|
Post by Deleted on Jul 22, 2014 3:14:36 GMT -5
Puck started his switch with a small sliver of pheasant while I was cooking one day... And I decided to start the switch! I gave hims fun pheasant and chicken soupies, slowly trying out other meats like beef, duck, turkey, and pork. His love for soupies became real and true haha! He hates beef unless it has salmon oil, but that's okay in one meal a week! I gave him small little chunks here and there, by making it a game of Chase and tug of war <3 Soon learning his favorite thing in the world is liver, but he hates not getting it every night! Poor miserable mite, he's so abused haha! Tonight I tried his first bone in meal of a chicken wing! <3 He needed a bit of coaxing (tug of war), and suddenly he was a monster! He had a hard time at first, so I ripped off some chunks. After an hour he wanted to try again, so I put him back in the tub with the left overs, and a heart... He figured it out! He chomped the heck outta his bones, and devoured his heart without a problem! So DANG PROUD! Next phase: Should I try some whole prey, like pinkies? Or should I keep up with the frankenprey? Have I transitioned fully to the frankenprey if I keep the diet as it is? Or is whole prey best?
|
|
|
Post by Thérèse on Jul 22, 2014 6:43:03 GMT -5
Post a menu for the mentors to comment on, they'll be able to tell you whether you need to adjust anything or if his diet is good as is.
|
|
|
Post by gfountain on Jul 22, 2014 9:11:40 GMT -5
Whole prey or frankenprey is completely up to you. If you do whole prey though, it has to be adult prey, not just pinkies. Whichever you do, you need to make up a weekly menu and have someone check it for balance. With whole prey, you need variety variety variety. With frankenprey, besides variety, you need 7-9 bone-in meals, 1 1/2 heart meals, 1 1/2 organ meals (half liver, half other organ), and 2-4 muscle meat meals.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 22, 2014 10:16:31 GMT -5
Here's my Frakenprey menu:
Monday: AM- Chicken wings PM- Chicken back/neck Tuesday: AM- Pheasant ribs and back PM- Heart and Pheasant/Turkey breast Wednesday: AM- Quail or Cornish Game Hen PM- Hearts Thursday: AM- Chicken wings and liver PM- Pork Rib ends (good?) with egg Friday: AM- Turkey/Chicken neck PM- Heart and chicken breast Saturday: AM- 1/2 heart 1/2 gizzards PM- Chicken breast and kidneys Sunday: AM- Quail or Cornish Game Hen PM- Liver and kidney with gizzards
The reason I'm looking at whole prey is I've heard it's better than frakenprey, and thought I might look into it.
|
|
|
Post by gfountain on Jul 22, 2014 10:44:03 GMT -5
That looks good. You have more heart than you need, but that won't hurt anything. It would be good if you could get a red meat in there somewhere. Pork rib ends.. sometimes they can eat the bones, sometimes not. Without those bones, you're a little light on bone-in, so just watch his poops. If they're runny, do an extra bone-in. Whole prey is not necessarily BETTER than frankenprey, just different. Definitely look into it.. always good to know all your options. Some like to do a combination of frankenprey and whole prey.. whatever works for you. Puck's a lucky little guy
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 22, 2014 10:49:42 GMT -5
I'll add some quail if he can't take the pork bones What would you suggest for red meat? He HATES beef. I have to coat any beef I try to get him To eat in salmon oil which I know he should only have in small quantities. Is there a better red meat? Venison I can do in hunting season, and would rabbit be a good red meat? Thanks I give him extra hearts because he loves organs so much (liver being his favorite), and I know he can't have extra secreting organs like his beloved liver. I'm going to wait till I get a mentor to really discuss the whole prey option, but I like the idea of it. Guinea Pigs, rats, rabbit, and all of that would be fun. Kinda like when you have a snake
|
|
|
Post by gfountain on Jul 22, 2014 10:53:22 GMT -5
I wouldn't take out the pork bones entirely.. my kids like to chew on them. But they can't always eat them, so just be aware of that. Red meat besides beef.. bison, lamb, goat, venison. Red meat isn't required, just recommended. Rabbit is a white meat.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 22, 2014 10:55:14 GMT -5
such wonderful news.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 22, 2014 10:57:59 GMT -5
Lamb is a definite go for red meat Thanks for all the advice! I can't wait to see more of his change! He has more energy and is happier now on the raw diet Just need to get through this last hurdle and completely remove kibble from his diet. (He gets it if/when I'm gone for eight-twelve hours at a time)
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 22, 2014 11:01:12 GMT -5
Tried giving mine an adult mouse this morning. I put it under some hot water for a few seconds to generate more smell.She is on soup-- no mentor yet. She did huff it from head to tail before she took off running. Gave it to pups. They liked it.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 22, 2014 11:13:14 GMT -5
Tried giving mine an adult mouse this morning. I put it under some hot water for a few seconds to generate more smell.She is on soup-- no mentor yet. She did huff it from head to tail before she took off running. Gave it to pups. They liked it. Play tug of war with her She'll start getting the idea. That's what I do with Puck
|
|
|
Post by gfountain on Jul 22, 2014 13:33:03 GMT -5
Chunks of meat can be left out safely for 10-12 hours, and bone-in meats 12-24 hours depending on the size, so even if you're gone for 12 hours at a time, he should be fine. If you're worried about the meat spoiling, you can leave him a frozen 'meatsicle'.
|
|
|
Post by gfountain on Jul 22, 2014 13:41:23 GMT -5
If he's eating all that stuff in your menu, he doesn't need the kibble. You need to toss it Agree
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 22, 2014 13:50:08 GMT -5
If he's eating all that stuff in your menu, he doesn't need the kibble. You need to toss it Agree I've read that, and will try it. The frozen meatsicle, I live in Arizona, so the heat worries me even with the A/C on Thanks for all the help
|
|
|
Post by gfountain on Jul 22, 2014 14:09:14 GMT -5
I'm not trying to push you into anything you're not ready for, but think about it for a minute. A chicken wing is bone-in, so good for 12-24 hours. It takes a couple of hours to thaw completely even at 80 degrees, so that gives you a good 14-26 hours. Besides which, raw fed ferrets don't need to eat every 4 hours or so like kibble ferrets. Being young, Puck can easily go 10-12 hours without food if necessary. So either way, he'll be fine. Kibble is just a crutch for YOU; Puck sure doesn't need it, lol.
|
|