensive cuts, they usually actually prefer the cheaper more fatty pieces anyway, although things like lamb and quail in general are more expensive. Sounds like you have a great start with a great source for proteins! They need 7-9 bone in meals a week if you only have the chicken for a bit that's ok. Add the variety as you can, taking it slowly to introduce different proteins is not a bad idea anyway, that way you can see if they are having any kind of a reaction to it. Ferrets can have food allergies too.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 8, 2015 20:43:42 GMT -5
What would be other good bone in meats? That's the only thing I am having issues with. Also I have noticed that her poops are grainey looking they aren't smooth like a tootsie roll I have read that's the consistency its supposed to be. I am not sure if its because of the kibble I feed her? I noticed also when I fed her the raw egg yolk that her poop was like a tootsie roll smooth looking but yellow. Any insight on this?
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Post by FireAngel on Jul 8, 2015 20:53:44 GMT -5
Here's a chart to help you with poop. H Poop has she had any raw yet? Poops look all kinds of different when they have raw. Don't panic when it happens, also the smell of it at first is terrible while they are "detoxing" from kibble. If you would like to post a picture, that would be helpful. Other good bone in things are quail, Cornish game hen, duck necks, rabbit, guinea pigs, mice, rats, frog legs are good sometimes (they do not have enough fat to make a large part of their diets) you can also give them things like smelt or sardines and anchovies, those little fishes are high in calcium with soft little bones. Be aware poops will really smell then lol! Some of those things I mentioned may be too large at first for her but smashing them up is always a way around that.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 8, 2015 21:11:20 GMT -5
By the way she has terrible aim and didn't even get it into the litter box. This is her most recent poop. From the chart it looks pretty normal to me. What do you think? This is what it looks like every time she poops. I fed her a raw egg yolk yesterday and she had a tootsie roll looking yellow poop which I figured is normal because what goes in comes out that way lol
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Post by FireAngel on Jul 8, 2015 22:26:08 GMT -5
Oh yes eggs give a lovely yellow poop. That one does look pretty normal too me, but I'm going to tag a few more experianced ferrents though because my beasties only ate kibble a few days after I got them and so kibble poops aren't what I'm used to not that these guys are either but they have been around and have had ferrets a lot longer then me! @poncesmom Heather Sherry
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Post by Deleted on Jul 8, 2015 22:28:16 GMT -5
I figured it looked pretty normal of course feed back from everyone is welcome. I just want to make sure going into this that everything looks normal.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 9, 2015 1:57:37 GMT -5
Ferrets have a fast digestive track. They poop about 3-4 hours after they eat. Which makes it nice and easy for us to identify Poops. That looks nice and normal to me. It looks like it's a little seedy, like undigested fats. Just like FireAngel said, expect funky poops during a switch and get use to poop patrol. We're all a little poop obsessed here, lol. You can't beat living near a military base for finding good Asian Markets. Fireangel gave you a great list of Bone In meats. It's easy to fall back on chicken, but try to keep your menu from being chicken heavy. It's a common intolerance and allergy. The muscle meat meals are a great place to add variety of proteins. You want a minimum of three proteins. I found that in the beginning, it helped to teach them to become familiar with foods and then add more variety later. I built a basic menu and stuck to that for awhile and then added new exotic foods as I found them. Remember that Bone In means the Non weight bearing bones of an animal the size of a chicken or smaller. So, don't expect your little ones to chow down on a cow leg. However, marrow from a cow leg is a wonderful fatty treat. You're off to a terrific start. Very nice job ferrenting. :thumbsup:
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Post by Deleted on Jul 9, 2015 9:17:46 GMT -5
How will I know if shes allergic to the chicken? If she is what would I replace the thigh with? Also if she is allergic to it the only I heart I can find are chicken and pork heart. Would a pork heart be a good source of taurine? The pork heart is like 4 times her size lol
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Post by Deleted on Jul 9, 2015 9:51:25 GMT -5
Poop Patrol will tell you alot about your ferret. If she develops an intolerance or an allergy to chicken, it will show up in her poops. They will be loose and funky (all the time, not just the once in awhile weird poop). You will see mucous in her poops. That's a body's defense mechanism to help the irritated bowel. Here is a helpful link: holisticferret60.proboards.com/thread/17731/protein-trial-elimination-diet-ferretsPork heart is great, so are duck hearts. Lamb is considered a hypo allergenic meat, so maybe if you find a lamb's heart, you could pick it up. Tongue is a great source for Taurine. Any animal's tongue from cows to ducks. Here is some info on Taurine: holisticferret60.proboards.com/thread/15089/information-taurine
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