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Post by goingpostal on Jan 5, 2014 19:49:27 GMT -5
To increase chunk size just mix in some bigger chunks with the smaller ones. You can try putting out bigger chunks for the ones you think would eat it too. For the EVOO, how much are you adding? What happens if you offer some non oiled on your finger to her or put a little in her mouth so she'll taste it? I feed a raw soup 2x a day before meds and switch up the protein sources all the time, sometimes it takes a little reintro to get my kids to eat a new batch.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 6, 2014 16:44:08 GMT -5
The EVOO (and Salmon oil)I use a thing that's made for human babies to get meds. It's got a nipple on the end and use 4-6 drips on a good size tablespoon. Last night I mushed up her chunks and held her on my lap and she did real good with eating. I'm going to try the mushed up stuff tonight with her that doesn't have EVOO in and see how that goes. George and Lulu are on meds 3x a day and 2 of the times are when they are in bed. If they want food they get it but most of the time they go right back to sleep and I get the evil eye for waking them.. I had wanted to keep the feeding time to 2x a day but when I get "that look" from them, "mama I'm hungry", they get some. They are eating the little pieces of beef I have been sneaking in. I'm not sure how to go about that with Emmett cause he is eating big chunks. Can I offer him just soupies with the beef in like the others.
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Post by goingpostal on Jan 7, 2014 19:11:57 GMT -5
What I did was put soup and chunks in the same bowl but not mixed, some chunks mixed for the ones who will only eat it that way but also some lone small chunks for those who would eat it. You should also maybe try mixing in some turkey, most transition really easy from chicken to turkey. Beef is a stronger flavor but mine love it.
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Post by Sherry on Jan 8, 2014 10:20:14 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Jan 8, 2014 16:42:56 GMT -5
Well well well, guess I am a dunce and never saw that..... Sorry guys. Thanks Sherry I kept watching this thread.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 8, 2014 16:59:13 GMT -5
Well Hi there!! My real name is Jody. I am so sorry that I didn't see you are my mentor till today when Sherry sent a message. Now I really feel like a dope.
Thank you so much for being my mentor and taking me/us on. 7 can be challenging, specially since I need to keep them in 2 different groups. The girls from the 1st group do not like the 2nd group.
I have all the things I need and yes they are all on the soft diet yet.
Again I apologize for not seeing your message earlier.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 8, 2014 17:40:18 GMT -5
I will have to pick up some turkey on Friday. The only turkey meat I got is gizzards. So far they seem to be eating the little beef pieces. I have started cutting Lulu's food really small and she had been eating that better. Yesterday I had about 2 teaspoons on her plate which she wouldn't till I put 2-3 drips of EVOO on, but I think if I put less on her plate and keep adding the the food as she is eating, that will get her off the EVOO. I have even thought of putting plain water in the thing and dripping it on to see if she will think that it is EVOO and eat.
The rest are eating the food with the little beef chunks in it but I will try it not mixed now like you said.
We are having a big problem with Coco, Emmett and a little bit with Mikah (these 3 are group 2). They hide their food or try to. So I have been feeding them in their cage. Mikah will eat outside of the cage pretty good BUT them boys aren't. We have 2 boxes that they can eat in but don't, Emmett just stashes his food in there and Coco, well he ate in it maybe 2x. First they were doing good, but I guess cause I feed them in the cage they aren't hungry when they get out. Should I just stop letting them have food in there so they learn to eat at set times? I leave food in the cage for them so when they are hungry they can eat.
Sorry this turned out to be long, but I am so happy (dance) I got a mentor now!!! I hope you have the patience for all my questions I will be asking. AND don't hesitate to tell me to slow down or anything else. I sometimes try to move along with things to fast. Okay? Thanks again helping us.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 9, 2014 20:07:55 GMT -5
As hard at it was, I didn't give them food in the cage till it was time to get out, and they all ate. So that is solved. Lulu and her Evoo- she got 2 drips and ate plus the stuff I put on her plate without it. I think I need to stop caving in and letting them get their way.
The little beef pieces alone didn't go over so good. George ate some, he is doing so good seeing how he is 6 1/2 (closer to 7) and a kibble eater his whole life. The rest are doing good. I have been giving Emmett some of the soup with the smaller chunk so he gets the crushed egg shells too. Little by little I will add more beef. As for the chunk size, I have been cutting bigger ones and mixing them with the little ones.
Is there anything you want me to post as far as pictures or anything and how often? I don't measure the amount of food they eat. I have been eyeballing it and keep track that way. Usually Mondays I have been weighing them, but have have a question about that. Should I weigh them before they eat or after they are done?
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Post by goingpostal on Jan 9, 2014 22:21:05 GMT -5
A picture of the chunk size would be good, bonus if they are eating it. Usually what you can try, once they are eating something well, be in the chunks in soup or the evoo dripped over and you want to wean off you have a couple options. Wait until they are hungry to offer, once they are on a schedule for eating it's easier and then just keep adding less and less evoo or soup mix or just water it down a bit. Stashing is hard, they all want to do it but it often means they aren't hungry, saving it for later so I would say offer less more often then more at once. I would weigh them pre eating personally but doesn't matter too much.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 11, 2014 18:47:48 GMT -5
Here I go with my questions. I have a container that is ground heart, tongue and liver that is beef and another that is ground pork liver and tongue, but I have NO idea the percentages of the meats in them. Can I give that to the fertkids when they are ready for different meats. It all organic. Do you want me to post all the pictures at the same time? That is a lot of pictures.... I finally did get one of Coco eating instead of taking off with the dish, lol.
I bought some ground turkey for these guys too and not sure how to give it to them. Should I mix it with the chicken or alone with soupies on? How much of this do I give at the start? (I know how to switch dogs and cats, not to raw, and they need time to adjust.)
I also have a bunch of frozen wing tips. How do I know when the bones are smashed small enough or am I trying to move to fast again? To tell you the truth on the wing tips, I am scared to death to try them for fear one of the kids will choke or something. That is gonna be the scarey part of this, when we get to the bones...
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Post by goingpostal on Jan 11, 2014 20:37:37 GMT -5
Well keep in mind it's balance over time, for the grinds I would assume they are probably only 1/4 organ or so, unless they look really slimy/gooey. You would be able to tell if they were really high in liver content, tongue and heart count as muscle. You can definitely give that to introduce a different protein, just add some eggshell. Expect dark and kind of tarry poops though.
Ground turkey you could do either alone or with the chicken, mixed with the chicken first would probably be a safer bet but if they'll eat it straight go for it. Ferrets don't seem too bothered by new proteins like dogs can be when new to raw. You will see really weird stool if it's something they have an intolerance to. My male that passed last spring couldn't eat pork without funky poo, loved the stuff but every time weird poo because it didn't agree with his system. So I stopped feeding it to him.
Bones, are your wing tips just the very end part? If so give under supervision, I feel like the smaller pieces are more of a choking hazard. For smashing you are really trying to expose the marrow and entice them a little, leave most of the chewing up to them. Mine are very hit or miss on wings, sometimes they eat almost all of them, sometimes they refuse to touch them. Do you have any access to whole chickens or game hens? The breast bone/ribs of either make really nice soft bones if you want to start smaller.
You were feeding some gizzards right? Chicken or turkey? Those are good for working jaws, I leave chicken ones intact but usually chop turkey ones up into 2-3 parts.
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Post by goingpostal on Jan 11, 2014 20:38:14 GMT -5
If you just want to post a pic of one eating and one that shows the chunk size that is fine.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 12, 2014 19:02:02 GMT -5
They had been getting chicken gizzard chopped up. Emmett had been getting bigger pieces. They haven’t got any turkey ones yet, but I do have them too. I haven’t been giving them any for a while cause I Was trying to get them to eat beef. But I will start again. Thought maybe they were getting to much chicken and not enough other proteins. The ground turkey went over good with some and okay with others. I was surprised. I did give them chopped up gizzards and skipped the beef tonight. I think I will switch off with that everyday. Is it okay to use chick thigh meat in the soup? I was told that has more taurine in then the breast. Should I cut back on the heart then? Also gonna cut back on the liver, cause of how some of the poops look. Tomorrow I will post the pictures, it's getting close to the time them kids get to run and I am so slow with getting the pictures up.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 13, 2014 16:48:21 GMT -5
Top left, that is Emmetts. Top right, about the size the rest are eating. Bottom left, Lulu's, I have started cutting hers bigger. Bottom right, the beef pieces I have been sneaking in.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 13, 2014 17:02:35 GMT -5
Coco Emmett Mikah George Miko Lulu Penelope George gets his food in the bowl with a little Arch 1 on top. The other plate is for Miko and Penelope. Mikah and Coco get smaller portions at a time or they just lick the soupies off and don't eat the rest. Lulu get her own plate cause she needs EVOO on her food. Should I NOT put EVOO on the new meats for Lulu? Otherwise I will end up with the same thing, she won't eat it with out the EVOO, right?
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