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Post by Deleted on Oct 15, 2013 18:58:31 GMT -5
You won't be kicked out, the program is for switching at any state really, be it just beginning or trying to improve diet balance/quality etc with ferrets already on raw. We only drop people who go inactive. Raw fed ferrets pee a LOT more because they're better hydrated with the high moisture content in their food.
CGH= cornish game hen. It's basically a smaller chicken, but it's technically a different animal so it counts as a different protein. I can buy them at my local market for about $3 usually for a whole bird. Feel free to try marrow, it's a great thing for them to have. Make sure that a) the bones are raw of course and not cooked and b) if you use large beef bones they may ignore it since it may be too hard for them to get out. Some people scoop the marrow out of the large beef bones.
Pork is usually a popular meat with most ferrets because it's mild tasting, and nice and fatty. With winter coming you want to make sure they have enough fat in their diet.
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Post by thelifeofmyferrets on Oct 15, 2013 19:42:10 GMT -5
I'll have to find marrow first. I'll definitely try pork next! Good to know about the fat for winter.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 16, 2013 6:21:19 GMT -5
Around here you can find large beef bones for soup in packs, which will have a good amount of marrow in them. But you might have to dig it out for them because the bone is so large they can't work it. Have you tried them with organs at all? Liver, stomach, brain, lung etc?
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Post by thelifeofmyferrets on Oct 16, 2013 8:08:43 GMT -5
Around here you can find large beef bones for soup in packs, which will have a good amount of marrow in them. But you might have to dig it out for them because the bone is so large they can't work it. Have you tried them with organs at all? Liver, stomach, brain, lung etc? Just liver Can you help me? I put the cut up chicken wing in the soup and they ate the soup and not the chicken wing. I warmed it up and put salmon oil on it.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 16, 2013 19:19:35 GMT -5
Little brats... sadly they'll do that sometimes, eat around it. Are you able to try leaving them with just the pieces at their next meal time to see if they'll try them then when they're hungry again if there's no soup (but it smells like the soup, so they might try it) ? Alternatively you can try cutting it into even smaller pieces if possible, but that might not be possible and it might still not work. You could also try feeding them little pieces out of your hands. Most ferrets act like something in a person's hand is the greatest treat in the world. Have you found any other kind of organ locally? Ideally you'll want one more in their diet. Kidney is usually not too hard to source, some of the more exotic things can be though.
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Post by thelifeofmyferrets on Oct 17, 2013 7:06:39 GMT -5
Thank you, I'll try that and I'll look for other organs.
I'll let you know how it goes.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 17, 2013 19:55:00 GMT -5
Ok. If you're having problems looking for things let me know, I can always help you browse around on google and see what I can come up with.
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Post by thelifeofmyferrets on Oct 18, 2013 6:51:41 GMT -5
Question.
If I add the kidney should I grind it up with everything else?
I think I found pork kidney but I'll go the store to see if they have it.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 18, 2013 20:44:48 GMT -5
Well if they'll eat it by itself, then no need to, but they probably won't at first, so grinding it up with everything else will probably be required for a bit. Pork kidney is fine.
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Post by thelifeofmyferrets on Oct 21, 2013 7:51:58 GMT -5
I have some good news! This weekend, I went to the ethnic market and was in heaven. They had so many cuts of meat that I wanted to try. I found pork kidney and my mom got grossed out and said she wanted to go back to kibble. So she went home and looked up which was the best kibble. She ended up on the ferret- world website and the best food for ferrets was RAW. She started reading about the diet. She is stubborn and won't listen to me but if she reads the same thing I've been telling her then she understands. I am so excited and she is going to buy a separate freezer.
I am going to try them on a little bigger than soup grind, I guess it is slivers but I want it a little bigger.
so chicken breast, chicken heart, chicken liver, pork kidney, eggshells
I haven't found marrow around anywhere.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 21, 2013 20:43:04 GMT -5
That's ok, marrow is optional, just good to have. Glad to hear you found a good market. The only place I can find anything for the ferrets is my asian market. They have frozen dressed quail 6 for $10. They're so iddy biddy and adorable, and the ferts LOVE them! Take your time, don't stress out and push the ferrets too hard if they're being stubborn, work at it gradually. They can -and probably will at some point- backslide in their progress, it happens. It sucks, but you can work through it. Start with small chunks dipped in soup or topped with treats and see how it goes.
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Post by thelifeofmyferrets on Oct 22, 2013 7:02:14 GMT -5
I woke up this morning to see this they ate it. They ate everything except the kidney! I put a lot of salmon oil and warmed it to see if they will eat if for today.
I'm so happy they ate the small chunks. Pretty soon it will mean less time preparing for a weeks time.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 23, 2013 6:46:58 GMT -5
That's great to hear! Indeed, once you get them all willing to eat chunks and bone life will be a lot easier. You'll be able to buy a bunch of meat and break it down and bag it up and fill up a freezer and be set for weeks or even months at a time. Then all you'll have to do is thaw it ahead of time and feed it.
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Post by thelifeofmyferrets on Oct 23, 2013 11:47:11 GMT -5
Do you have any tips for them to eat the kidney? I warmed it up and did salmon oil. I hand feed pieces but it seems like they won't eat it on their own.
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Post by thelifeofmyferrets on Oct 23, 2013 11:53:19 GMT -5
hmm nvm I stand corrected. I guess not eating the kidney made them hungry for anything this morning and caught Lucy in the cage eating the kidney. I can't get Charlie or Tilly to eat the pieces or organs, they'll eat the organs ground up but not as small chunks. Help or maybe they are eating them when I'm not watching?
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