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Post by bitbyter on Nov 16, 2014 18:06:20 GMT -5
Please remember to list exactly what they are eating beside the food weights. It just helps me keep things straight.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 17, 2014 10:33:58 GMT -5
Trust that I am here... Ferrets are moving along on eating thigh meat. Weights are good. But. My mom is in hospital with pneumonia and my 93 year old father is staying with my husband and me. Dad has Parkinson's and need constant care. So, I am not going to be able to convo much. I will try at least once a day to give you a short version .
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Post by bitbyter on Nov 17, 2014 11:43:23 GMT -5
Every two days is fine.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 18, 2014 10:14:49 GMT -5
Back on track. Fud amounts evening, last night and this morning (they had buffet of soup for two meals as I didn't have time while caring for dad to separate) Meals consisted of; 1 0z (grizzly gets 1 1/2 oz) whole freeze dried pheasant, whole freeze dried chicken and 1/2 oz of chicken thigh slivers. Water to make it smushed not soupy.
grizzly: 2oz ate 1 3/4, 2oz ate 1 oz, 2 oz ate 2 oz, weight 2lb 15 1/4 oz Snickers: 1 1/2 oz ate 3/4 oz, 1 1/2 oz ate 1 1/4 oz, 1 1/2 oz licked plate clean, weight 2lbs 9 1/2 oz Sidney: 1 1/2 oz ate 1/2 oz hand fed slivers ate a few, 1 1/2 oz ate 1 oz, 1 1/2 oz licked all around thigh meat, grrr. Ate 1 1/8 oz, weight 2 lb 5 1/4 Possum: 1 1/2 oz ate 1 1/4 oz, 1/2 oz ate 1 1/4, 1 1/2 oz licked plate clean, weight 1 lb 13 1/4 oz
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Post by bitbyter on Nov 19, 2014 13:53:05 GMT -5
I don't need how much you gave them to eat (unless you are doing that for your own tracking), just how much they actually ate that meal.
How are things going with them and you and your family?
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Post by Deleted on Nov 20, 2014 10:19:57 GMT -5
Funny you should ask about family! With my Dad staying here...let's just say I am greatful for all the gates we have around the house. I did let them loose a couple of times while dad was seated. He really enjoyed watching them. He was totally amazed at hoe agile, rambunctious, and curious they are. He's an animal lover. He did sit on his walk seat and felt a curious rumbling, snickers had fallen asleep in the bag that sits under the seat. Fun and funny. First weights Grizzly 2 lbs 15 1/4 oz Snicks 2 lbs 9 1/2 Sidney 2 lbs 5 1/4 Pos 1 lb 13 1/4!
Fud Starting 11/18 Grizzly 2 1/4, 1 3/4, 1 3/4, 1, 2 Sid (finally, just today eating chunks of thigh) 1 1/4, 1 1/8, 1, 1, 1 1/2! Snicks 1 1/4, 1 1/4, 1 1/4, 1 1/2 Possum 1, 1/8, 1 1/4, 1, 1 1/2
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Post by Deleted on Nov 21, 2014 8:53:18 GMT -5
Taurine question. Now that all four are eating pinkie size chunks of thigh muscle, I will steadily increase the raw chunks while decreasing the freeze dried meats. As of now, the freeze dried is single animal (switched to pheasant this morning). Should I add some taurine powder on top of their meals? I'm worried I may incur a deficiency as I increase the raw muscle?
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Post by bitbyter on Nov 21, 2014 8:56:15 GMT -5
Deficiencies take a long time to surface (longer than the typical switch). You can if you want but it shouldn't be necessary. Alternatively, you can just start following the menu and trying them on organs as well as solid meats. For bone in days, just break up a chicken wing really well with a hammer or the back of a cleaver and then portion. The smashed bones are usually a good intro to bone in meats. Give it a try and see what happens. A switch is usually two steps forward and one step back off and on so no worries there.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 21, 2014 9:10:44 GMT -5
Just noticed a mistake in my recipe. They have been eating whole freeze dried duck and goose with the thigh meat. This morning they switched to whole freeze dried pheasant and raw chicken thigh meat.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 23, 2014 18:27:07 GMT -5
I ground up some pork this afternoon, for the making of sausage....yum.... and pondered whether this would be a viable ferret meat alternative. Then decided I had better ask before I do something dumb. The gang is getting better and better at eating chunks (half of 'my' pinky size). Possum has no issues, but the boys need some convincing. I have been using my finger to give them the flavor, then let them eat their fill. Generally they eat about half of what I put out before scampering off to play. Of course the leftover stuff has most of the bigger chunks pushed aside. I give them an hour or two to play and then they get some serious hand, spoon feeding with mommy as I coax them to eat the leftovers chunks. They Pretty much clean the plate every time I feed them using this method. Problem is... Now that my parents are both stable, I am heading back to work tomorrow. I'm worried about losing ground. It is a short week, two days and then all of our schools close for 5 days for our national thanksgiving holiday; followed by three weeks of school and the schools close for Christmas. Surely by then they will be eating splendid chunks of meat? Any tips? This week I am alternating one day of ground whole chicken wings mixed with freeze dried Stella and chewys whole chicken for cats and the next day same Stella with chicken thigh meat chunks. Fud for 11/20 - 11/23 Grizzly 2,1 1/2,1 3/4, 1 3/4, 1, 1 3/4 Sidney. 1 1/2, 1, 1 1/2, 1 1/4, 1,1 Snickers 1 1/2, 1, 1 1/4, 2, 1, 1 3/4 Possum. 1 1/2, 1,1, 1 1/2, 1, 1
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Post by bitbyter on Nov 23, 2014 18:50:13 GMT -5
How are their weights? Are they maintaining? I'd expect them to be eating a bit more than that considering it is winter.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 24, 2014 19:02:11 GMT -5
Their weights are all within the same region as I wrote on the 20th. The exception being Grizzly, he topped 3 pounds ! I wish I could get them to eat more. They eat their fill and I hand shovel. Any suggestions? What about the pork?
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Post by Deleted on Nov 27, 2014 10:20:56 GMT -5
11/24/14 menu change- increase size and amount of thigh plus freeze dried whole chicken 50/50 mix raw,to freeze dried. Grizzly 1 , 1 3/4 Sid 1, 3/4 Snickers 1 1/4, 1 Possum, 1, 1
11/25/14 same menu - more resistance Grizzly 1, 1 Sid 3/4, 1 (hand fed) Snickers 1, 1 Possum 1 1/4, 1
11/26/14 reduced the amount of raw and cut it up more, allowed the flavors to mingle overnight, sprinkled Uncle Jim's (favorite treat) on top Bingo! Had to warm the mix up before they would eat also added a third meal Grizzly 2 1/4, 1, 2 Sidney ate 2!, 1 1/2, 1 Snickers 2! 1, 1 1/4 Possum 1 1/4, 1, 1
11/27/14 same menu this morning they all plowed into it without much help. Had to offer a spoon lick to Snickers, he won't eat unless I do this. But he's come a long way from me having to hand feed every bite. Sidney, for some ferrety reason has to sniff his food, run up and down the cage, snif-a-lick at everyone else's, run around, long sniff and finally he settles in. I never know which shelf he will eat on. Such a goof. They all ate about an ounce, except Sidney, he ate all of his 1 1/2 ounce.
I think adding the third feeding is going to be the norm for awhile. I am taking a medical leave of absence from work to care for my parents and depending on how things go I may retire completely. My last day of work will be the 21 of December.
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Post by bitbyter on Nov 28, 2014 9:54:38 GMT -5
Looks like things are moving along well. You might want to start introducing bits of heart or liver soon to get them used to the taste. Funny about Sidney, they all seems to develop their own little quirks and you tend to learn more about them and their personality as individuals when you feed raw. It really is a bonding experience.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 30, 2014 19:29:34 GMT -5
Until tonight they have been eating pretty much the exact same amounts of food. No one eating under or over these last few days. That is until tonight. This morning they all ate their usual 1, 1 1/4, 1 1/2, 1 1/2. But tonight! Holy batman! Grizzly ate 3 oz! Sidney scarfed 1 1/2"oz's down then stuck his face in the serving bowl and ate and ate and ate. He must have eaten close to 3 oz. Snickers ate 2 oz and wee little possum ate 1 1/2 oz; then, she came down to check out Grizzlys plate and ate a few more bites. Yippee! Now they prolly won't eat for 3 days lol.
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