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Post by Sherry on Apr 10, 2011 14:07:50 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Apr 10, 2011 18:30:39 GMT -5
 stubborn critters!
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Post by Heather on Apr 10, 2011 20:37:22 GMT -5
They can be so frustrating... I'm curious. Your little ones, the ones that stopped eating rmb are they your adrenals?
ciao
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Post by Sherry on Apr 10, 2011 21:06:25 GMT -5
Nope. Not at all. They are all 2 years old. Willow, Miss Emily, and Suki. I noticed I was tossing more and more of the RMB's every morning. They would wait til they got their commercial raw in the mornings, then pig out. Finally, I decided they had to get back onto them again, refused to give any grind, and first tried heavily slashing the chicken wings, like they'd normally have eaten. They went untouched. Next morning, I segmented that wing. Went untouched. That night, I gave a segmented, slashed wing. Wouldn't touch it. I finally tried putting a middle bone(cut the middle section between the bones. Brats flatly refused to even open their mouths, even with scruffing  . So. Now we are working on diced bits a little larger than the grind and working up from there These are girls who would tear into the wings with no problem before! |
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Post by Heather on Apr 10, 2011 21:31:17 GMT -5
Hmmm, I've got a bunch who will only eat whole meat and prey?? They won't touch their ground mix...no organ meat...going into these brats right now....When you look under the word ferret in the dictionary...you will find the defintion ....frustration , infuriation ....well I'm telling all this to the wrong audience ;D ;D No the reason why I asked was that I find my adrenal kids go through a progression of eating whole raw, then ground raw, then back and forth between raw and cooked, then on to baby food...but sometime during the raw and cooked they stop eating by themselves. ciao |
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Post by goingpostal on Apr 10, 2011 21:35:28 GMT -5
I'm glad mine aren't that stubborn, what they don't like, they seem to give up the fight overnight and eat it anyways, although I'm curious it's all girls you are having the issue with? I notice my female is a pickier eater and eats quite a bit less than the males. Do they eat bones fine in whole prey?
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Post by joclyn on Apr 10, 2011 23:44:35 GMT -5
maybe something is different with the food??? maybe from a different supplier? or the supplier added/removed something from the diet of the animal (and thus the meat tastes different)??
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Post by Deleted on Apr 11, 2011 1:38:24 GMT -5
Ugh I know how you feel. Pix and Trix have decided chewing is overrated. they've been getting soup now. Tomorrow I've got some pork chunks to try to entice them |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 11, 2011 7:37:52 GMT -5
Question, do we know the exact eating patterns of wild ferrets or pole cats? I ask this because I'm getting a skunk in a few months and have been researching their diets. Skunks will eat a lot of protein in the spring and summer but then switch to carbs in the fall which puts fat on them. Gaining the weight is needed for hibernation.
So I was wondering if ferrets maybe have a yearly or even maybe age related eating pattern that would explain their fussiness. I'm just making this up but as an example maybe they eat "fresher" foods when there is ample supply and then during the harsher times of the year they eat the fermented meat they stashed away. Something like that.
It just seems that there has to be a reason for them being willing to eat anything as kits and then getting to be rather fussy when they get older. I've only had my two girls for a year but I can see they have some sort of pattern of eating going on. Not exactly sure what it is. Mice seem to be always well received though......
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Post by miamiferret2 on Apr 11, 2011 7:53:42 GMT -5
Sonny is 8 months old and already VERY picky. he prefers commercial freeze dried.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 11, 2011 8:40:11 GMT -5
I feel your pain Sherry... Mine wont put any effort into meal time either. Every meal I have to sit on the floor with Jack in my lap and feed him off my fingers until he trusts that he likes how it tastes. Anything large or boney goes untouched. Luckily the organ/bone ground mixes i order from Haretoday is ground small enough that they don't mind crunching on some bone. Even piggy piggy (Brady) is a super lazy eater. Maybe we're too accommodating?  |
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Post by Sherry on Apr 11, 2011 8:57:14 GMT -5
I'm starting to wonder about that Jacksmomma I honestly don't know the reason the 3 little girls have decided chunk and bone in is no longer food. And oh yes- if it's mice, it's all good It's not that they CAN'T eat bone- it's that they WON'T! And that's going to be corrected ASAP It'll take me a couple of days to get everything chopped to the size they'll need to start over, but they WILL be going to a form of bone in boot camp ;D |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 11, 2011 12:42:31 GMT -5
Must be the "nature of the beast"... or fuzzy. I have the same problems with Bastien and Damia. Bastien has always been a nuisance - still eats duck on his own but has to be hand fed everything else (when he deigns to eat it). Damia used to be my best bone/chunk eater but now refuses to eat unless she's being held, hand fed and doesn't have to put any effort into it (unless she's starving AND the meal is chicken or duck - she'll continue to starve if it's anything else ) Thank goodness for the ground mixes from Hare Today! At least I know they are getting some of everything when I do get them to eat. (now, if only the shipping didn't cost me as much as the food  ) |
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