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Post by Heather on Oct 6, 2013 12:29:07 GMT -5
If you're using rodentpro, I've heard that guinea pigs are also very well received by our little ones. This would be an awesome extra protein source. Just a thought. ciao
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Post by fretki on Oct 9, 2013 4:07:56 GMT -5
I'd be curious what you say about my raw menus for my ferrets. They still have (high quality) kibble, they choose freely what they prefer to eat, and they clearly opt for raw after a transition period... I think I could do without kibble, but I have rather old ferrets, who already had to experience an abrupt change in their life by beeing rehomed, and I feel like adding stress if it's my decision when they have to stop kibble.. Interestingly I never see the long term members of my group eating kibble, only the latest arrivals eat kibble and they stop it at the pace they feel comfortable with. Every second day I take the uneaten kibble off and put it outside next to my balcony, for the moment the hedgehogs and my neighbours cats (fed on crap cat food) seem to be grateful for this supplement Monday: Morning: frankenprey chicken Evening: medium-sized mice Tuesday: Morning: frankenprey rabbit Evening: beef mix Wednesday: Morning: quail (whole) Evening: frankenprey turkey Thursday: Morning: pork mix Evening: chicken wing tips Friday: Morning: frankenprey chicken Evening: frankenprey rabbit Saturday: Morning: frankenprey turkey Evening: chicks Sunday: Morning: duck mix Evening: frankenprey chicken I have a local farm as supplier of chicken, rabbit and quail, that's why those 3 are normally the basis of the menu planing, but my ferrets are used to other stuff too, depending on what I can get (and how much space is left in my freezer): quail eggs, lamb mix, other poultry (guinea fowl, pigeon), young rabbits (whole), baby rats, guinea pigs, frog’s legs, snails, larvae, grasshoppers... very very little fish and sea food. Frankenprey is always a meal with bones (consumable for ferrets) and organes (normally liver and kidney), if it is not balanced I refer to it as mix.
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Post by Sherry on Oct 9, 2013 9:21:15 GMT -5
The only thing I wonder about is heart for taurine? Although I do notice you feed whole animals, as well as insects which are rich in taurine.
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Post by Heather on Oct 9, 2013 21:51:49 GMT -5
Like Sherry I would like to see that your little ones are getting some heart in their diet, either that or a taurine supplement ciao
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Post by fretki on Oct 10, 2013 1:40:49 GMT -5
Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot to mention: the frankenprey chicken contains hearts and the beef mix as well! ...but I also have supplements at hand in case I run out of specific parts of meats
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Post by Sherry on Oct 10, 2013 8:30:36 GMT -5
Okay, looks good to me then! I wish I could give that sort of variety.
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Post by fretki on Oct 12, 2013 16:14:26 GMT -5
Thank you for the raw and whole prey feeder status I'd like to add more whole prey, but the animals I'd like to get are hard to find from good sources, I'm thinking about raising my own food, but I'll first have to do the killing-license, because here it isn't allowed to feed ferrets living prey (I'm perfectly ok with feeding dead animals, just requires a course and a paper more..)
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Post by Deleted on Nov 18, 2013 21:22:58 GMT -5
I'm wondering if I qualify for raw feeder status? Here is my weekly menu: Monday is Wysong Archtypal 1. Tuesdays is Stella and Chewy's duck,duck,goose. Wednesday is Stella and Chewy's turkey. Thursday is Wysong Archtypal 1. Friday is whole life cod. Saturdays are gizzards and hearts and Sundays is chicken thighs and hearts. They also are offered a raw egg on the weekend. And two or three times a week, in the evening I offer raw chicken or turkey. For treat rewards, they get Natures Variety raw instinct chicken, dried duck hearts and N bones (and of course, fish oil and olive oil). I'm still working on pork and beef, they aren't big fans. What do you senior mentor ferrents think?
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Post by Deleted on Nov 19, 2013 12:52:42 GMT -5
I forgot to mention, that I leave wings and bones in their bowls, two or three times a week. The bones disappear, and I have found the occasional one, but most are gone. So I think they are eating the bones. Just not sure, and I don't see evidence of bone in their poop. But you know how chicken smells, so I would find it, if it was in a hiding spot.
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Post by Sherry on Nov 19, 2013 16:00:18 GMT -5
Looks fine! I'm on the phone right now so shoot me a reminder tomorrow if i've forgotten
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Post by Deleted on Nov 19, 2013 16:39:06 GMT -5
Thanks Sherry!
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Post by Sherry on Nov 20, 2013 19:28:18 GMT -5
Told ya!
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Post by Deleted on Dec 8, 2013 13:01:25 GMT -5
This is what I wrote for Erinn. I do feed the whole regimen a little differently, since I do use a fair few bone-in cuts that aren't super dense in bone. I go "8 meals bone-in (30% bone average), 1 meal muscle/heart, 1 meal organ - and the rest can be filled in with quail". May have a bit more heavy bone meals this week than I should (it was the other way last week).
Monday First meal - Half Quail Second meal - Duck Neck
Tuesday First meal - Chicken Hearts & Pork Loin Second meal - Rabbit Legs
Wednesday First meal - Chicken Carcass Second meal - Duck & Chicken Wings
Thursday First meal - Duck Carcass Second meal - Half Quail
Friday First meal - Organ Meal (Pork Liver, Rabbit Kidney + any organs from eviscerating whole birds/rabbits) Second meal - Chicken Legs
Saturday First meal - Half Quail Second meal - Duck Leg
Sunday First meal - Beef (attempting to make this bone-in with grinder, will update) Second meal - Half Quail
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Post by Sherry on Dec 8, 2013 13:44:50 GMT -5
The menus are meant to be what you would feed in an average week. Do they eat all the bone from the duck legs, rabbit legs, and duck wings?
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Post by Sherry on Dec 8, 2013 14:01:19 GMT -5
catwisdom101.com/vet-101-hypercalcemia-too-much-calcium-in-cats/I am really uncomfortable with what you are presently feeding. There is way too much bone, and not enough muscle meat. And in spite of feeding whole prey a full heart meal would be a good idea. Alan please read through this link, here is an excerpt: Why is it important if your cat has high calcium levels? The most important reason is that it makes them feel lousy. Just a little extra calcium can severely affect appetite and start causing kidney damage. If calcium levels get too high, the soft tissues of the body also start to calcify, or turn to bone. If a cat’s levels are very high, it will have to be hospitalized and given IV fluids to flush the calcium out of its body until a means of controlling the cause can be found. Hypercalcemia can be life threatening in the short or long term. In the short term it can cause heart arrhythmias and severe kidney damage as well as neurological dysfunction. In the long term it is very damaging to the kidneys and causes kidney calcification and stones as well as damage to many other organ systems.
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