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Post by Celene on Dec 30, 2015 23:52:15 GMT -5
I've never heard of a ferret NOT being able to dislodge bone on their own. Sometimes ferrets CAN get bone stuck in their teeth and have difficulty removing it on their own. The safest way to deal with that is to scruff them and use a qtip to push it out. You can use a finger too, but risk getting bitten.
I hope the experience wasn't too scary for you! It does happen a bit at the beginning, but stops once they learn how to eat bone properly.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 31, 2015 3:07:13 GMT -5
Truly I knew that would happend one day,and that he eats fast what is biggest problem, but I managed to stay calm for a few second but I'm aware that I need to stay still
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Post by Celene on Dec 31, 2015 20:13:01 GMT -5
That's good to hear! I'm so happy that Freddy is making so much progress
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Post by Deleted on Jan 8, 2016 10:51:13 GMT -5
Hey hey, Freddy is stashing meat chunks and when they drie he eats them, I'm worried is that a problem,I usually check all the places where he can stash and pick those leftovers,but somehow he always finds a new place to hide some chunks
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Post by Celene on Jan 8, 2016 23:19:45 GMT -5
Ferrets love to make their own jerky, it's considered quite the delicacy! I tried making my own for mine once but they weren't impressed... They like to do it themselves. If the meat is boneless and not obviously rotting, it's probably fine. (h*ll, I've heard of ferrets enjoying the maggots off of meat which IS rotting!) The only thing you need to worry about it if bone-in meat has gotten really dry to the point where the bones themselves in the centre have dried - in those cases the bones may become brittle (similar to cooking) and may splinter and be dangerous. If you're worried about the stashing itself, you can make a food den or clip the meat to the cage with hooks. I put their food on the ferret top shelf of my girls' cage so they have to go down several ramps before escaping with the meat... Gives me more time to catch them! Just for fun, here is a photo of a piece of dried quail I once found Mocha trotting around the room with! Also, if you wouldn't mind posting your detailed menu for this week, that would be great!
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Post by Deleted on Jan 9, 2016 3:36:18 GMT -5
Monday Am: rabbit bone in meat Pm: lamb or/and rabbit organ soup
Tuesday Am: lamb and venison chunks (80% lamb, 20% venison) Pm: rabbit bone in meat
Wednesday Am: rabbit bone in meat Pm: lamb chunks
Thursday: Am: rabbit bone in meat Pm: lamb and venison chunks
Friday Am: rabbit chunks Pm: lamb chunks
Saturday Am: organ soup Pm: rabbit bone in meat
Sunday Am: lamb + venison chunks Pm:rabbit bone in meat
He eats a lot, every two/three hours, I serve him chunks (50-60g) and leave them in the cage when I go to work,when I come home the plate is empty. He still eats really fast and can you believe sometimes he swallow even bigger chunks beacuse he is lazy to chew
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Post by Celene on Jan 9, 2016 15:10:39 GMT -5
Are you putting any bonemeal or eggshell powder in the boneless meat chunks meals? Ferrets should have 2-4 boneless muscle meals per week, and I count 6 right now. Usually I also try not to put two muscle/organ meals in a row either because their poops can get pretty loose so I try to alter them with bone-in meals.
It's fantastic that he's eating big chunks and bone-in meals on his own now!
I definitely believe that he is too lazy to chew, my ferrets do it too! The first time Nova tried it with a bone-in meat she choked, but learned her lesson pretty quick ><
Other than that, your menu is looking pretty good!
One other suggestion is to increase the amount of heart you feed just a little. Normally we recommend at least 10% of the diet be heart (which works out to 1.5 meals per week). However, rabbit is actually fairly low in taurine, and since you are feeding quite a bit of it due to Freddy's allergies, it might not hurt to add just a little more heart here and there since heart is very high in taurine. It's probably not necessary, but heart is considered a "muscle" meal so you can feed more of it without any ill effects.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 10, 2016 2:51:22 GMT -5
I'm putting eggshells,even in the organ soup.
I would be very thankfull if you could help me with arranging the weekly menu that would be good for him and balanced as it should be, with the meats I use, rabbit,lamb and venison.
What about horse heart,and horse meat are the ferrets ok with that?
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Post by Deleted on Jan 10, 2016 12:30:14 GMT -5
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Post by Celene on Jan 10, 2016 21:19:39 GMT -5
That video was impressive! That bone (rabbit) looks pretty big - did he eat any of it? Also, horse heart would be great because it would also be adding in another protein for Freddy. Here is a link to the basic frankenprey menu. Adapted to the proteins you are feeding it would look something like this: Monday AM: Bone-in rabbit Monday PM: horse heart with eggshell powder Tuesday AM: Bone-in rabbit Tuesday PM: lamb chunks Wednesday AM: Bone-in rabbit Wednesday PM: Organ soup (50% heart, 25% liver, 25% kidney) Thursday AM: Bone-in rabbit Thursday PM: Venison Friday AM: Lamb chunks with eggshell powder Friday PM: Organ soup Saturday AM: Bone-in rabbit Saturday PM: Venison Sunday AM: Bone-in rabbit Sunday PM: Organ soup You don't need to give eggshell powder with every meal, as long as Freddy is eating some bone with his rabbit meals. In fact, he should have some meals without as too much eggshell powder can make ferrets constipated. You can replace up to 1-2 bone in meals with chunks + eggshell but no more than that as ferrets need the marrow and other nutrients in "actual" bone that isn't found in eggshells. Hope that helps!
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Post by Deleted on Jan 11, 2016 15:20:56 GMT -5
Yes yes he eated half of that,but I hold him bigger bones while he eats,because he doesn't know how to hold it and eat it hehehe. Thank you so much,I am always in worry that he won't get enough bone (calcium) and taurin so I wanted professional to tell me how to make good menu you are wonderfull :*
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Post by Celene on Jan 19, 2016 21:18:17 GMT -5
How is everything going? Please post your menu for the past week!
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Post by Deleted on Jan 21, 2016 16:45:16 GMT -5
Hey, I've got goat organs (one of my fathers friends has goats,and he gave me) so I am sticking to your weekly menu, just I put goat organs and heart instead of horse,for now Venison is not his favorite meal so I need to make soupie and I need to put some coconut oil but he eats it. I'm so happy when I see him chewing bones,and when his little ears moves when he chew I put him in my lap and hold him bone while he eats because if I don't he takes it and stash it He eats chunks by himself with no problem. This is the menu: Monday AM: Bone-in rabbit Monday PM: goat heart with eggshell powder Tuesday AM: Bone-in rabbit Tuesday PM: lamb chunks Wednesday AM: Bone-in rabbit Wednesday PM: Organ soup (50% heart, 25% liver, 25% kidney) Thursday AM: Bone-in rabbit Thursday PM: Venison Friday AM: Lamb chunks with eggshell powder Friday PM: Organ soup Saturday AM: Bone-in rabbit Saturday PM: Venison Sunday AM: Bone-in rabbit Sunday PM: Organ soup
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Post by Celene on Jan 27, 2016 23:17:49 GMT -5
Sorry I didn't get back sooner, it has been a crazy week for me!
Anyway, Freddy is doing so fantastically, and so are you, I think you are ready to graduate the mentoring program!
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Post by Celene on Jan 27, 2016 23:35:01 GMT -5
In order to graduate, I need two things from you: 1. A "sample menu" - the one you posted the other day looks good btw, but this doesn't necessarily need to be one that you're actually feeding, just a hypothetical good menu plan. 2. Final exam: - What percent of the diet should be organ?
- Give 2 examples each of muscle meat, edible bones, and organs.
- How can you tell if your ferret is getting too much or not enough bone?
- Which food is highest in taurine?
- Name 2 organs other than liver.
- How many bone-in meals should a ferret get each week?
- Bonus: How many ferrets does it take to change a lightbulb?
Good luck!!
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