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Post by Deleted on Sept 11, 2014 18:02:11 GMT -5
I will look at the menu tonight. If a meal has been out the X amount of hours it can be then freezing it again isn't really an option unfortunately. I just leave it out until next meal (or longer if it is bigger pieces and I can, this also gives them less of a choice so they MAY eat it after all) Organs are harder to get them to eat, you may have to back track and do a soupy with just one and make bigger pieces. What EXACTLY (organ type and animal) are they NOT eating vs ARE eating? Sorry I am writing this in a hurry, about to leave for home
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Post by Deleted on Sept 12, 2014 7:29:05 GMT -5
Annbelle snubbed liver and brains yesterday, somewhat. i had to finger feed her. but, i left remaining in a teaspoon, and about 4am (Hubbie and i get up early---seniors we r) i heard it clanking,and she had eaten little more.
Also, they r acting like they r wanting something else(sniff and look up at me) so, i am putting a little variety down-----dont know if that is ok?
For instance, this morn I put some heart,some boney,and some gizzard.Abbey still refusing heart--will buy tyson brand this weekend. She refused thigh soupie. it was frozen when i put it down the other night and n morning i checked it --untouched.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 12, 2014 16:42:14 GMT -5
Typically, it's best to not mix things, that is if you expect an allergy. Right now, not a big deal. However, we do want them eating all these things individually. They best way to do that is to find something they DO like and do a 90/10 (good/bad) and slowly increase the 'bad' until they are eating it. It might be the brand too, who knows! haha Warm water and finger feeding is always something they like. Also, just to let you know, I am going camping this weekend and MIGHT be off the radar for a day and a half or so. We are leaving here in a couple hours and will be back Sunday. I sometimes have service in the place we are going though and will hop on if I can. Please PM Sherry or Heather if you have any emergency questions and other mentors will be popping on to check here and there for me. Have a great weekend!
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Post by Deleted on Sept 14, 2014 9:20:48 GMT -5
Annabelle went to town today on organs, I put a little more brains in than liver. Because i add water and blend in magic bullet. I like to give them something to chew on about an hour later---gizzards or boney meat.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 14, 2014 15:49:23 GMT -5
1. Ferret's name:abbey;annabelle 2. Ferret's weight: 3. Ferret has eaten "X" amount on average per meal. 4. Stools on various proteins. 5. Activity levels: 6. Weekly menu Sept 15-21
Mon AM: Annabelle ate hearts M Abbey refused hearts(gave quail,so abbey would have something to eat) BI PM: Abbey ate Tyson hearts(go figure)Cornish hen breast M Tue AM: Chicken thigh M PM: Chick wing BI Wed AM: Cornish thigh BI PM: Cornish drummette BI Thur AM: sm piece of duck leg with meat and duck stock BI I cut bone vertically PM: Pork brains and liver O Fri AM: cornish BI PM: quail BI Sat AM: heart H annabelle PM: Quail BI Sun AM: hearts and (egg yolk shared abbey and annabelle) a little rabbit pieces and cornish thigh M PM: cgh BIRead more: holisticferret60.proboards.com/thread/16051/abbeytheferret6s-switching-thread-abbylee22#ixzz3DKE5hXpa
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Post by Deleted on Sept 16, 2014 6:41:02 GMT -5
Was going to try to make chicken thigh a bone in but when i smashed bones, they were so splintery, that i just could not bring my self to feed bones to them. (Tues morn)
I guess rabbit is considered a muscle?
I put out quail pieces for lunch to counteract too much muscle tues afternoon
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Post by Deleted on Sept 16, 2014 23:12:36 GMT -5
Ugh I had written this long post at work today and apparently it didn't get posted.... I was just checking in before bed and don't feel like writing it again at the moment, but I will tomorrow. Darn cyber web eating up all our good information.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 17, 2014 7:18:21 GMT -5
Do not know how to feed duck as bone in. The bones are kind of big except tip of wing-----don't u think?
also there r some long white sinews---if that gets hung in throat that would b real bad.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 17, 2014 9:38:05 GMT -5
Ok, let's try this again! Annabelle went to town today on organs, I put a little more brains in than liver. Because i add water and blend in magic bullet. I like to give them something to chew on about an hour later---gizzards or boney meat.Soups are a great way to get them to eat new things (by using the soup of something they like as gravy over something they don't like as well) and also it is good to make sure they are used to eating soups in case you get a sicky, but it is also important to get them eating large chunks for their teeth health. It seems you are also doing this, but just an FYI. Soups, because of the extra water, can also make poops very loose. So be careful with that also and either feed a nice BI meal with it or even better sprinkle eggshell in it to firm up the stools. As I am sure you know, an animal with loose stools for too long can get dehydrated. Gotta love those magic bullets! Mon AM: Annabelle ate hearts M Abbey refused hearts(gave quail,so abbey would have something to eat)BI PM: Abbey ate Tyson hearts(go figure)Cornish hen breast M Tue AM: Chicken thigh M PM: Chick wing BI Wed AM: Cornish thigh BI PM: Cornish drummette BI Thur AM: Pork brains and liver O PM: Cornish back BI Fri AM: Hamburger M PM: Quail BI Sat AM: Chick Wing BI PM: Pork brains and liver O Sun AM: Quail BI PM: Cornish drummette BISo, just to summarize: Abbey Annabelle BI Meals: 9 8 MM Meals: 2 3 Heart: 1 1 Liver: 1 1 (two 1/2 meals) Organ: 1 1 (two 1/2 meals) This is VERY close to being balanced (and it's hard at first because you get situations like picky Abbey lol) but just to point a few things out. The menu should consist of 7-9 BI, 2-4 MM, 1 1/2 Heart (I personally don't consider heart a MM, I find it becomes confusing so I like to make it it's 'own' category), and 1 1/2 organ (and HALF of this should be liver). So, in your menu you are a little short on heart and a little heavy on liver. The liver can get confusing, especially on that heart, liver, AND organ day. If you look back on the example menu, one day (to get your 1/2 heart and organ/liver in) you will have HALF the meal heart and basically 1/4 liver and 1/4 organ. This is why knowing ABOUT how much they eat is helpful. If you know the ferret eats about 4 oz a meal you would give 2 oz heart, 1 oz liver and 1 oz organ on this meal. Another thing I will point out on this menu is Annabelle likely had runny poops on Mon/Tue because you fed her hearts on Mon AM and then a MM both the PM and Tue AM meal. It is best practice to try and feed a BI meal AFTER your heart, liver, and/or organ meals to firm up loose stools. Again, not the end of the world and it looks like she has lived to rue another day, but it makes for less mess in the litter box also! Just think of it this way, as a general rule I ALWAYS feed a BI meal A DAY. Either in AM or PM, honestly depending on the poops. I usually scoop and assess the situation and then feed the BI if stools are looser or a 'other than BI' when they look ok. If they are like ROCKS then I will certainly feed the non-BI meal and maybe even look again before I feed the PM meal and possibly do like a MM in the PM if poops are still a little too firm. Was going to try to make chicken thigh a bone in but when i smashed bones, they were so splintery, that i just could not bring my self to feed bones to them. (Tues morn)
I agree that sometimes bones appear to be 'splintered' when we smash them up. I feel like it is almost best NOT to sometimes, for that reason. But at the beginning we are smashing them to get the used to the taste and allow their jaw muscles to firm up. SO, if you feel they are too splintery, then smash them a bit more. I can tell you that they are very unlikely to choke or have issues with splinters. Their little digestive tract is make to break down bones and their teeth are strong enough to break through and crunch them up to easily swallow them. I talked about NOT smashing them because honestly, the bigger the piece the more they have to chew and less likely to eat too fast and swallow pieces that cause them to choke. It is when you cook them that it causes them to harden and splinter in such a way that a ferret’s digestive system can no longer handle them. I guess rabbit is considered a muscle?
Yes, IF there are no bones small enough for a ferret to eat. I had ordered rabbit chunks once from Hare Today and thought the same thing, they must be MM, BUT some of it had bones like the ribs and spine that were small enough for my guys to eat. I can imagine that a thigh bone would likely be a bit too big, but if you smash it up then they might be able to have a go at it. Anything can be considered a MM if there is no bone content. On the flip side you could feed ground beef and add eggshell to it and it would be considered a BI meal because it has the added calcium. I put out quail pieces for lunch to counteract too much muscle tues afternoonThis was a good move! (see what I said about menu) Do not know how to feed duck as bone in. The bones are kind of big except tip of wing-----don't u think?
I actually cut up a whole duck last night! Head, feet and all--no organs though I feed most of it as BI. The thigh bones, for my guys, are not even an issue. They especially like the head Yours might not have the jaw strength yet to eat them, but this is where you can break them up and let them go to town on the inside yummy marrow. also there r some long white sinews---if that gets hung in throat that would b real bad. Luckily, most ferrets are good about chewing. Unless you have a little one that eats a million miles and hour and doesn't chew properly, then things getting caught in throat are not an issue. It is not unheard of to have one choke, but the faster you get your wee ones to BIGGER pieces the less likely this is going to be.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 17, 2014 10:11:20 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Sept 17, 2014 11:02:53 GMT -5
where did u get a duck like that---with feet and head?
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Post by Deleted on Sept 17, 2014 13:23:12 GMT -5
Is that the crushed bone I'm guessing? It looks like mince to me :0)
I get it at an Asian market. I actually found chicken like that too. SCORE! haha
They even sold JUST duck heads in the area you can get meat by the lb
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Post by Deleted on Sept 18, 2014 13:45:29 GMT -5
That is crushed bone--gave to puppy. I did find that i could cut bones vertically with knife and hammer. I am going to get rid of knuckles because they break off easily when bone is cut like that. Abbey had a large bead size piece in her mouth. I took it away from her.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 20, 2014 6:34:57 GMT -5
I think next mush I make of liver and brains, I will include eggshells because they have diarrhea for at least two potty times apiece.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 20, 2014 14:45:12 GMT -5
In general adding eggshell to soupies is a good idea. With the extra water content their poops are going to runnier than with just the organs.
It sounds like their both doing really well. How is the bigger bone chunks going?
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