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Post by Deleted on Mar 7, 2013 13:50:20 GMT -5
Her energy is good...runs around like normal. She is probably the least cooperative about sitting still when being weighed. I have been measuring 'mash' (mix up the CR and pumpkin and slivers in a bigger bowl to a mash consistency) I have been putting in each bowl...I have been putting about 2 oz in each bowl...then add some warm water to it...it depends sometimes she barely touches it and some times she will eat half to 3/4 of it. She is very enthusiastic about feed time but just very dainty.
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Post by Sherry on Mar 8, 2013 8:50:26 GMT -5
Sounds like she's just a tiny girl then She's definitely eating enough.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 8, 2013 14:03:29 GMT -5
I do really think she is just a little girl...but you made me a little worried so this morning I made a soup for her with mostly just CR and a cube of the pureed soup of meat/organs/heart...instead of slivers. I made it a little on the dry side so she didn't fill up on watery soup and she ate a good amount. And Riley and Stevie had mainly chunks and a wing for breakfast ;D I usually make 4 little Pyrex bowls of soupies, one for each one, but they seemed happy with their chunks and wing so I ended up only leaving the 2 soups in the cage. Which of course there is some left from Milo and Sammie so they can pick on theirs if they want. And Milo loves his soup with sliver/small chunks! He dives right in and sometimes even eats more from the others leftovers ;D Sent from my Xoom using proboards
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Post by Sherry on Mar 8, 2013 15:15:13 GMT -5
Okay, sounds good For Milo now start increasing sliver amount and size. Keep the two going on meat and bone for a couple of days, then start trying some heart meat for them and see how they do with it.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 8, 2013 16:35:29 GMT -5
I have mixed some heart and liver in with their chunks and they have eaten that too. Yesterday day put in a chicken liver whole and they ate the whole thing. I haven't done all heart or all organ....usually just mix it all together... and so far they have eaten it all. And since I was home early today Sammie and Milo both got an extra lunch feeding. Not that Milo needs it...the little fatty but cause I couldn't resist his cute face Sent from my Xoom using proboards
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Post by Sherry on Mar 8, 2013 19:35:52 GMT -5
Great Okay, plan on the equivalent of a full meal of heart, as well as two oz each liver/other organ each a week. You can split that however you like. The reason I give a separate meal of each is so my more reluctant ones will actually eat it.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 8, 2013 20:50:59 GMT -5
Today Riley and Stevie ate just chunks and chicken wing so far. They might of had a few licks of soup but that's it. Although the left over soup of Milo and Sammie is all that is left in the cage for the night....plus possible stashed stuff. And Sammie and Milo had 3 offerings of soup which they ate a good bit each time. Sammie just likes her soup refreshed with warm water...once it gets too dry she won't eat it anymore. Sent from my Xoom using proboards
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Post by Sherry on Mar 9, 2013 14:09:53 GMT -5
Sammie's a fussy little one, isn't she ;D For now, keep doing what you are doing with Milo and Sammie, and keep upping the slivers/size. Push them every couple of days to accept more and more. With Riley and Stevie, let's get them on a full menu of raw meat, bone, and organ. 8-9 meals a week of bone in. 3-4 meals of muscle 1 meal liver/organ 1 meal heart Split those last two up however you like. Also, keep introducing new meats to them as often as you can. That way they don't imprint on one or two proteins.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 11, 2013 15:59:07 GMT -5
Quick question...this may be a stupid question...but just wanted to check. My boyfriend purchased a bunch of steaks in bulk...and not exactly sure on the cut...but there is a big thick edge of fat...as well as the end of it that is sort of marbled with fat. And I know I am not going to eat the fat (bluck!!) but just wanted to check if I trim that part off before I cook it is it ok to feed to ferrets? Or is it too much fat? I would obviously mix it in with some other muscle meats but should I limit how much I give them?
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Post by Sherry on Mar 11, 2013 20:21:19 GMT -5
Definitely they can have it! Ferrets use fat in the same way we use sugar and carbs- energy Obviously it can't be the majority of the diet, but I always give the trimmings to them. However- don't be surprised if they have white poops That's just the fat.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 11, 2013 20:57:51 GMT -5
Aaahh good to know about the white poops...might have been a bit of a shock until I thought about it anyway;D So we have had a bit of a back slide...Stevie decided she wanted her own soup again instead of just chunks. She is still eating some chunks but is looking for her soup when I give soup to Milo and Sammie. Although I do try to put the bowl of chunks in before I present soups so I at least get some interest from everyone. They at least all come over to check it out. I wonder if Milo would jump right into chunks if soup didn't appear? He is ruled by his tummy I think...I don't think he would hold out too long:P Riley pretty much eats anything and everything. ;D Trying to use up what I have in freezer and found some ground turkey I forgot about and mixed it in his bowl...he picked around it at first but after leaving it in his bowl for the night...was gone in the morning! Gave him some of the fat from the steaks....plus some small part of my steak (before I cooked it) I knew I wouldn't eat all of it...he gobbled it all up! He really is a piglet! ;D Do you think they get fuller with chunks than with soups? Cause the rest of the crew are scrabbling at the gate at feeding time and although Riley is right there with them he usually ends up just curling up and being cute while the others are all eating. Maybe just cause he knows I am watching or maybe cause his bowl of chunks is in the cage most of the day so he picks all day? Am wondering about my switch...I think I want CR to stay a main part of their diet just cause I don't have to worry too much that their diet isn't balance. Is that possible? I do want to place an order with Hare Today to see if that is an option too. Just that between NVI and possibly Hare Today as well, they would be my best options for a bigger variety of protein sources. I feel a little limited at the grocery store to beef, pork and poultry (chicken, cgh and turkey). I have found some lamb and rabbit locally but seems expensive. I did get some rabbit but I think it was like $15 for medium size rabbit...where as I can get a bag of rabbit NVI for like $35ish...seems like the NVI lasts longer. Anyway...just thinking out loud...thoughts or suggestions welcome! Sent from my Xoom using proboards
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Post by Sherry on Mar 12, 2013 8:02:19 GMT -5
It can certainly remain a large part of their diet. I do one meal a day of commercial raw, and just balance the other 7 meals against that. With that in mind for the soup, bring it up to a wet ground meat consistency since that's what they are going to be eating. In fact, you can use the commercial grinds to make a thick soup if you prefer.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 14, 2013 15:59:03 GMT -5
Except for Sammie who enjoys her soup 'wet'...the soups are pretty thick and paste like.
Updates: We seem to have mood swings with food here. Some days Riley and Stevie dig into a bowl of chunks...and other days they want soup/paste! The have been good though....been eating a variety of chunks (smashed up chicken wings, beef, pork) and even heart and liver today. I put the bowl with a chicken liver in it yesterday morning basically just cut in half...and look over while giving soups to the others and Stevie is just chomping away on a liver piece! And then this morning they had chunks of beef heart...both of them dug in! So they are doing good....and occasionally they want some soup...but mostly down to just making 3 soups and usually take one out after everyone seems to have their fill and leave the remnants of the other 2 to snack on. I find the chicken wings get eaten better when I smash them up a bit...they will gnaw on the whole thing but if it isn't broken up for them they don't seem to manage to be able to break into the bones well.
Milo and Sammie have been good as well...they like their soups...Milo is never late for breakfast or dinner! And I see them chewing on some slivers and tiny chunks occasionally too.
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Post by Sherry on Mar 14, 2013 17:23:25 GMT -5
Sounds like they are doing well Keep pushing Sammie and Milo to take more and more slivers.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 18, 2013 18:03:35 GMT -5
Took weights today: They were all sleepy when I weighed them so these are probably the best weights I have gotten so far. Stevie 854g She seems like a good weight. Sammie 673g (Little worried about her cause she seems to be losing ) Riley 1.16g He has gotten so big!!!! Milo 1.13g He seems to hold his own regardless of what he is eating :-) Not sure what to do about Sammie....she eats every time I offer food. She prefers it 'fresh'....but if I am home I will re-wet her soupies and offer them to her again and she almost always will eat some more. She isn't too thrilled with the whole 'scruff and stuff' process...but I try to grab her at least once or twice a day and try to get her to eat a small sliver/chunk....and she usually will eat it...but isn't real interested in it otherwise. She will eat the slivers or small chunks out of her soup as long as there isn't too many. She doesn't feel 'too skinny'...she is just tiny. Milo doesn't miss a meal either...but isn't too thrilled with being 'scruff and stuffed' either...but again he will eat small slivers/chunks in his soup or when I force him. But not really worried so much about him cause he is a bit of a fatty and has gained since I have gotten him. Riley is obviously doing well. Although today I finally decided to chop up some of the rabbit I had in the freezer and he is thinking maybe he doesn't want to try this...lol...course I scruffed him and he took it fine. He is currently lying by the bowl looking pathetic hoping I might change out the meat for something better. And last but not least Ms. Stevie....I am happy with her progress with chunks. She decided soup was better than rabbit today too...but have left the rabbit in there for now anyway. All of them have had rabbit NV and are fine with it...they just apparently don't like the new configuration :-) I just placed an order with HareToday so will have some new things to try out. Not necessarily new proteins...just new way of presenting them....so hoping they won't get too cranky pants about it
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