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Post by Deleted on May 15, 2013 12:04:55 GMT -5
I haven't switched my ferrets to raw yet, but i was wondering what kind of regular supermarket raw meats are ok (or the best) for them? I don't have a butcher around me, i see people feeding their ferrets chicks, mice, rabbits, and i just don't have that near me. I have raw chicken cutlets and eggs in my fridge now. should i attempt one of those? particularly the eggs? Please keep any replies short and sweet i tend to get super confused when people start getting into the technicalities! Thanks!
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Post by Deleted on May 15, 2013 12:07:08 GMT -5
You can use store bought meats, so long as there's no saline injections and icky stuff in it... I think most people use organic/non GMO meats...
You also need bone in meats and organs, plus three different types of proteins (different meats) for muscle/bone in meats, and two for heart and organs... I think. Someone who knows more will either correct me or confirm that.
Eggs are fine-- whole eggs, minus the shell...
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Post by Heather on May 15, 2013 12:20:30 GMT -5
You can feed the shell too....the egg is the ultimate balanced diet The shell is normally tried and then powdered. This can be added to regular meats when bone isn't available or when you're first starting out and your wee ones won't eat bone. Unfortunately, as anything too much of a good thing just isn't. We advice that you don't feed more than 3 eggs per week. Make sure that you mix the raw egg as well (white with yolk) as the egg white on it's own isn't good for them (biotin deficiency). Store bought meats, as previously mentioned as long as it's not be doctored (saline injection is the most common), breaded or smoked you're good to go. Chicken, beef, pork and turkey are the most common. I can also get rabbit, goose, duck, quail and goat (my guys don't like goat...the meat is too strong for their tastes)and lamb and mutton. I think that just about covers what my grocery store carries. ciao
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Post by Deleted on May 15, 2013 12:26:51 GMT -5
It'll say on the package.
And thanks for correcting me Heather. I knew you could powder the eggshell, but I didn't think they'd eat the eggshell whole?
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Post by Heather on May 15, 2013 12:27:36 GMT -5
They have to tell you. It's often in the fine print on the wrapper. It will say flavour enhanced. I had to stop using ground turkey because the only stuff they had as been "lightly seasoned" to add flavour....stupid idiots ciao
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Post by Heather on May 15, 2013 12:29:01 GMT -5
You can feed just yolk, it actually has properties that help get rid of hair (self groomers) but the white also provides nutrients that help balance the meal ciao
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Post by Deleted on May 15, 2013 12:33:53 GMT -5
I think everything has been covered already, but I'll just share what I did the first month of my switch. I started by buying chicken breast, chicken wings, beef liver, beef heart, and pork muscle chunks (you will need to look for another organ source though, my store was really low on meats the first time I went shopping. Common organs you could find at places like walmart; lung, tongue, small intestine, tripe, kidney, brain). For soup, I blended chicken and liver with some eggshell powder and a whole egg, with a small drizzle of olive oil, but he didn't need soup for more than a week, he was quick to switch and took to chicken wings almost instantly.
As for saline, the package should say something like "injected with 10% saline solution for added juiciness" or something...Generally those large bags of frozen wings have this saying. Just check the packaging thoroughly, if it doesn't mention saline then it doesn't have it.
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Post by Heather on May 15, 2013 12:35:28 GMT -5
Hard to say what the package will say exactly. Usually just flavour enhanced or it will say saline added. They have to identify ingredients if any were added, that will be listed on the package. Up here it can be listed on one of the stickers on the package or on the back of the container or wrapper. The eggs are powdered the shell is. You just dry the shell and powder it I use a mortar and pestle, Sherry uses a coffee grinder. It does have to be powdered for the ferret to adsorb it properly ciao
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Post by Deleted on May 15, 2013 12:36:25 GMT -5
Powdered eggs means that you used the insides (whites and yolks), and then just rinsed the shells and placed them back in the fridge in a bag or something for a couple of days until they're dry. Then you either grind them with a mortar and pestle or with a coffee grinder (unused), or a blender Or you could of course just buy bone meal powder from a supplement section in a grocery store.
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Post by Deleted on May 15, 2013 12:44:34 GMT -5
since eggs seem to be the easiest right now, and i dont think they could be bad in any way (or could they? anything i should look out for) how would you recommend i introduce it to my ferrets?
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Post by Deleted on May 15, 2013 12:49:02 GMT -5
As long as you feed the whole egg they're fine, but keep in mind what Heather said, you can only feed them a max of 3 times a week, and they do give pretty funky poops. All you need to do is crack the egg into a dish and offer it to your ferrets, if they don't acknowledge it as food, the drizzle a small amount of their favorite oil on top and they should dig in. If they don't, then they're probably not very hungry so you can leave it out for them for a while (I think up to 6 hours is safe?)
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Post by Heather on May 15, 2013 12:55:15 GMT -5
I don't know if I would leave it out for six hours...seems a bit long but then I've never had an egg stick around that long to find out. If they seem a bit shy about trying it dab a bit on your finger and then on their nose, they will then lick it off. If I remember correctly these are two wee kits, they'll probably dive in and have it cleaned up in seconds. ciao
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Post by Deleted on May 15, 2013 13:11:44 GMT -5
i have a 1 year old and a 3 month old. will they take to a raw egg easier then raw food? i have a feeling im going to put out the raw egg (ill drizzle some ferretone on it to make it more appealing) and it will just sit there... :/
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Post by Deleted on May 15, 2013 13:18:06 GMT -5
I can almost guarantee you that the 3 month old will have no trouble switching, and the 1 year old will probably just follow his example. The first day I brought Javik home (he was 4 months), I put a chicken wing in his cage with no prior attempts at switching and just left it. Within 30 minutes he was chomping down on the meat and gnawing on the bone. His first try of egg yolk didn't go as quickly, but he still ended up eating it all within an hour. If the egg doesn't work then you could try a chicken wing.
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Post by bitbyter on May 15, 2013 13:36:05 GMT -5
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