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Post by Sherry on Oct 14, 2012 23:40:20 GMT -5
They instinctively avoid it. And if they aren't used to being caged like that, the vomit could well be stress related.
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Post by bitbyter on Oct 15, 2012 8:21:11 GMT -5
I took a closer look at it and I think it was the esophagus fat from the turkey neck as it some of it was quite long. I think someone (eyeing someone particular here) might have just eaten to much of the fat and gobbled (no pun intended) it whole without chewing. It would have been easier to eat than gnawing on the meat and bone of the neck.
Prime suspect - Wilma, my lazy eater.
Everyone appears fine this morning.
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Post by Sherry on Oct 15, 2012 8:35:09 GMT -5
Quite possibly then. I've got a couple who like to do that, given a choice
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Post by bitbyter on Oct 15, 2012 22:30:19 GMT -5
So how do I ensure their fat intake is balanced? Currently I am primarily feeding them chicken wings, gizzards, whole defeathered retail quail, chicken hearts, chicken livers, and the odd mouse / rat pup mixed in.
Basically, most of the fat they are getting is the form of chicken skin on the wings and quail skin on the quail. I am hesitant to try turkey neck again because of the vomiting episode but am going to pick up some chicken necks and try those. Is the skin on the poultry enough to provide adequate fat for them?
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Post by Sherry on Oct 15, 2012 23:25:20 GMT -5
They get fat from most meats. Especially from the skin. I'd not worry overly about it unless they are eating a lot and not gaining.
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Post by bitbyter on Oct 15, 2012 23:28:37 GMT -5
Ok. I wasn't overly concerned about it anyhow. One thing I am starting to wonder about however is that they haven't started their fall shed yet. Could the switch to raw have delayed it for some reason? I saw in another thread that Heather's have started shedding and she isn't that far from me.
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Post by Sherry on Oct 16, 2012 8:40:01 GMT -5
It depends on the ferret. Some of mine are in full winter gear- others have even started yet.
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Post by bitbyter on Oct 16, 2012 10:00:05 GMT -5
That's good to hear. I was starting to worry that something was off. Weigh In: Wilma = 1 lbs 13 oz (up .5 oz) Socks = 1 lbs 8 oz Neither one of them has lost or gained significant weight. I would really like Socks to gain some more but she's stubbornly sticking to her 1.8 lbs.
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Post by Sherry on Oct 16, 2012 19:26:25 GMT -5
Some do. Athena never really seems to put on even winter weight
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Post by bitbyter on Oct 18, 2012 7:05:24 GMT -5
Ok, a follow-up question to the late shedding one. Sock's rat-tail is filling back in but they still haven't shed their summer coats??
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Post by Sherry on Oct 18, 2012 8:50:39 GMT -5
The rat tail filling in is the first sign It won't be long now! On the diet end of it- can you write up a menu with what they are eating now? Use the Monday-Sunday format. That way we can both see exactly where the diet will need to be tweaked.
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Post by bitbyter on Oct 18, 2012 11:30:10 GMT -5
Sure, here it is:
Bone In Chicken = backs, wings, necks, whatever I currently have available / thawed. Bone In Turkey = necks
Monday AM = Bone In Chicken + Half Chopped Quail Monday PM = 1 Chicken Liver + 3 to 4 Chicken Hearts + Bone In Chicken or Quail + added egg shell & pumpkin to compensate for the consistency of the organs.
Tuesday AM = Homemade Ground Mix (Turkey, Chicken, Heart, Liver, Sardines, Egg Shell, Egg) Tuesday PM = Bone In Chicken
Wednesday AM = Quail Chopped Wednesday PM = Bone In Chicken + Chicken Gizzards
Thursday AM = Chicken Gizzards + Half Chopped Quail Thursday PM = 1 Chicken Liver + 3 to 4 Chicken Hearts + Bone In Chicken or Quail + added egg shell to compensate for the consistency of the organs.
Friday AM = Bone In Turkey + Bone In Chicken Friday PM = Homemade Ground Mix (Turkey, Chicken, Heart, Liver, Sardines, Egg Shell, Egg) + Chicken Gizzards
Saturday AM = Chopped Whole Prey (so far tried Adult Mice and Rat Pups with limited success. I also have small guinea pigs and baby rabbits in the freezer) Saturday PM = Dehydrated Ducks Feet
Sunday AM = Bone In Turkey Sunday PM = Bone In Chicken + Half Quail
Sometimes a meal is skipped or limited in size due to leftovers from the previous meal but I'm trying to make sure they get enough organs throughout the week via the organ meals and ground mix. I am hoping to really focus this weekend on getting them to accept the whole prey as readily as they do the poultry so there is enough variety in their diet. I may try picking up some feeder insects this weekend to see if they are interested in those.
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Post by Sherry on Oct 18, 2012 13:20:58 GMT -5
How are their stools on this?
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Post by bitbyter on Oct 18, 2012 13:31:27 GMT -5
Socks are fine. Wilma's are still all over the place and her bum usually acts up on the organ meals. I finished the round of antibiotics yesterday and her bum looks worryingly bad today after the organ meal last night. I am going to check it tonight to see if it has improved but I'm going to make another vet appointment next week as I think more permanent measures are going to have to be taken.
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Post by Sherry on Oct 18, 2012 13:35:14 GMT -5
You might wind up splitting her organ meals throughout the entire week for her. That way, it's not too much for her bottom to deal with. However, I don't know if that would be feasible for you?
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