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Post by Sherry on Sept 9, 2013 18:59:58 GMT -5
Hi, I've read back through this thread. Your mentor HAS given you several tricks to try to get them eating meat Since they are eating the chicken well, completely pull the kibble. They no longer need it. Sliver up some pork, mix that in with the chicken and let sit for a couple of hours so they taste something like one another. If that doesn't work, you may have to puree the new meat and hand feed for a meal or two so they get the taste for it. That is the problem when they have a single protein for too long- they imprint on that protein and have to be taught all over again that something else is indeed edible. Once they will eat the pork mixed in, start making the bits larger and adding more. In 4-5 days do the same thing with beef, duck, goose, or whatever other protein you want. For liver/organ puree and add in about 1tsp either goats milk or heavy cream per ferret. You may have to hand feed for a while.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 13, 2013 11:04:39 GMT -5
Are you my new mentor or is this just a one time thing? o.O
Also, I got home to see two new faces looking at me... that being said I now have four ferrets not two. They are both male age 3... They used to be fed raw almost a year ago... I don't know what kinda stuff they were eating. The girl said they like chicken necks but haven't had them in months. They are eating the kibble they came with "GO" and they are eating the chicken. They just got here last night and they never really spent time with me so I will not just take away the kibble on them maybe in a week or so when they feel comfortable I don't want to shock them and change everything on them.
My girls don't like the boys kibble so I know they aren't eating it. Also, one of them is more bigger then the other... The bigger one his tail is cut off at the tip I don't know why... I don't know if someone hurt him or what happened.
Anyways, on with the food... The girls did eat some pork well I was gone he fed them what was left in the fridge... I grined some up before I left and it is all gone... He didn't smash the chicken wings so I did find half eaten ones around there room.
Well, they will eat the pork if I grind it first but not if I put chuncks in the cage. :S So giving 1tsp either goats milk or heavy cream will help with the beef? I haven't tried them with milk or any kind of cream yet what if they don't like the cream? I'm going to try the cream tomorrow when I go shopping I only have 2% milk.
Anyways, thanks Sherry for the information.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 14, 2013 20:26:37 GMT -5
No, Sherry was just checking in to see if you were all set.
Congrats on the new ferrets! Mr. short tail could have had his tail tip accidentally groomed off by his mother when he was a kit, or been in an accident possibly.
Glad to hear the girls ate their pork. You may have to give them a little time to get used to it, but you should be able to wean them off of mush and onto slivers and then chunks of the pork.
If they don't like cream, they don't like cream. I'm sure they'll love it though, most ferrets love dairy. They don't really *need* it, it's really just a treat. It might help to mix some in with some ground beef.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 15, 2013 3:55:20 GMT -5
Thank you... I'm not worried about his tail anymore it doesn't seem to hurt him and he is already giving me kisses and both are taking to the chicken and pork fine... I haven't tried them with beef but if they eat it then maybe the girls will too. I haven't found a chicken neck and whole chickens don't come with the necks...
I'm going to try this tomorrow... liver/organ puree and add in about 1tsp either goats milk or heavy cream per ferret. I'm going to try it with beef if they don't like that then I can try buying pork liver I haven't seen pork liver in the store before...
Duh, I forgot to try adding the EVO to the ground beef... I really don't know why they don't like ground beef it's not bloody and I always buy it fresh. Anyways, I'm going to buy some ground beef and see if they like it with the EVO on it.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 15, 2013 13:21:01 GMT -5
The puree plus oil or cream sounds promising, hopefully that works. Can you get chicken livers? A lot of people like to actually eat chicken liver, so it's common to find in a lot of grocery stores. Mine didn't like the pork liver but they eat the chicken liver as a treat.
I'd let the girls see the boys chowing down on their meat and see what happens. I've found peer pressure to work really well on some stubborn ferrets.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 16, 2013 19:37:42 GMT -5
I put chicken liver and cream together and all four were eating it. I tried it without the cream and only one boy was eating just a bit then started going to town on a chicken wing! For the four ferrets now they are eating about 6 wings a day. They do like the chicken hearts they play with them then after a bit will eat them. Crazy ferrets.
Well, I still have the boys kibble out and I found Binxi eating it but Oswin won't but I took it away because the boys are eating the chicken just fine so I thought it was good to take it away.
I haven't tried the beef yet but I will for sure tomorrow I don't want them bored of chicken but they seem to love the wings now.
I haven't found any chicken necks but when I do I'll buy some because I was told the boys like them so it might make the girls want to try it. I also think it would be a good idea to try them again with another CGH... do you think it would be good to try again now? I will cut it up good.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 16, 2013 20:43:48 GMT -5
It sounds like the boys will definitely try the CGH even if the ladies won't. I'd try it again. It seems like the cream is the magic button. Try mixing it in with the beef and see if they'll eat it. They can be gradually weaned off of it if that gets them eating it.
They sound like they don't need the kibble at all, taking it away is good.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 17, 2013 21:00:03 GMT -5
They eat the beef liver with the cream the girls didn't really want it but I did see both did at least try/eat a little... I just gave then some steak I cut slits in the meat and put a bit of cream on it and only let the girls try it first and Binxi was chewing and trying to rip at it... Oswin didn't try it until I put the boys in there. Oswin was the one that was best at taking to the meat now it's Binxi who likes a lot of the meat.
I took the kibble away right before I sent my last message only one of the boys seemed to miss it... but all four ferrets are eating meat so that is good.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 18, 2013 20:05:54 GMT -5
Good to hear! If the boys liked chicken necks, they'll probably like chicken drumsticks and other crunchy, boney goodness.
You can also try "marinating" new meats in the cream or an oil or egg or other treat. Let it soak in a bowl for a few hours in the fridge, then put it out. It should absorb some of the odor and flavor of the treat.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 19, 2013 11:42:05 GMT -5
I gave them the CGH and only about 30%bone was left I gave it to them and let it sit in the room for 15 hours.
I have to hand feed the girls the beef they still won't eat it really... They didn't mind the ground beef when I put an egg in it or oil on it but not steak or any other kind of bloody meat.
That is a good idea thank you.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 19, 2013 17:13:41 GMT -5
Maybe try some beef jerky to get them more into beef? It's not bloody that way. Now, when I say beef jerky I don't mean the stuff you buy in the super market full of flavorings and chemicals and spices. I mean either home made, or "all natural" human stuff or a reputable pet food jerky. Which is tough to find since most of those things are made in China. You can make home made jerky in either the oven or by freeze drying it in the freezer. It makes for good treats. If you're interesting in trying that sometime we can try and find the instructions on the forum on how to do it.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 20, 2013 5:38:20 GMT -5
Well, I'm going to two different pet stores in the morning so I will look for some jerky and other all natural meat treats... like liver treats or whatever I find.
I would like to make my own that sounds like fun and the ferrets would be happy I bet.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 21, 2013 12:27:21 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Sept 21, 2013 13:47:13 GMT -5
Thanks I bookmarked it and I'm going to try it tonight or tomorrow in the morning.
I'm going shopping with my aunt on tuesday to a meat market. I'm going to get them a bunch of random meat and see if I can get some rabbit and some kinda of duck.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 22, 2013 14:26:18 GMT -5
Sounds good. You'll be surprised at how willing to try new things they'll be after they've fully transitioned and you've offered them different things. Before, mine would have never touched anything new. Now, I buy an entirely new meat and toss it into the room and the boys all fight over it and gobble it down. The ladies are a little more delicate but they'll give it a go too.
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