|
Post by Sherry on Jul 15, 2011 16:14:28 GMT -5
Oh, she IS a stubborn little minx, isn't she ;D Any chance of her eating with the "big" ferrets, so she sees what she's supposed to do with meat chunks? You can always give her what she gets afterwards.
|
|
|
Post by acodlin on Jul 16, 2011 8:05:08 GMT -5
She does eat with everyone else. She sees Sam and the others eating meat right off the bone! I always do a bowl full of slivers first thing (with the meat I hang for those who eat it) and then usually at night time I put out the soupies.. there is a little kibble for the stubborn ones but she doesnt even look at it.
We did have a little progress this morning, I sat down and kept trying to feed her pieces that started off small and got bigger and she ate a dime sized chunk of turkey. I guess she'll do things in her own time.. I know I can get her to eat these chunks, I just worry about her eating off the bone and actually eating the bones.
It was hiliarous lastnight, Church snuck into the babies cage and she found the mouse I put in there and she was climbing out when I caught her.. with a back leg hanging out of her mouth! She froze there with that leg and it was so funny, she knew she was busted for being in that cage. I tried giving her and kodiak a mouse before but they wouldnt eat it, but I guess the foods always better in someone elses cage.
|
|
|
Post by Sherry on Jul 16, 2011 11:10:12 GMT -5
"grass is always greener" ;D At least now you know she'll eat the mice! For Vaeda, maybe try doing her slivers last(but before the soup), instead of first? If she has to wait, she may get hungry enough to try it at some point.
|
|
|
Post by acodlin on Jul 24, 2011 22:40:04 GMT -5
Sorry I've been slow to update. I've been so busy with Anks and work that I haven't had time to work alot with vaeda. She is doing pretty good..she's chewing on pieces about the size of a 50 cent piece but still shows no interest in meat on the bone
|
|
|
Post by Sherry on Jul 24, 2011 22:45:19 GMT -5
Not a problem! Take whatever time you need. As for Vaeda, what are the odds of leaving her with hea ily chopped up wings for a couple of days? Make sure there's a good bit of meat on them, though.
|
|
|
Post by acodlin on Aug 4, 2011 13:28:04 GMT -5
Had a little success today with Vaeda, I managed to chop a wing tip up pretty well and she FINALLY ate a piece with bone in it, it took me shoving it in her mouth over and over for the past week..but she did eat it. I still have to pull the skin off of it before she'll even consider it >,<
I tried to leave her with just the wing tips for a day. I had her in the bedroom with anks and I counted the pieces and put her in there with the bowl and she wouldnt eat it.
She's so busy that its hard to get her to sit still long enough to eat. I think she's the wildest of my bunch, has more energy than 5 ferrets put together.. she always just grazes when she eats, a bite or two here and there and then shes off again playing. Even when she just wakes up, the second her eyes open she's ready to go. I've got these little wing bits in a baggie and I have to catch her everytime she runs by and pop one in her mouth. Up until today she's been taking them under the couch and dropping them and then Kodiak eats them (he's a bottomless pit I swear). So hopefully she'll start eating them out of the bowl without me having to hand feed her soon.
|
|
|
Post by Sherry on Aug 4, 2011 17:53:59 GMT -5
Try taking the middle pieces, use a cleaver or sharp knife, and chop the bejeepers out of them til they kind of look like a mush. That way, the marrow is really exposed and mixed in well, she gets bone bits, and will hopefully eat them, brat that she's being ;D
|
|
|
Post by acodlin on Aug 6, 2011 16:27:08 GMT -5
I chopped the pieces up even more like you suggested and I've gotten her to eat a few more today. She's being such a picky brat. I think if I can get her to eat these pieces on her own then even if she doesnt eat off the bone I can be happy that she's still getting it this way.
I gave Dexter his own rock hen today that I stuffed with bits of liver and duck heart, him and maggie decided to play tug of war and there is chicken all over the cage and the wall behind it >,< Dried chicken and liver on cage bars = not fun to clean. I don't see how they can make SO much of a mess while eating.
|
|
|
Post by Sherry on Aug 6, 2011 16:34:21 GMT -5
Good girl, Vaeda!!! She's getting there I don't see how they can make SO much of a mess while eating. Because it's fun??? ;D
|
|
|
Post by acodlin on Aug 22, 2011 17:23:44 GMT -5
Vaeda is doing better, taking pieces of meat with bone in it. Still not eating directly off the bone.. I think if she refuses I'll just chop pieces for her highness and buy bone in ground rabbit or buy a meat grinder and do it myself.
I think I'll keep working on her but try to start focusing some attention on Auggie next and see if I can get him going. He's pretty resistant so far to anything but soup when I've tried.
|
|
|
Post by Sherry on Aug 22, 2011 19:08:33 GMT -5
For Velma, try taking a wing, segment it, cut the middle piece between the bones. Take a cleaver or chef's knife, and chop the bejeezes out of it. Breaks the bone up really well, and exposes all the marrow. This was the ONLY way some of mine started eating bone. For Auggie, how thick is his soup right now? And how much access does he still have to kibble? The usual would be to slowly thicken the soup til it's the consistency of ground, then start slipping in slivers. You may have to do a few "scruff and stuffs" with the slivers so he realizes he can eat them along with the thick soup. Also, if he still has kibble, make sure to remove it from several hours to overnight prior to trying him with the thick soup with slivers in it.
|
|
|
Post by Sherry on Sept 5, 2011 21:00:55 GMT -5
How's it going with Velma? I know you are preoccupied with your other little one, do you want to take a break from this switch until you find out what's happening?
|
|
|
Post by acodlin on Sept 7, 2011 10:55:41 GMT -5
I've been working with Auggie, Vaeda is doing OK. she eats pieces of bone if and ONLY if I chop everything up. She won't go chew on a chicken wing herself, but if I chop it up its ok. Auggie is doing better, he's eating small slivers. I had to scruff him and keep putting them back in his mouth for a while but he's eating them now on his own if they are mixed with a little bit of soup. He'll eat them plain when I put them in his face and hassle him about it. It's hard to keep up with everybody and Sam but we are doing it
|
|
|
Post by Sherry on Sept 7, 2011 12:55:46 GMT -5
That's fantastic that Vaeda is keeping up with it With Auggie, just keep doing what you're doing! You know how to switch a ferret now, so we'll get all these guys done, then get you graduated! If you can, would you try to post in weekly so I know where everyone is at? And we should likely get a menu plan together as well.
|
|
|
Post by acodlin on Sept 7, 2011 19:57:47 GMT -5
Well I have a menu, I do switch it around depending on what I have available. This week it was
Monday -chicken wing/duck neck/mouse for dexter and maggie Tuesday -deboned pork chop/turkey leg Wednesday - Chicken thigh/duck breast Thursday - Pork neck/chicken hearts w/ground turkey Friday - ground rabbit/chicken wing Saturday - Duck wing/ turkey breast Sunday - Liver soupies/ and ..havent decided yet, I might try some beef but most of them don't like it.. I keep trying incase they change their minds.
There is soupies out daily that has some sort of ground meat with eggs, pumpkin, olive oil.. sometimes some heart or liver if they didnt eat it well that week. I put some taurine/egg shell powder in it too depending on poops/how much bone/heart eaten.
|
|