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Post by bitbyter on Apr 19, 2015 21:21:19 GMT -5
Usually when experienced ferrets eat whole prey, they leave behind the rodents guts in a neat little pile. Mine have done this since they got the knack only VERY rarely consuming the guts alone with everything else. Up until recently the lab block I've been feeding my rodents was soy based and as expected, the ferrets have been leaving behind the rodents guts. About a month or so ago I switched to a new, lower protein / higher fat rodent lab block which is corn & wheat based. Since the switch, the ferrets have been eating the entirety of the rodents, guts and all. I thought this was interesting and worth noting. Old Lab Block: Purina Rodent Diet 5001New Lab Block: Zukudla Chewables Rodent Cubes |
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Post by msav on Apr 19, 2015 21:47:32 GMT -5
Mine have always ate the entire rodent. ASF, Rat, mouse, GP. It does not matter.
The latest Batch of GP were much larger. This is the first time I noticed that stomach left behind. But it did not last long someone else in the cage came alone and ate it.
I had some extra Wysong ferret food. so I have been giving it to my breeders since they need extra protein when nursing. They seem to like it.
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Post by bitbyter on Apr 19, 2015 22:03:53 GMT -5
I supplement with a seed mix once a week and haven't noticed any issues with the mothers and babies since switching.
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Post by FerretsnFalcons on Apr 21, 2015 20:00:19 GMT -5
That is interesting. When I bought mice from Petsmart my ferrets would always pick out the intestines, but once I ordered from TSK Feeders they've been eating the entire thing. Does anybody know what Rodentpro feeds their feeder animals? The website just says "a scientifically-formulated diet specifically designed to enhance health and quality."
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Post by bitbyter on Apr 21, 2015 21:57:52 GMT -5
I believe Rodentpro uses a soy based lab block. I'll have to double check, I asked them when I was trying to figure out the source of Wilma's allergies.
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Post by FerretsnFalcons on Apr 22, 2015 17:17:07 GMT -5
Oh, so was Wilma allergic to the soy feed, or was it something else? I'd really hate to buy a ton of whole prey only to have the ferts be allergic to them.  And thank you for that information, I looked everywhere on the Internet and couldn't find anything about what Rodentpro feeds their feeders. |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 22, 2015 17:45:27 GMT -5
Mine eat 100% of the mice and day old chicks. The ones I fed recently were from Rodent Pro.
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Post by bitbyter on Apr 22, 2015 20:10:34 GMT -5
FerretsnFalcons Wilma has Eosinophilic Enteritis. Triggers seem to be poultry and any non-organic pork or beef so she is on a really limited diet. Rabbit, organic quail (which she can tolerate once or twice a week), rats, mice, guinea pigs, ASF's, and hormone / antibiotic free pork. It was a very long battle trying to figure out what was causing her issues and I almost lost her at one point because she started refusing to eat. You can read more about it here: holisticferret60.proboards.com/thread/11679/sigh-why-update-allergyShe is on prednisolone to help with her symptoms but I've been able to wean her down to a very low dose every 5 days.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 22, 2015 13:13:24 GMT -5
i think this is a "Gut Load" question, when we feed snakes they always make sure to get them watered and get a bit of a healthy snack before you feed to your snake, some people even dust with reptile vitamins. Im wondering if offering them a more natural snack before the kill would encourage the ferrets to eat everything.
This would be a very interesting question for someone to experiment with. i then have a follow up question to this i saw on a raw site that said that cats should be given small amounts of grains, vegetable mater to act as the stomach contents of the prey.
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Post by Heather on Sept 22, 2015 14:35:25 GMT -5
That is interesting. My guys have always gutted their prey...well their rats and rabbits. They just won't eat them whole. The mice, ASF's, chicks...they will eat whole. I just gave Beowulf and Nefarious a rat and there isn't a trace of it left. Now, I did gut it but not as clean as I would normally. The girls have a rat and they've not even looked at it...but then I don't think they're particularly hungry either.
ciao
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Post by bitbyter on Sept 22, 2015 15:38:02 GMT -5
The girls are back to leaving the guts behind again. I really do wonder why they eat them sometimes and not others.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 22, 2015 15:47:02 GMT -5
PLEASE NOTE IM NOT STATING TO DO THIS OR AM I ENDORSING IT, Just as a theoretical concept.
okay, not to take this a step further for us frankken prey feeders. would it be bad to feed a bit of vegetable based baby food, maybe spinach,squash,carrots, peas, or ground oats/flax seed, typically those are low in sugar but could offer a bit of added vitamins ( wouldnt that act as partial digested?) couldnt this just be mixed with our franken prey menue, maybe to make organs more tasty?
this would be a great survey or poll? does your ferret eat the insides of natural fed mice or rats more than commercial feed ?
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Post by Deleted on Sept 22, 2015 15:48:27 GMT -5
im expecting this post to blow up now!  |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 22, 2015 16:23:41 GMT -5
Spinach contains oxalates--- carrots and peas contain sugar. Anyway, that which is in a mouse gut or stomach has been reacted upon with its gut and tummy bacteria and is broken down into something other than pureed stuff. Besides ferrets lack a cecum to process veggies.
Hare Today has lamb kidneys. They do not smell strong if you want a milder kidney.Someone said pork kidneys smell---I do not know as i have not tried it. I just stick to lamb organs. My babies will eat guinea pig organs and squirrel organs, too.
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Post by msav on Sept 22, 2015 17:06:09 GMT -5
With rodent food in the rodent stomach, It has already started to digest. I would think that the ferrets digestives system would take over from there and it should not be an issue. this obviously would not be the case and feeding veggies, oats, ect to ferrets should be a NO NO.
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