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Post by sakuraferret on Mar 27, 2011 0:57:04 GMT -5
I have been thinking about the ferret raw diet idea a lot laitely.
I actually want be raw myself someday. The before and after pictures are amazing. It's a great advantage that I have this wonderful forum to get help and advice for helping the fuzzy go raw. I initally considered a quality kibble because I thought it would be easier to budget, and easier on my slightly squeemish fiance!
However, if it can be budgeted, I woulden't mind trying the raw diet for our future fuzzy! I am just worried how much it will cost compared to the kibble, and how to go about it. I understand because I am in Japan, it might be difficult for everyone to share advice on the price of meat and different parts.
I was thinking today maybe it could be taken just step-by-step? First we'll buy a quality kibble, rotate with raw, and take it from there? Like Sherry said, the ferret might skip the kibble all-together at some point!
As for my fiance, I -THINK- if I avoid whole prey, and cut the meat and break the bones into slightly smaller pieces to have a "kibble" appearence, we might strike a compromise. He is arguing he is perfectly fine with raw, but if you could see his face from the pictures of ferrets eating raw...too priceless! He's such a softheart.
So...anyone feeding raw on a budget? Any advice?
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Post by Heather on Mar 27, 2011 1:10:21 GMT -5
I think we all feed on a budget . Perhaps, you should check out commercial raw. For a single ferret it's not that expensive, definitely not any more expensive that top end kibbles and doesn't look anything like the original animal (thus saving your partners feelings ). Look at it this way, what I"ve spent in raw, I've more than saved in the total "lack" of vet bills. I have to deal with the same horrible diseases that any one else has, but I've found that my brats rebound better, respond faster to their meds and generally hold a better stability when ill because of their diet. This generally costs me less in the long run. I don't know the costs of the various meats that you would need to feed your little one, but I think if you price it out you will find it comparable to your high end kibbles. ciao
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Post by Deleted on Mar 27, 2011 1:14:19 GMT -5
I do! I feed 3 ferrets for about $40 a month. My staple is chicken, which I buy whole at the grocery store for less than a dollar a lb. I also use turkey for bone in meats. For boneless, I use the cheapest beef and pork I can find. Organs are usually cheap anyway.
One ferret will probably eat between 5-10 lbs a month. I'd go cheap out the local stores and see what the prices are.
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Post by taratee on Mar 27, 2011 1:15:36 GMT -5
I found that whole chickens are a real life saver i got two whole chickens for four dollars (2 bucks a piece) i then cut the chickens into five sections a piece (10 days of food here) i put them into freezer bags weigh them write the weight on the bag and put them in the freezer, if they come with extras like necks and livers that gives you an additional day of food. i mean for almost two weeks of food for four dollars its pretty good, and considering it keeps in the freezer if i see one for two bucks i buy it. it makes up for having to pay more for something like beef, when i have to pay for something more high priced like beef i split it up more so it stretches longer. when you go to the grocery just watch for sales. if you have 24 hour grocery stores those are the best because you can go in and find meats that "expire" at midnight and get them discounted if you have a butcher you can build a relationship with it helps too, here they want to sell me 20 lbs of heart and if i go on a day when my butcher is in he sells it to me 3 lbs at a time. as for being squeemish my boyfriend is terrible with the food, hes very sensitive i have a much stronger stomach. if you can confine their eating to one place by using something like a feeding den where he doesn thave to see them eating he might feel better. i chop most all the meat for our guys he only chops something if it looks like clean normal meats lol he cant cut up whole chickens or anything. as for bones, smaller bones you can use kitchen shears on i say do it! i got a pair a week ago and i butchered a chicken in like 15 minutes which is pretty quick. for bigger bones you could always smash them with a hammer or tenderizer smash them up. if you do it right raw can be fed cheaper then kibble, between sales and knowing people i feed them way cheaper on raw then i would a good kibble. sorry that was so long, had a lot to say
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Post by Sherry on Mar 27, 2011 1:36:53 GMT -5
Unfortunately, here meat does cost a lot more than you guys in the US pay ;D A chicken runs me from $10- $15 each, depending on whether it's a fryer, roaster, or a stewing hen. A 3-4 lb package of just whole wings is about $12-$15. Cornish hen runs to $15 for a pair(you can only buy them in the two pack here). I've gotten pretty lucky with the rabbit, and can get about 10-12 lbs of rabbit for $12-$15!!! Mind you- they are whole, and I have to partially skin and gut them, but still! But when I compare it to a quality kibble, it's not that much more, and the vet savings are amazing .
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Post by sakuraferret on Mar 27, 2011 2:12:14 GMT -5
Great! That gives me hope. I'll plan a day to go to the super market with Japanese-half and check the prices of the meats available. Could you guys do me a BIG favor and write me some kind of animal part + species checklist to price? I remember seeing chicken wings and chicken livers...I think. I'll make notes about how much, how many parts, weight, etc...and maybe we can work something out? At this point fiance is in agreement about mixing kibble with raw, he doesen't know im considering 100% switch yet though. But I figure it would just happen gradually sense he's "really really ok" about raw. lol If I am lucky and it can actually be cheaper then kibble, im sure he'll be more then thrilled about it. Alright, research time! I'll read through the forum and try to get the basics worked out. From what ive read so far, an assortment of muscle, organ, and bones. Chicken and turkey being the primaries, and pork okay a little? Beef and fish are no-no's. High protein and fat a must. No veg or fruit or grain. I don't know what weight of food to give in a meal and how many meals everyday, so i'll need to find that. How long meat is okay to be frozen (I can assume a LONG time!) what parts are best, how much variety in a day/week. etc Actually, is there any safety tips to keep in mind for the people handling the meat? Or if the ferret gets raw meat on its body, is that something to worry about when handling the ferret after a meal? What about kids? Sorry if that sounds paranoid.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 27, 2011 2:45:29 GMT -5
So any meat is fine to feed, as long as it isn't altered in any way (salted, smoked, injected with solutions, etc). You should be feeding about 75-80% muscle meat, 10-15% bone, 10% organ (5% is liver, 5% is another secreting organ) and up to 5% fiber (usually pumpkin).
So a general menu to follow is 2 meals a day. 8-9 meals a week should be bone in, 4-5 meals should be boneless (1 of those meals should be pure heart). 1 meal organ meat.
Bone in includes: Most chicken bones besides legs and thighs. Turkey necks, ribs, wing tips. Cornish game hen, small rabbit bones, some pork ribs.
Muscle meats: beef, pork, lamb, goat, turkey, rabbit, deer, etc. Anything that isnt altered in any way.
Organ meats are liver, kidney, spleen, brain, thymus, lung, brain, pancreas.
You can feed about 1/2 tsp of pumpkin daily to help form stools and push things along.
Sample menu:
Monday: AM - Chicken wings PM - Turkey necks Tuesday: AM - Pork meat PM- Cornish game hen bone in Wednesday: AM - Chicken ribs PM- Beef meat Thursday: AM - Turkey wing tips PM- Heart meal Friday: AM - Chicken backs PM - Boneless turkey Saturday: AM- liver and kidney PM - Cornish game hen bone in Sunday: AM - Chicken necks PM - Whatever you have left over
A ferret can eat anywhere from 1-6 oz a day. Kits eat more than adults, boys eat more than girls (generally).
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Post by Deleted on Mar 27, 2011 2:47:15 GMT -5
About the hazards, the ferret is designed to handle all kinds of bacteria, like E. coli, salmonella, etc. So they aren't really at risk in any way. As far as handling, just wash hands/utensils after handling meat, use separate dishes for ferrets (I like stainless steal shallow bowls). Wash with hot water. You can also rinse with white vinegar, which helps to sterilize everything.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 27, 2011 2:48:28 GMT -5
If you are interested in raw, after you get your ferret, I'd sign up for a mentor and they'll help you with the whole switch, and find something you're comfortable with.
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Post by tinytippytoes on Mar 27, 2011 5:29:18 GMT -5
Unfortunately, here meat does cost a lot more than you guys in the US pay ;D A chicken runs me from $10- $15 each, depending on whether it's a fryer, roaster, or a stewing hen. A 3-4 lb package of just whole wings is about $12-$15. Cornish hen runs to $15 for a pair(you can only buy them in the two pack here). I've gotten pretty lucky with the rabbit, and can get about 10-12 lbs of rabbit for $12-$15!!! Mind you- they are whole, and I have to partially skin and gut them, but still! But when I compare it to a quality kibble, it's not that much more, and the vet savings are amazing . WOW Sherry you DO pay a lot for your meat. Wonder why? Is it rare there or just not easy to get? I pay about 4 dollars for a whole chicken.
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Post by shilohismygirl on Mar 27, 2011 8:38:12 GMT -5
Holy crap, Sherry. That's a lot. I pay about 3$ for a pair of cornish hens, and about 3-5$ on a whole chicken.
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Post by Heather on Mar 27, 2011 8:46:28 GMT -5
Price of meat is like that up here. It's not necessarily hard to get, just pricey My costs are similar ciao
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Post by goingpostal on Mar 27, 2011 10:53:09 GMT -5
Jeez, I thought meat was expensive here! CGH usually go for $4 here, they were on sale for $2.50 the other day so I bought four. I buy whole chickens when they drop to about $1 a pound. Turkey wings are about $2 a pound. I've definitely learned to shop sales and to buy my organs and whole prey in bulk.
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Post by taratee on Mar 27, 2011 11:19:37 GMT -5
instead of buying chicken thats been separated(into wings or whatever) if you buy whole its cheaper plus you get some organ
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Post by Sherry on Mar 27, 2011 11:26:40 GMT -5
Don't forget- you've got to factor in shipping costs, etc. We get the vast majority of our food from elsewhere, including the US. That, and the fact most companies are very greedy When there was such a wide gap between the US and Canadian dollar, they had a reason to keep the prices up. Unfortunately, they found people still have to buy food, so now that the dollar is close to par, and staying there, they STILL keep the prices up.
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