Bleck!!!

[ttfr]

Hey all,

I've been on raw since April and I noticed that even with Am: meat. Pm: Bone, and than Am & Pm of the next day of boned meat. My poopies are never solid. I have been getting nothing but black icky yucky poops that had made cleaning even harder than when they were on kibble.

What did I do? I added pumpkin to their soup on evening. It was the last I had for the season. Walla! Solid poops. The next day? Back to icky blecky roll eyes mental sigh poops.

I than figured maybe I need to get ground up egg shells. So I stick a lot of shells in the food processor and turn it on. The damned thing exploded with shards of shells. I ended up tossing it all. Oops now that I have to start over on the collecting.

Recently I would stick ground beef into their food bowl and everyone would starve before eating the stuff.

So what do I do? I am posting in craigslist looking for people who shoot ground hogs, cull chickens, rabbits, etc to buy meat. Also pondering the idea of possible raising quail for meat.

My questions:

Whhyyyy won't I get pretty poops? I gave them kibble by accident (cat knocked his bowl over) and the poops were back to normal. I am scared to look this morning.

I feed bone everyday. Mostly chicken or Turkey.

Will fish help their bodily functions?
It's the season of spawning minnows so I go down to my parents place and place a trap out. Right now I only have like 10-15 minows gutted and in the freezer for a while. But...Will whole boned in fish help?

I'm also have been fishing for small fish to gut and freeze as a natural food source.

Taurine. Cheaper online or at a vitamin store? And how much do you give a week per ferret?

OHHH and big question:
I once read that some ferrets eat every other day. Is that the truth?

I was looking at my log menu that I keep by the room and I have noticed a routine of Am: Eat Pm: Eat Am: Skip Pm: eat Am: eat Pm: Eat.

Normal? Should i start doing meals three times a day.

Basically what I've all been feeding:

Chicken Turkey, Pork, Beef, One egg a week (skipped recently), and I'm aiming for fish.

[Heather]

Constant black tarry stools is a problem. That's blood. If their poops looked normal when fed pumpkin then feed a tsp of pumpkin with every meal. It sounds to me that your guys aren't actually eating their bones or you have a health issue with at least one. Tarry stools usually means ulcers.
ciao

[Deleted]

I'm not sure about the poops, but as far as the alternate day eating schedules, My ferret seems to be simmilar in that he only eats once a day, regardless of when i put out the food...he was getting "meals" in the am and PM, but he didnt really like the schedule, so i give him one meal of everything he is supposed to get for the day (i.e. a large turkey neck on bone in days as opposed to an AM bone in and a PM bone in, alternating protein sources by the day as opposed to by the meal) and he usually will ignore it for most of the day until he gets hungry. Some days he doesn't touch his food, but he's active and in good health and has gained almost half a pound since the switch to raw, so i don't worry too much. Hence the once a day schedule

Also, i had read on the board that some people skip the occasional meal, and that this can be good for the weasels. Perhaps someone will be able to find the thread that this was posted in?

Maybe your ferrets are getting all of the calories that they need in one meal?

Good luck!

[Sherry]

I'm with Heather on this one. It really sounds like they are not eating enough of the bone you are giving.
Can you try them on a couple of days of just wings, or just necks? Get them used to it, and see if it makes a difference.

[Deleted]

I get a nice powder with eggshell using my small coffee grinder, food processer is too big.

[miamiferret2]

May 12, 2011 10:47:58 GMT -5 @ttfr said:

I was looking at my log menu that I keep by the room and I have noticed a routine of Am: Eat Pm: Eat Am: Skip Pm: eat Am: eat Pm: Eat.

i think the stools are generally softer with raw meat diet than when when they eat kibble. but they should not be runny. they should not be black every day unless you are feeding organ meat every day? too much liver perhaps?

ferrets with raw eat alot less. that was very surprising to me because kibble fed ferrets seem to eat every few hours. but my ferret has some days where he barely eats. then the next day he gorges. if you think about it, this would probably be what they go through in the wild. i doubt that they can find food every day.

[ttfr]

May 12, 2011 17:33:27 GMT -5 Sherry said:

Can you try them on a couple of days of just wings, or just necks?

Kind of have to do boned meats for a while anyway. I only have chicken parts from stripping whole chicken into lbs, and Fish. ( perch, Minnows, & Cat fish) Lelloo ran off with most of the minnows.

Will let you know if they get better.

May 12, 2011 11:32:44 GMT -5 @c620 said:

Maybe your ferrets are getting all of the calories that they need in one meal?

Everyone's getting bigger. Even punny little Lelloo. Do you think I should just do one big meal a day if they are skipping these meal times?

How I tell they skip is the amount that has been eating. If they leave a lot, I skip a meal. If they beg and theirs food left, I of course give them the meal. Usually that means that they don't like what I put up.

May 12, 2011 21:19:39 GMT -5 miamiferret2 said:

think the stools are generally softer with raw meat diet than when when they eat kibble. but they should not be runny. they should not be black every day unless you are feeding organ meat every day? too much liver perhaps?

I acualy made 1 organ meat meal every Sunday. It's pork or beef with liver. And instead of using the entire container of liver, They got 1 - 4 ratio of liver & meat. Than of course, Bone every day with bone twice every other day.

May 12, 2011 11:29:34 GMT -5 Heather said:

If their poops looked normal when fed pumpkin then feed a tsp of pumpkin with every meal.

Does squash count? I only have squash now and it helps a little. Pumpkin poops are my favorite to clean. Unless they get it on the rug. Than your trying to figure out if thats pumpkin & soup or someones rear end?

A recent question that just came up. They can have fish bones right? I gave them whole 2-3inch perch with the head, guts, and sharp fins cut out.

ALSO: I have like 1/2 lb of catfish row and wanted to know if I should put it in their cooked soup or feed it as a treat?

Is it good for them as a protein source or treat like chicks?

[ttfr]

Heres a Chicken Bone & Fish meal poopies. Their never runny per say but are just gooky. Like it sucks to get them up from the rug.

[Sherry]

Those look good to me. As for the fish, if it's raw, feed it for a meal. Never feed the bone if it's been cooked. And yes, you can also use squash.

[fearless]

May 12, 2011 17:38:17 GMT -5 @suzieszoo said:

I get a nice powder with eggshell using my small coffee grinder, food processer is too big.

Yup I was going to suggest this. I WAS using a wooden spoon in a bowl and crushing for hours on end, till Sherry mentioned a coffee grinder (I think it was Sherry... oh well she's getting the credit) and OMG 10 seconds in my husbands coffee grinder everyday while he's at work and I have a tupperware (small) full! I only give a spoon full in boneless meats so it lasts quite awhile.

[fearless]

I meant to mention Sherry, we should get a thread stickied to the top of the page with a picture reference to meal poos.

AKA

Ground Beef - [ insert poo reference pic ]
Chicken Wing - [ insert poo reference pic ]
etc.

Would be kinda nifty to see.

[Sherry]

That's actually not a bad idea. Most people, when they first switch off the kibble, are quite alarmed at how wet/loose the stool can be. At least if they have a reference for it, it might be easier.
I'll see what I can do about getting that done.

[fearless]

Awesome Sherry, I can start catching a few pics of mine. Maybe we can add a little description?

Chicken Thigh - [ insert picture ]
Description - When feeding skin on, some ferrets may have a pale colored almost cream colored stool that is more solid consistency then regular raw thigh meat.

For example.

[fearless]

Ohhhh can we call it "The Scoop" BAHAHAHAHA

[Sherry]

Yeah, if you can start getting some pics, that would be great