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Post by Deleted on Dec 10, 2014 22:50:31 GMT -5
I started my switch on November 3, so this week marks 6th week. I've been following Desiree's thread, and I am so inspired!! So I decided to go public on my self-switch log until I can get a mentor. Here I come! 12/10 Leela-762g AM: 1 oz. Stella & Chewy's Tummy Ticklin' Turkey (TTT) Day: Free access to kibble. Consumption amount unknown. PM: 1.1 oz. Stella & Chewy's Duck Duck Goose (DDG) Flexie-938g AM: just a little taste of DDG. She is a picky eater, and I'm trying to get her to get accustomed to the taste and texture of FDR for now. Today was day 2 of her actually licking it. She was refusing to even open her mouth for a long time. Day: Free access to kibble. PM: a little taste of DDG. Mitch-1920g AM: a few pieces of quartered Chicken heart, 1.6 oz of raw soupie (HF recipe) PM: 2.6 oz soupie, 1 pump salmon oil for treat Mango-1747g AM-Chicken wing (did not weigh, not sure how much he ate) PM-Chicken wing (This was two bone-in meal day. I am planning on changing my overuse of chicken wing. I just bought a cornish hen two-pack. As soon as it thaws, I will cut it up and alternate chicken wing and CH on bone-in day. Still looking for more good bone-in sources.) Soupie recipe I use 8oz chicken thigh 1oz chicken liver 1oz chicken or pork hearts 1/2 tsp bone meal powder (below) Mango's weekly menu: Sun AM: Edible bone-in meat Sun PM: Edible bone-in meat Mon AM: Edible bone-in meat Mon PM: ½ Hearts + (½ liver, ½ other organ) Tue AM: Edible bone-in meat Tue PM: Muscle meat Wed AM: Edible bone-in meat Wed PM: Edible bone-in meat Thur AM: Edible bone-in meat Thur PM: Hearts Fri AM: Edible bone-in meat Fri PM: (½ liver, ½ other organ) Sat AM: Edible bone-in meat Sat PM: Muscle meat 9- Edible bone-in meat 1.5 - Hearts 2- Muscle meat 1.5- organ -------------------------------- = 14 meals
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Post by Desiree on Dec 10, 2014 23:02:42 GMT -5
If you can find an Asian market, it is going to be your best friend. Great stuff, amazing organ finds. Turkey wings may be another good choice for you as well. Lots of poultry but it's hard to avoid.
Your babies are gorgeous! You've already switched over one it seems, the rest will follow! Mine are coming along slowly but surely.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 10, 2014 23:09:18 GMT -5
Good job so far! We like to try and get 3-4 muscle meat meals (and 7-9 Bone-In), so that's a thought, wouldn't hurt to add one more or so, but it can depend on your ferrets poops too.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 10, 2014 23:19:18 GMT -5
Thanks, Desiree! They are my cuties. There are four Asian markets within 15 minutes of where I live. The one I usually go to doesn't have "exotic" organs other than the same old liver and kidney. Although they do have intestines.... I've heard most ferrets don't go for GI tract. Should I try anyway? I have to check out other ones in town! I have a hard time cutting up turkey wings. The bones seem too thick. Any tips?
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Post by Deleted on Dec 10, 2014 23:23:22 GMT -5
Good job so far! We like to try and get 3-4 muscle meat meals (and 7-9 Bone-In), so that's a thought, wouldn't hurt to add one more or so, but it can depend on your ferrets poops too. Thanks for the input! Ok, I will add one more muscle meal and see how he likes it. Actually, I think he looks forward to the muscle dinners. He can chew muscle meat faster than bone-in meat, so he seems to be thrilled when I hand him some "fast-food."
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Post by raynebc on Dec 11, 2014 0:10:46 GMT -5
To cut turkey wings, you'll probably want a cleaver and a cutting board. Chicken wings take a good amount of force to chop and turkey wings are bigger. For more protein variety, you can see if quail is available. Lots of people seem to find those at Asian markets.
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Post by Desiree on Dec 11, 2014 10:05:32 GMT -5
Kitchen shears might work too on the smaller wings like CGH and Chicken.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 11, 2014 10:15:15 GMT -5
You are off to a very good start. Turkey and Duck wings are tough. I don't use them and they might be hard for your little ones who are new to Bone. I use Duck gizzards and Turkey as a Muscle meat.
Try to find some Quail or Cornish Game Hen, those are much easier bones to begin with.
Your Menu looks great. You understand the basics of their weekly menu. Good Job.
Keep in mind that the average boy eats 3-4 ounces and the average girl eats 2-3 (maybe) ounces. If you leave the kibble out, then they can fill up on it, during the day and may not have much of an appetite. I'm all for leaving food out, maybe you could just measure the kibble and leave out about 8oz. You can also skip the kibble and leave out some hydrated FDR. It stays fresh for alot of hours. When we did FDR (we also used Stella and Chewy's duck duck goose and tummy ticklin turkey), I would leave it out for up to 12 hours. Once it sucked up all the water, I would just add a little more warm water.
Your four all look healthy and are very cute. I noticed that you are using a glass bowl. They may prefer a plate. Your bowl is glass and they can see thru it, but a plate is preferred because it's flatter and doesn't cut off their line of sight. It's a natural instinct to look for predators while they are vulnerable and eating. Even our domestication hasn't changed that. Alot of ferrents use bowls and it doesn't bother their ferrets, but mine started eating better and longer, once I used plates with lips.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 11, 2014 21:04:09 GMT -5
Thanks, raynebc! The Asian market I usually go to gets their shipment on Fridays, so I will go meat hunting tomorrow! I'll check their freezer for quail, too. Thanks, Desiree, I will try using kitchen shears for the cornish hens that are currently thawing in my fridge. I got a "noise complaint" from my neighbor... They sent an apartment manger over. lol I was just chopping chicken wings! Kitchen shears might come in handy for the noise issue too. @poncesmom Thanks! I didn't know about that plates were preferred. I just use the glass bowl for oil treats. I normally use a regular cat food dish, but I will try a plate and see if they like that better. My kibble eater, Flexie doesn't really eat FDR to call it "eating" yet. She is willing to try it, but she doesn't seem to be able to actually eat it. She licks it until the FDR is dry. It's like she's drinking all the liquid out of it, and not eat the meaty part. I'll have to train her to actually eat it. I will measure the amount of kibble too. Also, is there a difference between cornish game hen and cornish hen? The ones I got say "cornish hen."
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Post by Deleted on Dec 11, 2014 21:24:51 GMT -5
12/11
Today did not go well with Mitch. For some reason, he's refusing to eat. I didn't have time to hand-feed him in the morning, so I left Mypetcarnivore ground lamb in his bowl only to find out that he hadn't touched it all day. I threw that away, and I warmed up some soupie for him in a warm water bath. He is still refusing to eat! What in the world? It's been 24 hours since he ate. Initially, I thought the reason why he didn't eat was because he didn't like the food. It contains tripe, and I know ferrets aren't too crazy for them. But he should have eaten soupie. I know he likes it and he would eat it! He ate what was left in Leela's bowl (3 oz. of FDR) and he went to sleep. I will try again before I go to bed, and if he still doesn't eat, I will put some Ziwipeak lamb in his bowl over night, see if he will eat that. Ziwipeak lamb is one of his favorite "junk food."
Leela AM: 0.5 oz FDR (S&C DDG) Day: free access to kibble PM: 0.9 oz FDR (S&C TTT)
Flexie AM: - Day:kibble PM: taste of TTT, she is trying to lick (drink) the liquid out of the food. Not actually eating or chewing.
Mitch AM: nothing PM: almost nothing (3 oz. of FDR)
Mango AM: Chicken wing (did not record amount) PM: 1.5 oz Pork (stew meat)
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Post by Desiree on Dec 11, 2014 21:49:46 GMT -5
Ah, they always like to be a pain huh? I'm sorry Mitch was giving you such a hard time.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 11, 2014 22:00:40 GMT -5
I was telling my co-workers about my ferrets, and they told me that I was making it more difficult than it should be... Put some dry food in their bowl and be done with it! Maybe so. If I wanted to put them in a small cage all day and refill their food and water, like I would with hamsters, that's my choice. But I want to do what's best for them. Watching my ferrets eat good food gives me such a joy, but when they don't eat, it's a HUGE stress. It's been an emotional roller coaster for me all day.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 11, 2014 22:41:22 GMT -5
Update on Mitch
I chased him around with some Stella & Chewy's FDR with a spoon full of soupie mixed in, and he ate it. Apparently he didn't feel like eating soup today... Whew! He got me really worried! Later I found him carrying around an old piece of chicken wing that Mango stashed (who knows how old). I took it away and gave him some more FDR & soupie mix.
After all, he ate 2 oz. of that.
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Post by Desiree on Dec 11, 2014 23:06:46 GMT -5
Depending on the state of the chicken, it's okay to let him have it. If it doesn't smell bad, have slime or mold, it should be fine. Ferrets don't typically eat rotting or nasty food. I let my ferrets stash and keep their stash. Both of them, now, love their jerkified pieces of chicken. Basically the chicken has just dried up into dry crunchy pieces. It's safe for them to eat and apparently very tasty.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 11, 2014 23:45:48 GMT -5
Depending on the state of the chicken, it's okay to let him have it. If it doesn't smell bad, have slime or mold, it should be fine. Ferrets don't typically eat rotting or nasty food. I let my ferrets stash and keep their stash. Both of them, now, love their jerkified pieces of chicken. Basically the chicken has just dried up into dry crunchy pieces. It's safe for them to eat and apparently very tasty. Oh! I can do that? I actually found a stash of different meat pieces behind the TV today. I was going to clean it up, but I might let them keep them then. Is it just chicken, or any type of meat can be safely air-dried?
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