Neamhain- Will she learn from the others?

[Awaiting Abyss]

Neamhain took to ground meat immediately, which is much better than I expected.

She also likes raw egg.

However, she won't touch organs. I also gave her a hopper mouse and discovered she has no hunting instinct. Hunting is how I got my other girls to realize mice are prey.

Since Neamhain is 4 months old, will she learn by watching the others or should I try other ways of getting her to eat whole prey?

[msav]

It is quite possible, Mogwai is 5 months and he eventually stated eating raw meat one day after seeing Tazz and Bleu eating it. I started him with game hen wings, he would chew off the tips. I just put him in with Tazz and Bleu. they do not have kibble and he eventually got hungry enough to eat the meat that i put in with them. He is for 3 days is officially off of kibble.


Bleu took to frozen large mice right away, For Tazz I had to soak the mouse in chicken juice first, then he ate it. I have not given Mogwai one yet. I will soon though.

[Deleted]

Sometimes it's the smell or texture that is unfamiliar. Try cutting it up first into smaller chunks, or putting it with something she does eat.

[goingpostal]

What type of organs have you tried? Mine love liver, but a lot of ferrets do not. Some people mush it up and mix into other meats or into a soup but you can also try different types of liver, chopping it smaller, put a little fish oil on it if she likes that. Watching other ferrets eat can train resistant ones but it can take awhile to get them eating it well.

[Awaiting Abyss]

I've tried chicken heart, gizzard and liver. Its the only thing I have access to at the moment since I haven't gone by an actual meat market.

[goingpostal]

Heart and gizzard are muscle meats, it may just take time, those are some of my crews favorite meals. Liver, kidney, spleen, brain, testes all count as organ.

[Awaiting Abyss]

I'm really only concerned with her accepting whole prey, since eventually I'm going to stop with the raw and just feed prey.

She showed interest in the mouse Macha had last night.

[Deleted]

I think she will watch her Sister Goddesses and learn from them. Sometimes, it takes figuring out how they prefer their dinner. Would she like it dipped in raw egg?  Would she like it with a little oil? Does she prefer warm water on it? Would she like some chicken juice on it? Try slicing it open and put the oil or water in it. But mostly, I think she will learn from her big sisters.

[Awaiting Abyss]

Good ideas. I didn't think about dipping it in egg. I'll give those a try if interest doesn't spark on its own soon.

[Sherry]

Something else to keep in mind, as you say you are planning on JUST whole prey.
What happens if the place you order from runs out, or changes THEIR supplier?
At least by keeping a couple of grocery store meats in you won't wind up with a ferret refusing everything.

[Awaiting Abyss]

I don't order. I breed my own mice and gerbils, and once my baby rats get a bit older I'll breed rats too. I also know someone in my town who breeds meat rabbits.

I may not knock out grocery meats completely, but I'd like to at least reduce it to a few meals a week.

[Deleted]

It's not a bad idea to introduce something easy into their menu plan. If they have to stay overnight at a vet, or if someone has to babysit, or any kind of emergency situation, it will be easier leaving them and getting someone to accept taking care of them, if there is a "normal" meal plan.

[msav]

Most vets will refuse to feed live. Some will feed deceased if you Co2 them or some other humane way.

there are some that will not feed whole prey at all.

[Sherry]

Or like with my vet they won't allow raw at all, so we have to use freeze dried.