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Post by marietta on May 9, 2017 21:14:54 GMT -5
1.) I think 24 hours possibly 48 2.) yes 3.) Adrenal disease
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Post by marietta on May 9, 2017 21:25:52 GMT -5
Also gave them some ground beef just now and they started licking it right away so we shall see how much they eat over night. I think they are really starting to trust me when it comes to food because they eat just about anything I give them at this point without too much pushing from me.
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Post by marietta on May 10, 2017 10:46:14 GMT -5
So they didn't eat a whole lot of the ground beef. Either they both ate a little bit or one of them ate about an ounce. Next time they are due for muscle meat I will try and hand feed some more ground beef to see who is eating it.
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Post by FireAngel on May 10, 2017 18:59:01 GMT -5
1.) I think 24 hours possibly 48 Raw soupie is good for 6-8 hours Muscle meats up to 12 hours Bone In meats up to 24 hours Whole prey is good for 48 hours. This is somewhat dependent on room temperature also, if it is extremely hot then it may not last that long and if it is on the cooler side it may last longer. Ferrets in general have better sense of smell and will not eat food if it has gone bad. Trust your nose though and if it smells rancid to you go ahead and toss it. 2.) yes Correct 3.) Adrenal disease Yes. Beef can be tough, I'm glad they took it pretty easily for you from your fingers. Hopefully this will mean it will not take long for them to like it.
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Post by marietta on May 10, 2017 22:25:33 GMT -5
Ah yes I could not remember the exact time for the bone in meat. I knew whole prey was longer though. I'm so frustrated. I wish I could get over the whole faces thing on whole prey. I really want to move to whole prey because I know that is the healthiest option and it will get them the most balanced diet but I even have trouble with getting a chicken from the Asian market that still has its head attached. Any tips for getting over that issue? I'd really like to try and somewhat mimic the diet of a ferret or polecat in the wild. I am also thinking about trying to build a small outdoor enclosure for some extra stimulation like I saw recently on a Facebook page called Marie's Ferrets. Get them really back in touch with their inner wild ferret I think it could be fun. Save
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Post by FireAngel on May 11, 2017 13:23:55 GMT -5
When it comes to the smaller prey such as mice and rats, I had pretty much no issues with feeding them. Guinea pigs and rabbits on the other hand were a bit different. I ordered whole rabbits to butcher myself since they are cheaper that way and when I was all ready it took me a while to actually be able to do it. I finally opted for just getting the heads off first and setting them aside to be dealt with later. I did not want to just get rid of them because brains and eyeballs are good but it was def hard to look at them. I said all that to say, I guess what worked for me was to just not look at their cute little faces at first. Cover their heads with your hand when gutting them. 2 years later I am not bothered by it but it does take some getting used to and a lot of reminding yourself, this is what is best for your little ones. Start with the thing you are least affected by, once you are good with that then move on to the next. For myself just jumping in and doing it was the only way I was going to get it done! Outdoor enclosures are great for stimulation when done correctly. Marie's Ferrets have an amazing life and amazing lines. I, like a lot of others am very sad she no longer breeds to sell. Heather also has a very cool outdoor space for her beasties. If we ever have the money it is absolutely something I would love to do myself for ours!
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Post by marietta on May 11, 2017 14:12:59 GMT -5
How would you feed them a chicken head? I have a couple in the freezer from chickens I have cut up.
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Post by FireAngel on May 11, 2017 18:17:58 GMT -5
Do you have some very sharp knives or a cleaver? The way I introduced heads was to smash them up a bit or cleave them in half and expose the brains. Once they are used to eating them you do not have to do that any longer. They will know heads are food and they will just crush and chew like they do with bones.
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Post by marietta on May 15, 2017 9:52:57 GMT -5
I do not have either of those things right now. I am planning on getting a cleaver though since I have a hard time cutting up bone currently.
Is there anything that you need from me? Should I be posting any information weekly or anything?
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Post by FireAngel on May 15, 2017 21:22:53 GMT -5
A cleaver will come in super helpful! Once a week I need an updated menu and whether or not you have had any issues with feeding or anything else. You can post any questions you have or anything at any time but I def need an updated menu every week. Is there anything in particular you are looking to learn about at this time?
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Post by marietta on May 15, 2017 22:14:26 GMT -5
Weekly Info they are very difficult to weigh so this is approximate Albie Weight: 1020g (up)
Gwin Weight: 1300g (up)
Between them they are eating about 6 or 7 ounces per day.
Last week's meals starting Monday 5/8: (since I am trying to get them use to beef I only gave them beef meat instead of pork meat as well this past week. Normally they would also get pork meat.) Monday AM: Chicken breast bone in Monday PM: Quail Bone In Tuesday AM: Duck wing Bone in Tuesday PM: Beef Meat Wednesday AM: Rabbit leg Bone in Wednesday PM: Heart + Egg yolk Thursday AM: Chicken wing Bone In Thursday PM: Duck wing Bone In Friday AM: Heart liver kidney (liver and kidney pureed) Friday PM: Quail bone in Saturday AM: Rabbit Bone in Saturday PM: Beef Meat Sunday AM: Chicken Breast Bone In Sunday PM: half liver, half kidney Monday AM (today): Chicken wings bone in Monday PM: Quail bone in
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Post by marietta on May 17, 2017 19:21:44 GMT -5
In light of recent events (Gwin my have cancer already) I think I want to start them on whole prey. I want them to be as healthy as possible. Any suggestions on where to start?
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Post by FireAngel on May 17, 2017 19:45:46 GMT -5
Oh No! I'm so sorry about Gwin! Mice, mice are usually the easiest way to start on whole prey. I order my whole prey online. It is usually more cost effective to do it in bulk. I have a decent sized chest freezer so it makes it much easier for me to do this. You can try just cutting them open and seeing how they do with one or you can chop it up and mix it in with their food. I start with cutting it open and trying to hand feed them first. Rub the blood on their mouth, usually once they get a taste it is much the same as transitioning to franken prey. What has the vet said about Gwin?
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Post by marietta on May 18, 2017 9:23:01 GMT -5
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Post by marietta on May 18, 2017 9:26:26 GMT -5
As for the whole prey I may have to look into getting a chest freezer this weekend so I can order in bulk. I may try starting with some whole quail since they already eat quail. What do you think? Would that be harder to start with than mice?
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