My first diet plan

[redplanet2001]

I just got two ferrets with my girlfriend and they’re both fairly young (probably around 2.5-3 months now.) We want to care for them correctly and get them on a raw diet instead of kibble. I’ve put together a meal plan after doing my due diligence on the forum that I believe will be balanced for them. If anybody has any suggestions or criticism please let me know how I could fix this plan. It’s based off of the frankenprey menu on this site.

AM
1. Whole quail
2. Chicken leg quarters
3. Whole mouse
4. Whole quail
5. Chicken leg quarters
6. Whole mouse
7. Chicken leg quarters

PM
1. Whole mouse or beef lung/pork jowls (depending on calcium needs)
2. Beef lung
3. Organ mix
4. Beef lung or pork jowls
5. Organ mix
6. Pork jowls
7. Organ mix

The organ mix will be 50% beef heart, 25% goat kidneys and 25% chicken livers.
What do you guys think? Is this a well balanced diet for them?

[eclipso]

I'm planning on feeding a whole diet, so I can't help with the percents and numbers, but I really like that it's got a lot of variety. That's really good to keep them healthy. I think you're doing a great job!

[abbeytheferret6]

Monday:
AM: bone in meat
PM: bone in meat (or muscle)**

Tuesday:
AM: bone in meat
PM: muscle meat

Wednesday:
AM: bone in meat
PM: heart (OR 50/25/25 MIX)***

Thursday:
AM: bone in meat
PM: bone in meat (or muscle)**

Friday:
AM: bone in meat
PM: ½ heart + ¼ liver + ¼ other organ (OR 50/25/25 MIX)***

Saturday:
AM: bone in meat
PM: muscle meat

Sunday:
AM: bone in meat
PM: ½ liver + ½ other organ (OR 50/25/25 MIX)***

[abbeytheferret6]

The arrangement above is to help u see some patterns and plan your meals.

1. Give a bone in meal before and after a muscle or organ meal. This helps prevent diarrhea or very lose stool.

2. U can give up to 3 bone in meals in a row. If stool is dry or chalky, give a muscle meal instead of the 2nd or 3rd bone-in.

3. About chicken quarters---if it is the leg and thigh, they r weight bearing bones and will be too hard to crunch. You can let them eat the meat as a muscle.

(if I am missing something you guys chirp in)

[abbeytheferret6]

I used a cheap postal scale to weigh my organ mixes for percentages.  Since I  have only one ferret I have went totally whole prey---- mice, white rats, and ASF rats (a different protein) My boy can not eat feathered critters. He needs the roughage of the fur as well.

Most of my organ mixes were soupies that I blended in a Bullet or blender and froze in an ice cube tray. Later, I put them in freezer baggies. It seemed mine ate that better than cut up organ pieces. I thawed baggie in warm water. Of course you can thaw thm over nite in fridge.

[Charlie]

That looks pretty good. Like what Abbey said, based on how the stools are, if it is loose add in more bone meals and if it's too dry add in more muscle meals. I find that the mouse meals really help keep the stool just right. The variety is good too. You always want a variety in case you can't get one kind of meat. You want a minimum of 3 kinds of meats but more variety is better.

[lyles]

Necks are a great bone in and it also helps clean their teeth if they do not like gizzards.