|
Post by Sherry on Mar 6, 2011 22:42:38 GMT -5
I use a coffee grinder for the eggshell. A couple of spurts with that is enough
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 9, 2011 13:02:28 GMT -5
Same results lol. Bonkers is being soooo stubborn! Of course, he IS the oldest.
Going grocery shopping tonight and I hope to find some meat on sale. If I do, I'll stock up a little bit so I can start making it more frequently and REALLY introduce them to the soup.
We're hoping to get a small freezer this weekend, but we'll see.
|
|
|
Post by Sherry on Mar 9, 2011 18:02:51 GMT -5
It takes a while. Don't forget how strongly they imprint on food. That's how they know what's "safe" to eat, and what could potentially kill them. You are trying to overcome a very basic instinct that many animals have. Just keep on with the finger feeding, and when they'll actually lick it from your finger, then start using a spoon. You may wind up holding them rather firmly(to stop them from escaping ;D ), and just keep the spoon in front of their mouths. It's like they can't stop themselves from taking a few licks whether they want to or not! Sooner or later, you don't have to chase their head with the spoon quite so much, and shortly after that, they'll stay still while eating it from the spoon. That's when you start moving the spoon to the dish And don't forget to remove the kibble for a while before hand. A bit of an appetite usually makes them a bit more willing to accept the raw. You can put it back in the cage when they go in for the day, and take it back out a couple hours before offering them the raw in the evening as well.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 14, 2011 20:46:21 GMT -5
Still the same results. Should I be trying anything differently? Also, we have now added Loki to the mix.
Loki 3 years old Totally Ferret Active
After the first week I'll try some raw with her. I want to watch her poops first as they seem skinny (she's pooped plenty of times but they are all skinny; no other signs of concern though).
She's very hyper and dooks more than any of our other ferrets! Im introducing her and Riley Wednesday or this weekend. Im excited.
Also, letting you know that my net has been out lately and I probably won't have as much access to the forum as normal. I can guarantee at least once a week though.
|
|
|
Post by Sherry on Mar 14, 2011 20:57:02 GMT -5
Stubborn little sods Have you tried a spoon yet? If you do, hold them, and keep the spoon under their noses/mouths. Most cannot resist licking it off the spoon at times ;D Also- are you removing the kibble either a few hours prior to trying the raw, or even better- overnight? They'll need to work up an appetite I'm thinking. And how often are you giving them their licks of raw soups? Try to do it as often during the day as you can. Give them a few tastes at least every 30 minutes or so that they are out.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 15, 2011 18:39:10 GMT -5
I remove their food about 2 hours before I feed them the soups. Booth, Lincoln, and Riley will take it off the spoon. Bonkers won't. I still have to force him to lick it off my finger.
I leave a small bowl of soup in the cage and from what I see it's mostly booth and occasionally Lincoln or Riley who finish it. Bonkers never touches it.
Other than that, I spend about 10 minutes every hour for 2-3 hours with Bonkers to get him to eat the soup.
He's such a butthead! I swear he's in there going "Riley, don't eat it. It's poison," and so she backs away from the food. ;D
|
|
|
Post by Sherry on Mar 15, 2011 20:28:50 GMT -5
What a terror! Ok. All your fuzz are healthy. So- try taking the kibble out overnight and offer the raw in the morning. It won't hurt them, and will build an appetite even on stubborn Mr. Bonkers ;D In the interim, can you get some freeze dried raw? Archetypal 1 ferret, Stella and Chewy's, or AFS. You can order them from here: www.caseyshiddenpantry.com/ if you can't find any locally. The idea is to start sprinkling some on his kibble, so he HAS to get some of the fd. It will help to expand his taste buds. This makes it a "two pronged" attack, as it were. It's also handy to have in case they have to stay at the vets, or a sitter, or even if you've just forgotten to take meat out of the freezer ;D Also, you might want to try him with a different meat. If you use some ground beef or turkey some night, put a little aside, and mash it really well with a fork, mixed with some warm water. You might also want to get him used to a wide variety of smells, to pique his curiosity. If he starts getting really curious about everything, he'll also be more likely to try things a bit easier. Bonkers sounds like my Boris. That boy drove me to distraction! 6 flipping weeks of basically what you are doing with Bonkers, then one day- he took off with small chunks ;D That's also something else you can try- popping tiny bits of meat into his mouth on him Now, since the other 3 are doing fairly well with their soupies, I think it's time to start making it a bit thicker for them. I'm not sure how watery you're making it right now, but what you want to do is keep adding less and less liquid until they are eating a thick ground mush.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 16, 2011 20:23:47 GMT -5
Alright, I'll see if we can afford freeze-died (crazy expensive! lol) and I'll start adding less water for the others. I'll have to wait for my schedule to die down a bit to feed them soup in the morning. Right now I'm work 6 days a week. Should only be a couple weeks but hopefully its alright.
|
|
|
Post by Sherry on Mar 16, 2011 22:57:43 GMT -5
Would doing it in the evening work better for you? You can, you know I guess I'm just used to using mornings, since they have a bigger appetite then. And in the interim while you are waiting on the freeze dried, you can introduce him to new smells, and get his mind and senses working overtime! He doesn't have to eat anything , but let him smell flowers if you have any, even pictures, the walls, anything! Mine love it when I pick them up and hold them up to picture frames. Their noses go overtime, and I let them "lead" for the direction they want to go. Some want to check out a ceiling in a low hallway, or door cracks, windows, etc! Dirty clothes are another. Let him smell soaps, lotions, perfumes! Obviously he doesn't get access to them OTHER than sniffing up a storm- but when you awaken one sense, the others do tend to follow, as odd as that may sound. In the interim also, don't stop trying him with soupies, either. The sample pack from Casey's isn't too bad for price fyi. It will also give you a better idea if they happen to like anything from there My ferrets adored the S & C patties, and my cat's loved the AFS in it!
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 23, 2011 21:10:36 GMT -5
Since Lincoln has been sick he's been sleeping alot, but today he was running around chasing Jeff's new toy helicopter (men, don't ask lol). I think it really peeked his interest more. I'll check into that sample pack! Sounds like it's worth a shot. We're also ordering pumpkin finally! As I posted in his sick thread, I can puree him and the others some more chicken soupies! I was wondering, how are pork loins? I didn't think pork was all that good for them? Anyways, we got a freezer!!! So now I can stock up every time there's a sale...well not EVERY time but close enough. No more worrying where we will put our own food haha So next month I can stock up on the monthly sale! Besides chicken, are there any other good things to try? Also, I think you said something about cooking chicken? I thought cooking anything was bad for them. Thanks so so much Sherry!
|
|
|
Post by Sherry on Mar 23, 2011 21:26:57 GMT -5
I do give mine a cooked soupie if they are ill, especially if they don't seem as accepting of the raw version. It's easier for them to handle if they aren't feeling well. It's by no means balanced, since a lot of the nutrients disappear, but a sick fuzz can do well on it for about 4-5 months, with no ill effects. about the freezer- congrats!!! I found mine made a world of difference for stocking up Meats? Virtually anything you can name as meat, they can have ;D As long as it's not altered in any way. Ie: smoked, cured, salted, brined, spiced, etc. Mine adore pork! Especially pork button bones They can only eat a wee bit of the bone, but they love those things Mine, depending on sales, eat goat, lamb, beef, chicken, pork, turkey, cgh, duck, and of course, whole prey(when I can afford it ). They can eat, and need- all cuts, all ages, as much variety as you can manage. I buy last day sales all the time. I get slightly freezer burned meats on freecycle, as well as from friends and clients ;D
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 24, 2011 19:58:45 GMT -5
Oh, wonderful! I tried to get Lincoln to eat some chicken baby food with his crushed up food and with his kibble whole, but he wouldn't have anything to do with it. Ugh. So I put him back in his cage with some kibble. I can see he is at least trying to eat his kibble, though a lot of it has ended up in his water dish Going to be fixing pork tomorrow, so I'll fix some soupies for them. Everyone is still making great progress from being sick. Loki's poops are finally a normal color and they hadn't been since we got her. Lincoln's poops are extremely runny on occasion, but other times they are seedy but formed. The meds should be gone by Saturday, so hopefully they all will be better then hehe. I'll let you know how the pork soupies goes!
|
|
|
Post by Sherry on Mar 24, 2011 20:23:47 GMT -5
Excellent! You do realize, if you want Lincoln to take the baby food, you can use the same routine as for soupies? Scruff and stuff
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 25, 2011 21:47:16 GMT -5
Haha yes. Thankfully he has started eating kibble! Lots of it too! Booth seems to like the chicken baby food as well. Nobody else does though haha. I'm going to try to give everyone a bit of beef baby food tomorrow for lunch and I'm fixing them the pork soupies in the evening. Cant wait. And urgh, I'm pretty sick now so I've gotta use a lot of hand sanitizer lol
|
|
|
Post by Sherry on Mar 25, 2011 22:07:32 GMT -5
Oooh- hope you're feeling better soon! And if it's upper respiratory, no kisses for the fuzz, either, just in case it's influenza based
|
|