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Post by katt on Jul 12, 2011 14:25:42 GMT -5
Oh sorry ;D Evelynn still isn't eating unfortunately, we have to bring her to the vets because I think something might be seriously wrong with her as we're having to syringe feed her. Oh geez. She's not even eating kibble? How old is she? Is she showing any other symptoms? What have her poops looked like when she goes? But as for the others, they are doing great. They LOVE porkchops, and chicken, and beef...basically everything. The only problem with them is they will fight for a piece. I've even put in separate pieces for them and Delilah, Missy and Yoshi will usually fight for the biggest piece, and than Summer will go eat after they all finish and go to sleep. Luo lives alone with Evelynn right now so he never puts up with fighting. That's all normal ferret behavior. The best piece of meat is the one that someone else is eating. ;D Have you been able to find other meats? What about hearts and organs? You have the basic 3 proteins, now we just need to get in the organs and heart, and a little more variety. You are doing great! Is Luo eating everything okay? I'm going to go out and get some hearts, turkey necks, all that stuff in a week or two, depending on how money is. I'm hoping I'll even be able to find some whole prey, I'm sure they would love that too when they're ready for it. Perfect! You may have to crush the necks a bit at first. And whole prey is the best. Try starting out with pinkies to get them used to the flavor. Then after they like the taste, we can get them used to the fur. Those are the 2 biggest obstacles to get past for whole prey. After they are ok with fur and the taste, then it is easy to move them up in size, and much easier to add in other species of whole prey (like going from mice, to rats and hamsters and guinea pigs...). Keep me updated! Let me know how Evelynn is doing!
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Post by skits on Jul 12, 2011 15:14:08 GMT -5
No she isn't. I tried feeding her different things, she had some duck soup on her own though and she's still drinking. I'm going to go make her some soup now and see if she eats that, if not we'll have to bring her to the vets. I only have chicken, beef and pork right now. I'm going to get them some lamb, rabbit and turkey soon, and I'll look for asian markets to get some organs, and we have a meat store close by so that would be a good idea to go check out too. And sounds good. I'm not sure if my dad would want to do whole prey for them but I'll try to convince him, as I've really been wanting to do that for awhile now.
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Post by katt on Jul 14, 2011 17:49:11 GMT -5
No she isn't. I tried feeding her different things, she had some duck soup on her own though and she's still drinking. I'm going to go make her some soup now and see if she eats that, if not we'll have to bring her to the vets. Any updates on Evelynn? Did the vet find anything? I only have chicken, beef and pork right now. I'm going to get them some lamb, rabbit and turkey soon, and I'll look for asian markets to get some organs, and we have a meat store close by so that would be a good idea to go check out too.Sounds like a plan. Have you managed to find anything yet? Try to add in 2 new meats this week if you can (hopefully some organs and heart! ). And sounds good. I'm not sure if my dad would want to do whole prey for them but I'll try to convince him, as I've really been wanting to do that for awhile now.Whole prey is really the way to go. Let me know if you make any progress with your dad. In the meanwhile, we will focus on a frankenprey diet and whole prey can easily be added in later.
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Post by katt on Jul 14, 2011 17:51:55 GMT -5
Here are some example menus. Your final menu should look something like these... SUNDAY: AM- Cornish Hen: Wings , rib cage and diced meat PM- elk tendons and commerical Duck patties (pretty sure the Duck patties have bone in them, not sure about organs - yet to pick them up) MONDAY: AM - Organs (chicken liver, hopefully other types of liver, beef organ patties eventually and pork brain - what other organs do they need? spleen? kidney?) And I realize they are going to have nasty poops ;D Do I give a whole bunch of organs at once or alternate them each week? Is it better to split this into two meals? PM - Cornish Hen: Legs, back and diced meat (basically the rest of the cornish hen from Sunday) TUESDAY: AM - Pork Muscle Meat (depending on what I have on hand this will be one or more of the following: pork tenderloin, pork chops, pork ribs - they don't really eat the bones so it counts as muscle meat, pork belly sliced - it looks like unseasoned bacon, the closest thing I could find to what you described) PM - Hearts and chicken necks(Chicken hearts for now, but hopefully I can get pork and beef hearts too) WEDNESDAY: AM - Goat meat (stewing goat chunks/some bone, commercial ground goat/includes organs) PM - Chicken wings and chicken backs THURSDAY: AM - Turkey Necks and split turkey wings PM - Hearts and chicken gizzards(hopefully a different kind of heart from what they had earlier in the week) FRIDAY: AM - Lamb meat and bones (commercial ground lamb/includes organs, and lamb bones to chew on - don't think they can eat these, just suck the marrow out) PM - Whole Quail (bone in) cut into smaller chunksSATURDAY: AM - Hearts (hopefully different from whatever kind of hearts they got earlier in the week - if I could go pork hearts one meal, chicken hearts one meal and beef hearts one meal I think I'd be set and wouldn't have to supplement with Taurine? Or should I get taurine supplements anyways?) PM - Commerical rabbit meat (ground carcass with bone- I too think this includes organs but let me know if you find out) I do want to get Beef in there somewhere too once I can get them eating it. I actually bought veal cutlets and am going to try them with veal first and then work my way up to the beef ;D Also possibly work frozen thawed mice in eventually, but I think for now that's a decent menu? Here is a menu. This is based on what is in my fridge now. I'll also be rotating in CGH and freeze dried duck duck and lamb, but I don't have any right now. Monday - chicken wing 2 meals Tuesday - beef chunks 2 meals Wednesday - turkey wing 1 meal heart + liver 1 meal Thursday - chicken back 2 meals Friday - pork chunks 2 meals Saturday - turkey necks 2 meals Sunday - chicken drumstick 1 meal heart + liver 1 meal Just a few examples. The ratios should be roughly (as a reminder) 10-15% bone, 10% organ (at least half liver), and 75-80% muscle meat (including heart, and gizzards).
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Post by katt on Jul 16, 2011 12:59:46 GMT -5
Any updates? I am going out of town for a few days, but I should have internet access. Probably won't have time to get on till tomorrow night though.
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Post by skits on Jul 17, 2011 18:37:00 GMT -5
Sorry I always forget to update here. We still haven't went out to get any new meats. I know we have money coming in tomorrow so I'll have to go out and start stocking up on some new meats and organs. I was looking into buying a full turkey with gizzards if it's possible to find any, it would be good for them.
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Post by katt on Jul 19, 2011 4:33:50 GMT -5
Hey no problem. I know things have been crazy. How is Evelynn doing? I'm out of town visiting the parent and JUST convinced my dad to give me their wireless password. My phone doesn't get the best internet reception here. A whole turkey would be great! A hammer will help you smash up the bones. How is everyone doing? What are they eating daily? Any trouble makers or are they all doing well?
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Post by katt on Jul 21, 2011 18:29:47 GMT -5
Updates?
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Post by katt on Jul 23, 2011 23:21:09 GMT -5
*poke poke*
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Post by skits on Jul 25, 2011 16:28:18 GMT -5
Since I got the new ferrets, I've had to split the cage in half and Luo has been really picking at Mischief and Delilah so I put them upstairs with the rest, the problem is the others are all on kibble and refusing to try soup. I've also had the ones on raw become a little bit less interested in their meat now and they never finish their entire meals. I'm going to make them another soup and take the kibble out and see how they take it today. I'm guessing they might be stressed out from being in a new environement. Should I give them some time before feeding them soupies or do an immediate switch?
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Post by katt on Jul 27, 2011 1:29:55 GMT -5
Since I got the new ferrets, I've had to split the cage in half and Luo has been really picking at Mischief and Delilah so I put them upstairs with the rest, the problem is the others are all on kibble and refusing to try soup. I've also had the ones on raw become a little bit less interested in their meat now and they never finish their entire meals. I'm going to make them another soup and take the kibble out and see how they take it today. I'm guessing they might be stressed out from being in a new environement. Should I give them some time before feeding them soupies or do an immediate switch? It's up to you but personally I think that it is better to get all of the stress and change over with at once (rather than drawing it out longer by waiting, then changing stuff up on them again), and the sooner they are on a healthier diet the better. The lack of interest could very well be due to stress. Stress, changes in routine/environment can definitely cause backslides. Try this. Take the kibble away a few hours (6-12) before feeding them the soup, but when you make the soup, put kibble in it. Start out with a fair amount of kibble and only a little bit of meat (so roughly 60:40 kibble to meat) Also, boil the meat before mixing it in and add in a little bit of pumpkin to help with their poops. We're going back to super basics very gradual switch with these guys. I think you will have better results this way and probably see faster results believe it or not. Offer them all licks off of your fingers to begin with. If they don't take it off of your finger, scruff and stuff so they taste it until they will lick it off of your finger. Then put the soup in their cage for about 6 hours. IF they are all eating the kibble soup, then leave them with that. If a few are being stubborn though then go ahead and give them kibble back for the night. Start with that today or tomorrow and let me know how it goes as soon as you do. The earlier I get replies the better I can help you address any stubbornness or issues (or jumping ahead steps) as they arise and hopefully help nip them in the bud. We are basically starting over, but I think it will be good. New ferrets, new home, new business, new strategy, new diet! *nods*
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Post by skits on Jul 27, 2011 23:45:42 GMT -5
Alright sounds good! I prepared them some soup a few days ago and I've been trying to get them to eat it without anything from them. Mischief and Delilah were fortunately able to move back downstairs and they're back on their raw meats thankfully. I left them a bit of kibble in their bowl that should last them a few hours and tomorrow morning I'll put some soup with kibble in it and see how they like it. They're the most stubborn ferrets ever. I really want them to be on raw, I never noticed the difference in raw and kibble until I got them and compared them to my raw eaters. Also my dad can hopefully drive me to a butchers or an asian market this weekend, so I'll finally stock up. He's so hesitant with the ferrets and their raw diet, it's impossible to get anything, it's horrible.
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Post by katt on Jul 28, 2011 1:05:13 GMT -5
Ok well let me know how they all do on the kibble-y soup in the morning.
For the two who are eating raw (Mischief and Delilah - are there any others eating raw or just them?) what are they eating, and how much? i.e. are they eating soup over their kibble, small chunks of meat, what types of meat, how many kinds of meat, how big are the chunks of they will eat the chunks, etc. The more details the better.
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Post by skits on Jul 28, 2011 1:30:26 GMT -5
I currently have five on raw; Luo, Summer, Yoshi, Delilah and Mischief. They have a small variety for now but it's chicken legs, chicken wings, chicken thighs, chicken breasts, pork and beef. They are eating it great, bones and everything. It depend on what kind of meat they are eating but I usually feed the 5 of them about two handfuls of meat a day, morning and night. I'm sorry for never being clear.
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Post by katt on Jul 28, 2011 4:33:33 GMT -5
I currently have five on raw; Luo, Summer, Yoshi, Delilah and Mischief. They have a small variety for now but it's chicken legs, chicken wings, chicken thighs, chicken breasts, pork and beef. They are eating it great, bones and everything. It depend on what kind of meat they are eating but I usually feed the 5 of them about two handfuls of meat a day, morning and night. I'm sorry for never being clear. Oh 5 even better! You will want to start getting heart and organs into their diet when you can (sooner rather than later if possible). Keep in mind that the diet should consist of: 10-15% bone 10% organ and the remainder 75-80% is muscle meat, but included in the muscle meat should be hearts and gizzards. Gizzards are not "necessary" like heart but they do count as a muscle not an organ, and they are VERY good for cleaning teeth. Heart is VERY necessary for the taurine. The organ portion of the diet should consist of at least half liver, and then half organs such as kidney, spleen, brain, etc. Organs are (in ferret diet terms) defined as any (major) hormone secreting tissue in the body. For the others, try the kibble soup and see what they think. We'll get them caught up!
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