Okay, Wish me Luck!
I'm going to pull a Xio and give you extra Q's just to make sure that *I* have covered everything with you since I'm going to be sending you off to mentor.
1.) What are some good emergency taurine sources if you run out of heart?
Taurine powder can be used. The dosage would be 500mg per day for each ferret.
Dried hearts could also be used.
Tongue is high in taurine.
2.) Does freezing degrade taurine?
No, it does not. We even have a thread on this:
holisticferret60.proboards.com/thread/13653/taurine-degrade-when-frozenHeat, however does.
3.) How can you tell if your ferret is getting too much or too little bone?
From their poops. Too much and the poop is too firm. Too little and the poop is too soft.
4.) What counts as a "different protein source?"
This question was one, that I did not remember ever reading any info on. I would think that insects, like mealworms, grubs and crickets would count. Plant based proteins would not be good, so would not be considered. So, I'm going with insects. I would think that "different" could also apply to protein powder, but that wouldn't be a ferret food and what would you incorporate the powder into.
Final answer: Insects
5.) Organs should consist of approximately how much liver, and how much "other" organ?
In the soup recipe, you would use 2oz of liver to 1oz of hearts.
In their weekly menu plan, you are looking for 2oz of liver and 2oz of the "other organ,
which should balance out to the 10% of their weekly menu having organs not including a meal and a half of heart (counting as muscle meat).
6.) Is it a good idea to mix muscle meat, bone in and organs all in one meal. Explain why.
This question confuses me, because our soupie recipe is all one meal. However, since our weekly menu plan offers a higher percentage of bone in at 7-9 meals, to 3-4 meals of muscle meat, I will assume that the questions means mixing MM/BI/Organs each meal and every meal. So, my final answer is No, because we want a higher percentage of BI to MM to Organs.
7.) How can you tell if your ferret is too skinny?
You should be able to feel their ribs, but not see their ribs. If you hold them up, and let them dangle, a raw fed ferret will hang straight down. There should not be a "waistline".
8.) How long does each type of meat generally stay good: raw soup, ground meat, med-large chunks, bone-in meats, whole prey?
Raw soup/commercial grinds and ground meat: good for approx: 6-8 hours
chunks of muscle: up to 12 hours. Mine like them nice and crunchy, Eww..
Bone in and Whole prey can be left up to 24 hours.
9.) Are gizzards a muscle meat, or an organ?
Gizzards are a Muscle meat and my four little guys, very favorite meal.
10.) Is dark or white meat a better purchase choice?
Dark meat has more taurine and is a better choice.
Balanced Weekly Menu:
Monday:
a.m. Quail bone in
p.m. beef puree w/egg Muscle meat
Tues:
a.m. CGH bone in
p.m. pork loin muscle meat
Wed:
a.m. turkey wings bone in
p.m. hearts muscle meat
Thurs:
a.m. chicken wings bone in
p.m. Organs organ
half liver/half kidney,brains etc.
Fri:
a.m. chicken wings bone in
p.m. chicken wings bone in
Sat:
a.m. CGH bone in
p.m. gizzards muscle meat
Sun:
a.m. organ soup organ
liver
other organ
hearts
p.m. wings bone in
Well, I'm finished. I love to study, but, hate tests (always overthink them).