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Post by Deleted on Jan 31, 2011 11:48:03 GMT -5
If I make a soup with 8oz chicken meat, 1-2 chicken hearts, 1 liver, 1/4 teaspoon powdered egg shell and enough homemade chicken broth to make soupy texture- do I need to add pumpkin and olive oil still? Should anything else be added?
I am giving soupie in the afternoon after I get home from work- other than that they have kibble available.
I am trying to get a meat grinder so I can add bigger n bigger hunks of ground meat&bone to the soup and eventually use the soup as a gravy- thats how I am supposed to do it right? Then get them onto bone in meats, yes? Just want to make sure
Also, side note- is $45.90 good price for a meat grinder? I think my grandmother has one but Im not sure, if she doesnt the only one ive seen is $45.90... just want to make sure I dont over pay
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Post by Heather on Jan 31, 2011 23:20:53 GMT -5
I would add the pumpkin but that's me. Remember the pumpkin is to take the place of the fur that isn't in the recipe. As far as the oils...are you going to freeze some of your soupies? If you're going to freeze a portion then don't add oils. These will degrade if frozen. Add them only when you go to feed, thus keeping the integrity of the oil used. I find that my guys are much more receptive of the olive oil if it's mixed with marine fish oil. Most of my guys hate olive oil (I'm sure others have found that this is open to different ferrets). I mix 1/3 of oil oil to 2/3 marine fish oil. That way I don't have to fight with the furbrats to take their oils. Just how we work it ciao
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Post by bluemoose on Feb 1, 2011 0:25:45 GMT -5
If you're not feeding whole prey, then adding pumpkin is probably a good idea. I do the same as Heather with my oils and mix the extra virgin olive oil with fish oil because mine don't like the olive oil either. If you're mixing it into soup though there shouldn't be too much of an issue with disguising the olive taste. As for the meat grinder, it really depends on the one you're getting and what you need it to do. A heavy duty one that can grind large bones will cost more than a lighter one that's not capable of doing that. As usual, I recommend Amazon. They usually have competitive prices and quick, free shipping. Plus they have a decent selection of meat grinders. www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=meat+grinder&x=0&y=0
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Post by Deleted on Feb 1, 2011 10:05:21 GMT -5
Checking out thrift stores (good will, value village, etc) is a great way to find meat grinders. I picked up my manual one for $5 that way, and I usually see a couple when I go in. It's hard saying if a used electric one would work, but in my experience those old manual ones are indestructible and will take anything you have the strength to push through...just make sure they have the grinding plates with them.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 1, 2011 10:33:14 GMT -5
I would add the pumpkin but that's me. Remember the pumpkin is to take the place of the fur that isn't in the recipe. As far as the oils...are you going to freeze some of your soupies? If you're going to freeze a portion then don't add oils. These will degrade if frozen. Add them only when you go to feed, thus keeping the integrity of the oil used. I find that my guys are much more receptive of the olive oil if it's mixed with marine fish oil. Most of my guys hate olive oil (I'm sure others have found that this is open to different ferrets). I mix 1/3 of oil oil to 2/3 marine fish oil. That way I don't have to fight with the furbrats to take their oils. Just how we work it ciao Thus far I have been freezing my soupies (we're on week four- im pretty sure) but adding the suplements after they've defrosted/right before I serve them. Also, I have been using olive oil and they've been loving it. The fish oil I am still unsure on- do I buy the capsel and open it or can i buy just the oil, if so- where? Im sure that Mojito will have no problem with the fish oil as he is a sardine fan, Kahlua may be more difficult since sardines are the only thing she wont readily eat (she is usually the easy one to get to try new stuff) Thank you
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Post by Deleted on Feb 1, 2011 10:44:56 GMT -5
If you're not feeding whole prey, then adding pumpkin is probably a good idea. I do the same as Heather with my oils and mix the extra virgin olive oil with fish oil because mine don't like the olive oil either. If you're mixing it into soup though there shouldn't be too much of an issue with disguising the olive taste. As for the meat grinder, it really depends on the one you're getting and what you need it to do. A heavy duty one that can grind large bones will cost more than a lighter one that's not capable of doing that. As usual, I recommend Amazon. They usually have competitive prices and quick, free shipping. Plus they have a decent selection of meat grinders. www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=meat+grinder&x=0&y=0I thought about it after I left work and figured after the bowel issue Kahlua had that pumpkin is a good idea, lol. I have been using olive oil in their soup and It may sound weird but it seems like they (At least Mojito) like it better with the olive oil! Im not sure why but whatever makes them (especially Mr. Picky) happy, lol. Thank you and thanks on the grinder front. The Norpro Heavy-Duty Meat Grinder that they say new is $79.99 looks exactally like the one they have at the latino market for 45.90. They have it on amazon for 40.40... Im sure after shipping and handling it'd work out about the same, Ill have to take a better look at the one in the store though. I dont know if its heavy duty or not. They also have the Weston # 10 Heavy Duty Manual Tinned Meat Grinder for like fourty something at another latino market- on amazon its 29.99, which is funny cause I always say that latino market is over priced (Plus the woman their is a... never mind) What exactally should I be looking for in a grinder? People talk about making bone-in ground meat. I want to do that, probably with chicken and beef since my two love beef, prefer it to chicken actually. Beef would need a much bigger grinder though wouldnt it? Or if I have Chele cut the peices (bone and all) into smaller peices, would that be okay? He has a pretty awesome machine for that. Are beef bones safe? (another question i've been meaning to ask, lol) Also, next time I get a hold of my uncle Im going to see if I can get him to part with some meat from quail/rabbit/deer maybe even gofer or whatever else he happens to be hunting atm- the deer would be the only one that'd need a bigger grinder right?
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Post by Deleted on Feb 1, 2011 10:47:20 GMT -5
Checking out thrift stores (good will, value village, etc) is a great way to find meat grinders. I picked up my manual one for $5 that way, and I usually see a couple when I go in. It's hard saying if a used electric one would work, but in my experience those old manual ones are indestructible and will take anything you have the strength to push through...just make sure they have the grinding plates with them. See, I've never used a grinder so Im afraid if I went thrift I'd buy one that wouldnt have all the peices I'll try to take a look around but its hard with my schedual, no thrift stores are open till 6 (when i get back to my county) and the county i work in only has one close to work and thus far I havent seen any meat grinders there, but Ill keep a look out.
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Post by Sherry on Feb 1, 2011 10:57:56 GMT -5
If you plan on feeding a ground raw on a regular basis, then a grinder would most definitely be handy for you. If you are, however, planning on getting them eating their own bone in meats instead, I wouldn't bother. For getting them accustomed to larger pieces of meat, you can hand cut those for a while.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 1, 2011 11:06:13 GMT -5
A grinder that can handle deer or cow bones is going to be a lot more expensive, and I think is overkill, especially for a temporary stage in the process...you can just use those muscle meats and get your bone from poultry sources...wings, necks, and stewing chickens all have more bone and less meat and could be handled by a lighter grinder, and once they're past the ground stage you won't have wasted a ton of money. You can also supplement with crushed eggshell for calcium and pulverize poultry bones with a meat mallet to get them tasting the marrow and interested in the chunks. My little hand one can grind a whole chicken, but now that the kids are eating bone-in piece I just use it for soups and organ mixes. Edit: I'm posting from my phone but later today I'll take pics of the parts for you, they're super simple. Here's the pics...you just want to make sure it has the four main pieces (body, auger, grinding plate, and nut), that the clamp works, and that the pieces fit together. Mine came with 3 different "coarse-ness" grinding plates (more points on the star = finer grind) but I could only find the coarse one since it's all I really use.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 1, 2011 12:42:58 GMT -5
Just to answer your question about beef bones, I believe they're usually too big. Fowl bones are great, along with small prey (rabbit, mouse, rat, guinea pig, hamster, etc).
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Post by Heather on Feb 1, 2011 15:58:27 GMT -5
You won't get a grinder that can handle the big ungulates their bones are too dence and you will only burn out the motor or totally destroy your blade. You would need an industrial grinder for those. If you're going to use ground meats you can, as previously suggested use egg shell. I use chicken bone in my beef mix or any other mix that I decide to throw together. It's easily ground and very accessible. I've done it with beef, pork and I did it with lamb too. ciao
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Post by Deleted on Feb 1, 2011 20:09:11 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Feb 7, 2011 13:28:03 GMT -5
If you plan on feeding a ground raw on a regular basis, then a grinder would most definitely be handy for you. If you are, however, planning on getting them eating their own bone in meats instead, I wouldn't bother. For getting them accustomed to larger pieces of meat, you can hand cut those for a while. With the bone attached? I dont know if I can cut through the bone but I will ask Chele to cut it down for me. I'm not sure if we are going to do ground forever or not, I just can't imagine being able to entice Mojito to eat a bone. Maybe though. How could I go about doing that?
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Post by Deleted on Feb 7, 2011 13:33:49 GMT -5
A grinder that can handle deer or cow bones is going to be a lot more expensive, and I think is overkill, especially for a temporary stage in the process...you can just use those muscle meats and get your bone from poultry sources...wings, necks, and stewing chickens all have more bone and less meat and could be handled by a lighter grinder, and once they're past the ground stage you won't have wasted a ton of money. You can also supplement with crushed eggshell for calcium and pulverize poultry bones with a meat mallet to get them tasting the marrow and interested in the chunks. My little hand one can grind a whole chicken, but now that the kids are eating bone-in piece I just use it for soups and organ mixes. Edit: I'm posting from my phone but later today I'll take pics of the parts for you, they're super simple. Here's the pics...you just want to make sure it has the four main pieces (body, auger, grinding plate, and nut), that the clamp works, and that the pieces fit together. Mine came with 3 different "coarse-ness" grinding plates (more points on the star = finer grind) but I could only find the coarse one since it's all I really use. Thank you, thank you! I think one like that would be useful and if I can use it forever to do organ mixes that would be good, If you do the grinder you can do organ + bone right? (Wouldnt be too much calcium if I do bone- in days as well) I am still trying to get the hang of all of this, I'm sorry if I sound like an idiot. I have learning issues so I like so super clarify stuff to make sure I am explaining and understanding properly
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Post by Deleted on Feb 7, 2011 13:35:15 GMT -5
Just to answer your question about beef bones, I believe they're usually too big. Fowl bones are great, along with small prey (rabbit, mouse, rat, guinea pig, hamster, etc). Kind of a side note but since I have it on my mind- how do you get them to eat whole prey? I dont think I could personally feed it to them, but my fiancee does and he is interested in helping
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