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Post by Deleted on Feb 11, 2015 10:47:34 GMT -5
So this is the story of our transition. About two months ago I started to fed my ferret with meat, it was one meal a day, and for the last 14 days I removed kibble totally and I giving him just raw. He is very picky so I am giving him edible bone in meat (the rabbit/ lamb or beaf) but I need to put warm water and pumpkin oil. Hearts/livers or organs are problem, I need to make soups with warm water and pumpikn oil or he don`t want to eat it.
Our weakly menu looks like this:
Monday Morning: edible bone in meat Evening: edible bone in meat
Tuesday Morning : edible bone in meat Evening: edible bone in meat
wednsday: Morning: edible bone in meat Evening: edible bone in meat
Thursday Morning: edible bone in meat
Evening: edible bone in meat
Friday: Morning: edible bone in meat
Evening: edible bone in meat
Saturday: Morning: edible bone in meat
Evening: rabbit heart and liver
Sunday: Morning: edible bone in meat
Evening: edible bone in meat
When I am at work he have dehydrate rabbit/beaf for snack.
I am new in this and I am afraid that I don`t give him what he needs with this. I ordered bone meal and taurin to add to his food, so I would be thankful if you could give me suggestion what I need to change or add, and how can I learn him to eat bigger peaces of meat and bones.
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Post by RedSky on Feb 11, 2015 11:03:52 GMT -5
Hi, sounds like you are off to a good start. I'm no expert and currently switching my three ferrets with the help on my wonderful mentor. You can sign up for a mentor too if you like, there are a few 'rules' such as you have to have 15 or more posts (but you can fill out an application now), be active (so don't post a few things and disappear for weeks/months) and be 18 or above. There is a waiting list too, but I think the more active you are and ready to go the sooner you get your mentor. I know I jumped a few people who didn't have enough posts or hadn't been on for quite a while.
In terms of getting them to eat bigger bits, you have to start small and work your way up. I chop up all bone in meats, such as duck necks, wings, rabbit, pigeon, pheasant. I started with it chopped up so small it became more of a mush, then slowly increased the size. They are doing better with some meats than others, but will happily eat a whole chick or mouse without a problem and I haven't had any left overs so far. (I feed pre killed, frozen then thawed whole prey).
Most of us feed twice a day with healthy ferrets, some ferrets need feeding a bit more often and most of us also leave food in so they can 'graze' throughout the day. This is thought to be more important with ferrets that have been fed kibble or dry food previously as they would have had access all the time. Don't worry about the meat spoiling, meat takes a while to rot and ferrets have such a short digestive system and can handle the bacteria that comes with eating raw meat. 'Soup' and grinds can be left out 6-8 hours depending on the temperature, and the bigger the piece of meat the longer it will last, upto whole prey which can be left out 24-48 hours. I put in some duck necks last night and took out the leftovers this morning, put in some liver and kidney and tonight I will take any left overs out and put in some wings.
Balancing the diet is the hardest part at first. I imagine that the dehydrated rabbit and beef is just muscle meat. So if your ferret is eating a bone in meal for 1 meal and then has this dehydrated meat the rest of the day he isn't going to get the nutrient he needs. Another disadvantage with the dehydrated meat is that it will leave him being dehydrated. Ferrets are designed to eat raw meat and get most of their water intake from their diet. They don't drink as much as they should and kibble or other dry foods don't help.
Try having a look at other people switching threads and the menus posted in the diet section. He should have a meal and a half of heart and a meal and a half of liver and another organ (I use kidney and pancreas as it is all I can find) and some meals of just muscle meat. We also aim to feed at least 3 different protein sources, such as lamb, duck, rabbit (it is advised to have at least one dark meat such as lamb or beef). I feed as many as I can find, so chicks, mice, duck, rabbit, pigeon, pheasant, rabbit, lamb and pork. I'm going to try them on beef too. Others feed things like frog legs, deer, horse, cornish game hen, guinea pig... what ever they can find.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 11, 2015 11:14:03 GMT -5
I signed for mentoring program, beacuse I really need help I am not home for 9 - 10 hours when I work, and if I leave him a soup in cage when I am gone he don`t want to touch it, he only eats if I fed him with spoon or fingers, beacuse of that I leave him dehydrated , he eats that. He is eating 2 times a day bone in meat , meanwhile he has dehydrated. If I have day off I gave him 3 times a day soup / bone in meat.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 11, 2015 13:01:24 GMT -5
With the Frankenprey menu, you are looking at:
7-9 meals of Bone In meats 3-4 meals of Muscle meat (heart is a muscle meat and you should have one full meal of heart) 1 meal of Liver plus another Organ 1 meal of Liver plus another Organ plus a half meal of Heart
If you look at this menu, you will see that Freddy will only need two soupie meals in a weekly menu. You can plan around your schedule, and give him his organ soup on the days that you are not working, or after you get home at night.
Bone In meats should be the NON WEIGHT BEARING bones of an animal the size of a chicken or smaller. Some choices would be chicken wings, quail, cornish game hen and rabbit. Bones provide Calcium, clean teeth and offer other nutrients.
Muscle meat choices can be: beef, which is high in Iron and Vitamin B. Freddy should have at least one meal a week of red meat. Pork, turkey, duck, goat, are other good choices. Gizzards can build jaw strength and help clean teeth, so they are a good choice for one of the Muscle meat meals.
Heart is considered a Muscle meat. It is high in Taurine, which is essential for a ferret's eyesight, central nervous system and brain function. We consider Heart a Muscle Meat. Ten percent of Freddy's weekly intake should be Heart. You can use chicken hearts, duck hearts, pork heart, beef heart. Any heart is a good choice.
Organs are the secreting organs. Liver, kidney, thymus, pancreas, brain and spleen. Five percent of Freddy's weekly intake should be Liver. Liver can build up in their system. It's high in Vitamin A. So, stick to the percentages and feed it only twice a week. The OTHER organ can be one of those secreting organs that I mentioned above, and should be five percent of his weekly menu.
You want at least three different proteins in Freddy's weekly menu. Each protein provides different nutrients and will help give him a nicely balanced nutrient rich menu.
You're doing well so far. Don't hesitate to ask questions and the Mentors will watch over your switching thread, until you are assigned your own Mentor. :wave2:
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Post by Deleted on Feb 11, 2015 13:45:19 GMT -5
What about daily weight of the soup/meatC/heart/liver/organs ,I made him portion of 45-50g , so he eats 100g a day, sometimes he eat even less than that, and he just don`t want to eat, is that to little for a whole day? He has 1,75kg.
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Post by gfountain on Feb 11, 2015 14:31:14 GMT -5
In the menu posted above, I only see one heart/liver meal. That is not enough. In addition to that mixed meal, he should have another whole heart meal and another whole organ meal for a total of 1.5 meals of heart and 1.5 meals of organ.
100 grams a day is about 3.5 ounces. That is a good amount. Average for an adult male is 3-5 ounces. I'm not sure where in the world you are, but if your seasons are beginning to change, that will affect his appetite. They eat less and drop some weight in the spring.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 11, 2015 14:35:50 GMT -5
I`m in Croatia, Europe. I order taurin and bone meal to add in the meal, until I learn all the amounts of heart/liver/organs, would that be ok?
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Post by Deleted on Feb 11, 2015 15:18:13 GMT -5
what about beaf tongue, is that ok for them?
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Post by dorena261-Natalia on Feb 11, 2015 15:32:03 GMT -5
that's a muscle meat, and it's great replacement for the heart because it has a lot of taurine.
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Post by dorena261-Natalia on Feb 11, 2015 15:39:29 GMT -5
as long as you have enough bone in meat meals you don't have to give him bone powder. you could see by the look of the poop does he get enough bone or not. i know you are giving him mostly the minced rabbit, and whole rabbit have 10% of bone, sooo, without the head and the legs it have less bone that is required. if you see the poop is not formed you can add some bone powder in the mince. if the poop is normal, you don't.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 11, 2015 15:40:00 GMT -5
O great, I will get one then to try it. Is it problem that I`m feding him with different meat at the so short period, I didn`t wait for him to get used to rabbit, I gave him lamb and beaf after few days
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Post by Deleted on Feb 11, 2015 15:43:01 GMT -5
I definetly need to add powder, beacuse the poop is not formed.He don`t get enough of bones, beacuse he spit all the little larger pieces, if the bone is size of the corn grain or smaller he will spit it
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Post by dorena261-Natalia on Feb 11, 2015 15:43:50 GMT -5
i thought the bone in meat is minced rabbit, right?
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Post by Deleted on Feb 11, 2015 15:48:37 GMT -5
yes, and ham of the lamb (but), I hope that you will understand what I mean
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Post by dorena261-Natalia on Feb 12, 2015 5:43:50 GMT -5
yes, lamb thigh definitely not enough bone in one meal. did you considered the idea to try with soup and then adding slivers to make him eat bigger pieces? you will have balanced meals and don't have to worry about how much of anything to add.
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