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Post by Heather on Jul 12, 2015 16:31:30 GMT -5
HF Forum Username: machan.. Please confirm that you are 18 years of age or older: Yes. (6/7/1994) 1. Where did you first learn about natural diets for ferrets? Holistic Ferret Forums of course! I heard about it elsewhere but since I joined, I’ve learnt so much already and would love to learn more so my ferret children can live happily and benefit from an all natural diet. 2. Please describe the type of diet you would like assistance in switching your ferret(s) to. Be sure to include if you are interested in feeding whole prey (live or frozen-thawed) and if you are wanting to FULLY switch to a natural diet or PARTIALLY. If you are unsure what kind of diet you want to put your ferrets on, please express that and we can help you find the best type of natural diet for your ferret. I would like to switch my ferrets completely and correctly on to an all raw meats diet. Possibly even try whole prey further down the track. Frozen, since feeding live is illegal where I live. But for this purpose I just would like to learn and focus on starting with all raw. ^^ 3. Why are you interested in switching your ferrets to a natural diet? I want to learn how to correctly feed them so that they will be getting the right amount of food per day. They were originally on cheap cat kibble and I’ve started them on meats already. Kibble has always seemed ‘cheap’ food in my eyes and since its cheap its like what junk food is to ferrets and I don’t want them missing all the essential nutrients they should be getting to begin with. Since i’m a beginner, I would greatly appreciate assistance, just so i know i’m doing it correctly for the health of my ferrets. A healthy ferret is a happy ferret. 4. Do you understand that switching your ferret to a natural diet can be a lengthy, arduous process? Its not an overnight switch. It requires a commitment of several months at minimum. Your HF Mentor will be more then happy to assist you in switching your ferret(s) to a natural diet, but you need to be equally as committed. The switch takes time and effort every single day. It can also be extremely frustrating at times. If you aren't willing to tough out a potentially lengthy switching process, you have major life changes approaching (baby on the way, moving, starting school, getting married/divorced, etc), or limited time due to work, then it might be a better idea to wait on switching your ferret's diet until you have more time. Are you willing and realistically able to make the necessary time commitment? Yes, I completely understand that it can take time. I made the commitment to bring home ferrets, so it is my responsibility to make sure that they are eating healthy and living healthy. The lengthy process is all about learning and it will all pay off when my ferrets are running around with that healthy ferret glow. I’ll just have to suck up the frustration when it comes and pull through it as best i can~ I will be studying from at home and even if there was some kind of major life changes approaching, I would ALWAYS try my best to tend to my duties that i signed up for.^^ 5. How many ferrets do you currently have? What are their names? Ages? Genders? Do they have any health problems? Are they overweight? Underweight? How long have you had each ferret for? I have two ferrets. One albino male called Yuki. He is currently 6 going on 7 months and one female sable called Haru. Who is 8 going on 9 months. She was just desexed (1/7/15) and Yuki is being desexed in a couple of weeks Tomorrow. They had their vet check recently and the vet had said they were both very healthy ferrets for their ages. however i do not know their actual weight just yet. No heath concerns at all. I’ve had them for about 2-3 weeks. 6. What diet do you currently feed your ferrets? (Please include all treats, supplements, etc) Do they already eat some form of soup? I’m still in the process of figuring out their diets but so far they are eating Chicken necks/wing tips, chicken heart, beef mince, beef chunks, lamb chunks or cut up lamb/beef sizzle steaks or the meat parts cut off the lamb bone steaks, Chicken liver. I also give them some ferretone now and then. If soup classifies as puréed or blended meats with little or a bit of water then yes. I tried puréeing mince and heart and both my ferrets liked it. (I just started learning about raw soups) 7. Have you ever tried to switch your ferrets to a natural diet in the past? If yes, what happened? No, since i’ve never had ferrets in the past. 8. What additional information about yourself or your ferrets would you like to share? I’m a new time ferret owner so I’m still learning everything there is to know about owning a ferret. I had a latch on bite in my first week which swelled up quite nasty thanks to Yuki. Yuki gets little nippy/sometimes bites at playtime so i’m doing my best to teach him what is okay and what isn’t. Haru does’t bite but she nips quite softly and most of the time gummy nips which i think its fine just as long as I can teach her that i cannot have any hard biting at playtime. Outside of play thy are well mannered ferrets who are quite friendly. Haru is starting to show a cuddly side to her which is a lot different to her usual wriggly side. >3< I’ve noticed the differences in taste between my ferrets, Yuki likes chicken necks, while haru will eat it but it doesn’t seem to be a favourite. Haru is the laid back, sleepy ferret who would wonder around at playtime and rarely plays, though she is starting to show a playful side now. Yuki is the playful one and has a ton of energy, sometimes he gets over excited but he’s now starting to understand my boundaries that i’ve set. 9. How often during the week do you have access to a computer? I have access 24/7. Okay not literally, since i need sleep. I tend to come online to check emails quite often in my daylight hours and at night before bed. I’m usually fast to reply to messages. I live in australia so my hours could be from around 10am to 10pm at night, but on and off. 10. Please post a picture of each of your ferrets (if possible). 11. Have you met the requirements for this program? Are you at least 18 years of age? Do you have your scale, a place to access meats, hearts, livers, etc? I believe I have met most of the requirements. I was considering in trying this since i joined the forum. I’m currently 21. I don’t currently have a scale in my possession since my last one was left at my old house before i moved. However I do plan on getting another one within the next fortnight. I've ordered a scale and should have it by the 10th of July. I’ve found chicken necks, hearts and livers etc both at Foodworks and Coles in Bacchus Marsh. I also am planning on buying from a butcher from Melton (15 minutes away) that has a great deal on bone in-meats and muscle/organ meats. ^^ It all just depends on prices but theres always places nearby that i can access meats from. Hi and welcome to the mentoring program . In a little while your mentor ( Poncesmom ), will introduce herself and you can get started on a new adventure in natural ferret care and diets. Please remember to post regularly (daily or as per arranged with your mentor) so that your mentor can assist you move along safely in this adventure. If you experience computer difficulties or are going to be away, please notify your mentor and most of all relax and have fun (giggle) Your mentor is here to help you on this journey. ciao
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Post by Deleted on Jul 12, 2015 20:32:01 GMT -5
Hi Machan I am so excited to get to work with you and Haru and Yuki. Here is my Bio: holisticferret60.proboards.com/thread/176/meet-mentorHere is a quick reminder of the rules of the Mentoring program: You are required to post every second day during the "soup" stage of the transition. From the "sliver" stage, through to large chunks, you will be required to post a minimum of every 3 days. Once you hit the large chunks, once a week will be acceptable. If you wish to post into your thread more often, that will be MORE than welcome The above are simply the minimum requirements so we can help with sticky spots, and not have to "catch up" to where you are presently at. Failure to post as required will result in your switch coming to a standstill and will result in two warnings before being dropped from the mentoring program. If something comes up, and you need to be away, please contact your mentor letting her know how long you will be absent.
FAILURE TO SUPPLY THE ABOVE QUESTIONNAIRE WILL RESULT IN TWO WARNINGS, ONE ISSUED IN THE SWITCHING THREAD, THEN NEXT VIA PM- THEN BEING DROPPED FROM THE MENTORING PROGRAM. BEING DROPPED FROM THE MENTORING THREAD WILL BE AT MY DISCRETION
You may request readmittance to the mentoring program if you agree to abide by the above rules. But you must wait for the next available mentor.
PLEASE NOTE that by applying for a mentor and using the forum you are agreeing to abide by the terms and conditions as set in this thread: holisticferret60.proboards.com/thread/1585/rules-regulations-terms-read-sign
Also, I will ask for this information once a week" Please copy/paste this very short questionnaire into your switching thread every Sunday/Monday. 1. Ferret's name: 2. Ferret's weight: 3. Ferret has eaten "X" amount on average per meal. 4. Stools on various proteins. 5. Activity levels: 6. Weekly menu: If you would please post a dangling picture of Yuri and Haku and a picture of them from the top. This will allow me to see their body type and get an idea of their weights. I believe that you want to start off with Frankenprey for now, correct? We'll do a soupie for a few days and see that they are eating that well and then discuss Frankenprey. 8oz raw chicken thigh (raw) 1 oz raw chicken liver (or other raw liver) 1-2 raw chicken hearts (approximately 1 oz) or 1 oz other raw heart ½ to ¾ tsp bone meal or crushed egg shell (air-dry egg shell then crush with mortar and pestle or in a clean coffee grinder)
Weigh out your meat and organs. Add bone meal or egg shell. Add water until about the consistency of thick cream (no thinner!!). Blending up in a food processor is the easiest way.
The key to success will be working with Yuki and Haru. In the beginning, you will sit with them and coax and persuade them. I'm not a fan of scruffing. I think sitting with one or the other on your lap will go alot further towards getting them to trust you and building your bond with them. Poop Patrol will become an important part of your life, lol. Keep an eye on their poops and post about them. This will tell us alot about them. Their poops will change from meal to meal. The occasional funky poop is nothing to worry about. Poops tell us if they need more bone in their diet, if they need less bone in their diet. Organ poops will be loose and dark from the blood rich meal. You will also see them go thru a detox phase. Their bodies are eliminating all the toxins from kibble and using the nutrients from raw. They are likely to have stinky poops for a few weeks. Quickly enough, you will see their poops get smaller, less smelly and their fur with change from coarse to silky smooth. Raw fed ferrets often begin to smell like grape koolaid, we call this Grapetails. You should see an increase in energy levels also. Watch their little ears, nose and paws. They should be a nice healthy pink and that is an indicator of good health. Ferrets are most active in the early morning and early evening. We will work with your schedule and find the best time for meals. Something that works for all three of you. Your friends and family (and your vet) may have alot of questions about the safety of feeding raw. A ferret has a very fast digestive track. What they eat is eliminated with 3-4 hours. The bacteria found in Salmonella or Ecoli takes longer than that to incubate. Their raw food is safe to leave out and here are the guidelines: “Soups” - 6-8 hours (for soup recipe, see below) Grinds - 8-12 hours Chunks - 10-24 hours depending on the size (larger chunks last longer) Bone-in meats - 12-24 hours, again depending on the size Whole prey - up to 48 hours Since we are dealing with raw, you will want to wash your hands after prepping. I use a separate cutting board and a separate set of knives that are ferret only. Everything is washed and then it goes into the dishwasher for extra disinfecting. Mine have a daytime set of plates and a dinner set of plates. My countertops get disinfected after preparing every meal. It's easy and you get use to it quickly. Okay, that's enough for now. I will ask you a few questions after you post, simply to recap and make sure that you understand our first steps. Hugs to "our" little ones and it will be fun to get started. (dance)
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Post by Deleted on Jul 13, 2015 1:57:17 GMT -5
I didn't realize this was up so fast [img src="http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h352/JW_2012/Emoticons/ .gif" src="http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h352/JW_2012/Emoticons/ .gif" style="max-width:100%;"] They've stopped eating kibble completely now. They're more interested in the fresh food compared to the dry food. I'm not sure what brand they were fed before I got them 4 or so weeks ago (it was a cheap cat kibble and had lots of filler ;A; So unhealthy) I had them on vetafarm.com.au/product/ferret-origins/ for a few days but since they weren't eating it as much as I had hoped, I got them mince and they went straight to it. The main thing they were eating was mince for the first 2 weeks but we did buy chicken necks the same day we brought them home and tested them on it. At the time, Yuki was 6 months and Haru was 8 months. (I read on here about imprinting) Yuki ate and finished the Chicken neck while Haru didn't even sniff it. Over the next week, we tried them on a few different meats from what was available at the time. They both ate chicken hearts on the first go. Chicken wings (the full wings with tips) Yuki only ate the tip end and Haru didn't try it at all. Chicken Liver, Yuki ate it without any issues, but Haru didn't touch it.. We found Chicken giblets last week, Which I think had some kidneys (I think), a few chicken hearts, but mainly gizzard (from what I could tell after googling about it.) Yuki didn't try the giblets at all to begin with, same with haru but today Yuki was eating a few of them. I think my main concern is Haru since she's taking her time with solid foods. I tried a soup recently as well which haru was eating fine. Both Yuki and Haru enjoy soup. (1 (small) chicken liver, 2x chicken hearts, Mince, 1/2 tsp Powdered egg shells) I also want to make sure that they start eating the right amounts, So the sooner the scale gets here the better. >3< Once they're weighed, will that help determine how much they should be fed? I don't currently have chicken thighs, But I'll pick some up on Wednesday, along with whats needed for the soup recipe you provided. (shopping day) Speaking of bone meal, I couldn't find any at my supermarket. Does it go by any other alternative names? I've got egg shells powdered also. I've put some in a container. Now I have an excuse to not throw away the shells~ ^^ 1. Ferret's name: Yuki. 2. Ferret's weight: (I'll update this by Wednesday since I'm waiting on the scales) He feels very bulky (lots of muscle). He's also feels like a nice weight. 3. Ferret has eaten (I'll use this morning as reference) He ate 2 gizzards in one sitting before stashing the rest. 4. Stools on various proteins: He had chicken necks yesterday so today's poop was alittle moist, alittle boney. I noticed that his poops are darker and more sticky with organ meats, while moist and boney with bone-on meat(necks). When he was on kibble it was light brown and smelly(pooped more but now less) Light brown in colour, moist with muscle meats. 5. Activity levels: He's very active. He managed to escape his cage twice in one day today. He could play on high 2 hours straight before wanting to nap. 6. Weekly menu: Chicken necks, Chicken Heart/Gizzard, Beef slivers, Chicken liver. I managed to get some photos of him being still today! [img src="http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h352/JW_2012/Emoticons/ .gif" style="max-width:100%;" src="http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h352/JW_2012/Emoticons/ .gif"]
1. Ferret's name: Haru. 2. Ferret's weight: (unsure yet) When I hold her, she feels like a normal weight but her lower back concerns me since it looks alittle thin. You'll see in the pics. 3. Ferret has eaten usually about 1/2 cup of mince or 2 defrosted blocks of Soup. (I got that idea to freeze the soup from here.Its smart) Tonight, I tried putting a couple of beef slivers in the soup, and she ate them all. 4. Stools on various proteins; (based on yesterday/today) Her poop is brown, alittle loose (since she was eating soup) Mainly the same as I listed on Yuki's, but she doesn't eat bone-on meat yet. 5. Activity levels: Moderate. She likes to wonder around rather than play, then she goes back and sleeps after about an hour. 6. Weekly menu: Mainly mince, Chicken hearts and soup (chicken liver/heart/etc) My internet is playing up at the moment , So I'll upload the images alittle later. FINALLY IT LETS ME~ Edit: My internet provider is having one of those annoying semi-outages. It keeps dropping out, driving me crazy to be honest. Anyway The images are up, are they okay?
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Post by Deleted on Jul 13, 2015 9:32:38 GMT -5
Good Morning (over here). Did you ever see that movie The Lake House with Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock. They correspond back and forth, only she sends her letters to the future. That feels like us. (dance) Your pictures look good. It's summer so we expect them to get thin. The idea is that you should be able to feel ribs but not see them. Also when they are dangling, there should not be a waistline. If you can post a dangling picture of both of them, that will be great. Both of yours are mostly grown. The average girl eats around 2 ounces a day. A little more in the winter and a little less in the spring. Girls sometimes frighten us with how little they eat. The average boy eats 3-4 ounces, again less in the spring and more in the winter. The first few weeks of their switch, they will eat alot. They're making up for lost nutrients. So far, they've eaten chicken and beef. We don't want their menu too heavy on chicken, but we're okay for now. Chicken is the most common allergen/intolerance and we don't want them developing a problem with chicken. I love that they are getting gizzards. Gizzards build up their jaw strength and help clean teeth. If you can find duck gizzards, they are nice and fatty and a great way to get pricey duck for very little money. I'm also really pleased that the beef went over well. Beef is a strong flavor and can be tough to get them to eat. They get a big hug for that. And Hooray for no kibble. Is your mince the one that you posted about earlier? Remind me what proteins are in it. I ordered the NOW brand of Bone meal from Amazon. It is human grade with no added sweeteners. My Mika is a lazy bone eater, so even with muscle meats, I dust a little over them. I've never seen it in a petstore or grocery store. Haru is your playful one and Yuki is an explorer. Find a space somewhere and throw down some blankets, turn over some laundry baskets and get a couple of boxes and cut holes in them. Let them parallel play and you can even hide a few pieces of gizzards as a foraging game. Necks are tough for new to Bone ferrets. You might need to smash hers up some. The best beginner bones will be chicken wings, quail and cornish game hen. We'll work with soupies first. That doesn't mean that you can't still offer some other foods, but we want them to learn about new textures and begin getting use to slivers. Once they are eating their soupie, we begin adding small slivers. The next step will be to increase the size of the slivers and decrease the amount of soup, until they are eating all slivers. We can wait until you go shopping on Wednesday, if you don't have everything now. What is going to be the key to success is for you to work with them. They are old enough to be leary of new food and young enough to make a nice switch. They will feel more secure with you there. Pick up some cute colorful baby spoons and that will help during the soupie phase. We will try to keep separate their feeding tools from your tools. Just one more safety guard when dealing with raw foods. I'd like to include a small lesson each day. Let's start with Taurine. It is essential to ferrets and something that every ferrent should be aware of and understand it's importance. holisticferret60.proboards.com/thread/15089/information-taurineYour first quiz will come from this article. Any questions so far. Post as often as you wish, I'm online alot. You're a terrific ferrent and Yuki and Haru are lucky to have you. :wave3:
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Post by Deleted on Jul 13, 2015 23:07:22 GMT -5
I have!! You're totally right Ah~ Its currently winter over here. I've noticed that she gains the weight around the problem area then loses it alittle. It does Fluctuate and I can feel her ribs, just not see them (good sign~) She's currently having an early run around (12.42pm) She's running around, full of energy. She's so cute when she's running down the hall way. When I let her out from her cage earlier she was coming up to me "Let me play out there~ I'm bored of this room" By looks of it, Haru is eating alittle more than 2ounces a day and Yuki about 4ounces. Does differences in body size change how much or how little they eat also? Do you have an example of the dangling photos? (Do I scruff and hold them for it, or can I just hold them normally?) I can get some today. Yeah, I agree. At the moment they eat alot more chicken compared to other meats. Are there any signs to an intolerance? Can a ferret get an intolerance further on in their life? (Something to look out for in the future) (I think Haru just fell asleep somewhere. I just searched for her and she was under my roommates bed stashing a toy) I'll ask next time i'm at the supermarket about the duck gizzards. I never knew they helped with jaw strength and cleans teeth. Yuki eats them no problem now, nice shiny clean teeth for Yuki~ I was giving them Beef mince. I was considering Turkey mince also. I recently changed supermarkets, but this was the mince they were having up till last week. shop.coles.com.au/online/national/coles-beef-mince-3-star(Sorry this reply is taking so long to post, I just put Haru to bed and let out Yuki for some play+ I've been doing ferret chores,washing bedding etc ) Does bone meal and egg shell powder do the same thing? I might try and order some in if I can, seeings it seems impossible to find any in store. Crushing the necks would be good for haru I think. I might try that after we do the soupie stage. How long roughly do I put them on the soup for? And what kinds of meats should I get for the next stage? (Probably the usual right?) I'll have the chicken thighs tomorrow so we should start then. I'm also going to check for duck gizzards and some baby spoons while I'm there. I would like to follow everything nicely~ ^^ I'll check out the Taurine Thread now. I may have already read it, But its a good thing to check it out one more time ^^ (Yuki just distracted me, He wanted to play hide and seek tag.) OH yes, Last night Yuki was being so loud (8pm) and then haru at 10Pm (digging and biting at the bars) Its kind of like they're chucking a tantrum after having 2 hours of playtime each. I also think they really miss eachother since Haru still have her stitches in from being speyed. Hopefully she can get those out tomorrow and then they can play again. >3< As for today, Haru had an accident in the back room. (Couldn't grab her in time ;A; ) It looks alittle watery, But I think thats from her soup I gave her this morning. Both of them had egg last night also so both had yellow poop earlier (before I cleaned) Before that, Yuki had a seedy looking poop which I think is from having a chicken neck last night.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 14, 2015 3:51:29 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Jul 14, 2015 10:05:49 GMT -5
By looks of it, Haru is eating a little more than 2ounces a day and Yuki about 4ounces. Does differences in body size change how much or how little they eat also?
Females in general eat less. I've noticed that my Juliet who has the body type of a whippet eats less than my Mika who has the body type of a bulldog. They both tend to graze more than stand at the plate and eat. Juliet is all about stashing, so I think she eats more than I see. Do you have an example of the dangling photos? (Do I scruff and hold them for it, or can I just hold them normally?) I can get some today.
Your dangling pictures are fine. They both look very healthy to me. They are just gorgeous. Our ferrets here in the States have a pointier head. I love the round faces that yours all have. It gives them a cute teddy bear look. Yeah, I agree. At the moment they eat alot more chicken compared to other meats. Are there any signs to an intolerance? Can a ferret get an intolerance further on in their life? (Something to look out for in the future)
An allergy or intolerance will show up in their poops. The poops will be loose and mucousy, diarrhea will appear. Left untreated or caught, it will turn into IBD or Irritable Bowel Disease: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is usually seen in ferrets over 2 years of age. In some ferrets, it shows up right away and we eliminate that protein. In others, it takes time to show up. Chicken is the most common allergen/intolerance and Lamb is the least. It's considered a hypo allergenic meat. Here is a medical explanation from a thread on this: Affected ferrets initially suffer from intermittent, mild diarrhea that may also be associated with anorexia or a shift in food preferences. The consistency of the ferret’s stools may worsen over weeks to months. Histologic examination of the gastrointestinal tract often reveals lymphocytic-plasmacytic inflammation, or less commonly eosinophilic gastroenteritis may be seen. The underlying etiology is probably multifactorial however viruses, bacteria, dietary antigens, and toxins have all been implicated as potential causes of IBD. There may also be an underlying genetic component to IBD in the ferret. IBD is progressive involving more of the tract, inflammatory progressing to neoplastic changes of the mesenteric lymph nodes, and eventually intestinal lymphoma, either diffuse or localized. I was giving them Beef mince. I was considering Turkey mince also. I recently changed supermarkets, but this was the mince they were having up till last week. shop.coles.com.au/online/national/coles-beef-mince-3-starI can't see the ingredients on the mince, but it looks like what we call ground beef. If it's pure beef or turkey, it will fall under the Muscle meat category on the Frankenprey menu. I like to follow a 'mince' meal with a Bone In meal or a gizzard meal to keep their teeth clean. Both of them had egg last night also so both had yellow poop earlier (before I cleaned) Before that, Yuki had a seedy looking poop which I think is from having a chicken neck last night.You can always tell an eggy poop. One egg a week per ferret is enough. Quail eggs are fun and they can have more than one of those. They are so tiny. A seedy poop is simply undigested fats. Chicken necks are fatty and that's good. Fat equals energy for ferrets. They just get a little more than they can use and the fat comes out looking like seeds. Yuki and Haru have so much personality. They sound wonderful. It seems like they have a strong bond, isn't that amazing to watch? Okay, let me give you 4 simple Taurine questions: !. If you are out of Hearts, what could you use as a backup? (aside from Taurine Powder). 2. Does freezing degrade Taurine? 3. Does Heat degrade Taurien? 4. Can Taurine build up in their systems? Consider these little pop quizzes as a study guide for your final exam before graduation. I have!! You're totally right [img src="http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h352/JW_2012/Emoticons/.gif" src="http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h352/JW_2012/Emoticons/.gif" style="max-width:100%;" src="http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h352/JW_2012/Emoticons/.gif"]
Also, both bone meal powder and eggshell provide a source of calcium. You already know about calcium, I'm sure. Bones however provide other nutrients. If Yuki and Haru move as fast as I think they will, the eggshell powder is fine for now. If we get a stubborn ferret who doesn't want to eat bones, then we move them to bonemeal powder until they learn or accept bones. You're fine with eggshell powder for now. That really was an odd movie. I don't think anyone ever figured it out. I love Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves, so it wasn't a complete waste of time, but geez... You three are going to be great at this. You'll see a change in their coats before you know it. (dance)
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Post by Deleted on Jul 14, 2015 17:13:05 GMT -5
They are very gorgeous >3< Very cheeky at times but are such sweeties as well~ I fell in love with the rounded ferret noses. Automatically i had to get ferrets with the cute round noses. Haru's nose is alittle pointed but I've noticed from other peoples ferret pics that females tend to have a pointier/smaller nose compared to males? Yuki has a cute round nose, reminds me of a little polar bear, It seems now he has a nickname already >3< I automatically assumed mince would fall under muscle category. Over here we just call it mince. I've never heard of it referred to as ground beef. (I had a mental image of someone pounding beef hahaha) I'll note down that mince should be followed by bone-in meat/gizzard. I've been keeping notes in a my writing books. ^^ OH yes~ I got the 'one egg per week' from here. I was originally doing only yolk since i heard whites where bad, but after doing research on here I started giving full eggs to them.(http://holisticferret60.proboards.com/thread/3811/raw-eggs-safe) I'm going to look into getting some quail eggs. I also wanted to get some quail as well. Apparently my great uncle breeds quail for consumption so I might be able to buy some off him. (Freeze for 2 weeks before feeding to ferrets right? anyhoo, probably not for a long while though) yes indeed! Yuki's face lights up when Haru's around. Though she doesn't pay much attention after 5 seconds. Before she was speyed, he used to try and coax her to playing. She's slowly opening up. I noticed she's becoming alittle more playful everyday, which is a great thing to see. The cutest sight is seeing them run down the hall way with their little tails bouncing as they go >3< Was i suppose to answer them? I did anyway~~ >3< Bone meal and using egg shells are all completely new to me. No wait, technically alot of things relating to ferrets is new to me. I didn't know much about taurine before either apart from it being used in energy drinks and having some false rumour of where it comes from I'll try and get my hands on some bone meal. Its always good to have some things lying around in case. Since getting them, i noticed how much their coat has changed since I got them. They smelt alot to begin with, mainly because it was a new smell to me and that they were in cages with about 6 others each. Their coats were rough, especially Yuki's but now they smell less, and their coats are soft & shiny. I can't wait to see more changes. They will be very happy ferrets >3< Today is shopping day! Yay! I think my roommate gets home around mid day so the ferrets will be set for dinner~ I feed them around 6-7am and 6-7pm, should I feed them in between or would they stay full throughout the day? I'm also checking the post office, since I think the scales are there now~ It should be great! I'm checking on them soon (poop patrol ) So I might post again shortly or later on.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 14, 2015 17:33:45 GMT -5
They are very gorgeous Yuki and Haru are especially gorgeous. All ferrets are beautiful, but your two are simply lovely. I automatically assumed mince would fall under muscle category. Over here we just call it mince.I'm getting to learn to speak Australian. I always wanted to speak another language. (giggle) OH yes~ I got the 'one egg per week' from here. I was originally doing only yolk since i heard whites where bad, but after doing research on here I started giving full eggs to them.(http://holisticferret60.proboards.com/thread/3811/raw-eggs-safe)
Great, I'm happy that you found that thread. It's very informative. Everyone goes gaga over quail eggs. I was really happy when I found some and mine just didn't care about them. I'm going to try them again later. They will make a nice (and messy) foraging treat. I find Quail in our Asian Markets. Golden Blossom is the brand name, so you probably wouldn't find that, but they come in a six pack and are around $9 (American dollars). They're a great beginner bone. The ones that I buy are cleaned and whole, but there is always one feather (not two) still on them. Why one feather, I don't know. Maybe it's a superstition since two feathers means a lack of courage. I'm just kidding about that. But it is a one feathered mystery. If your uncle is breeding his quail, they will be safer than a hunted or wild quail. I'd still freeze it just to be sure. Does he name his quail..."Yuki, Haru...tonight is George for dinner". Awwwww.... I'll try and get my hands on some bone meal. Its always good to have some things lying around in case. Since getting them, i noticed how much their coat has changed since I got them. They smelt alot to begin with, mainly because it was a new smell to me and that they were in cages with about 6 others each. Their coats were rough, especially Yuki's but now they smell less, and their coats are soft & shiny.
It is nice to have Bone Meal powder in your ferret supply closet. I've been surprised before and found out that I was out of hearts and used it. Then sometimes, I find that someone's poops are looking a little too loose, because one of mine pigged out on everyone else's hearts. It's a nice back up. Ferrets on raw really do smell less. Their coats are the first change that we notice. Next comes the Grape smell. Ferrets on raw often have a grape Kool-aid smell. My baby Mika even had grape scented urine. Poos are smaller too and that's very nice. You did great on your quiz: One small note. Taurine is found in the muscle meats, the more they use a muscle, the more taurine is found in it. The best backup for hearts is actually tongue. Tongue really has more taurine in it than hearts. You get a solid A on your quiz. Very nice job! :thumbsup:
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Post by Deleted on Jul 14, 2015 22:36:20 GMT -5
Yuki and Haru are especially gorgeous. All ferrets are beautiful, but your two are simply lovely.Thats how I chose Haru out >3< She was technically the first ferret I saw at the breeder I went to. She had her two paws up on the cage wire and I was like "SHE'S CUTE, The others are cute BUT SHE'S REALLY CUTE" Kind of like a calling. I had to take her home >3< My roommate chose Yuki. A nice big bulky white/cream male who had just woken up from a nap. We assumed he was the laid back kind but as soon as he got home he turned into 'i can play for ever' kind-no batteries required. I'm getting to learn to speak Australian. I always wanted to speak another language. (giggle)Australian English can be quite hilarious. Especially with how much slang we use on an everyday basis. >3< Great, I'm happy that you found that thread. It's very informative.Everyone goes gaga over quail eggs. I was really happy when I found some and mine just didn't care about them. I'm going to try them again later. They will make a nice (and messy) foraging treat.All of the threads here are extremely informative. Do you feed the quail eggs as they are, shell on? I was just talking to my room mate on the phone and we're considering getting some quail for the bottom of our cockatiel cage for eggs in the future. I looked around and we have no asian grocers in my area.The closest is about 3-4 hours away so we thought 'why not just get some for the cage anyway.' Should the eggs be cleaned in anyway before fed to ferrets? I find Quail in our Asian Markets. Golden Blossom is the brand name, so you probably wouldn't find that, but they come in a six pack and are around $9 (American dollars). They're a great beginner bone. The ones that I buy are cleaned and whole, but there is always one feather (not two) still on them. Why one feather, I don't know. Maybe it's a superstition since two feathers means a lack of courage. I'm just kidding about that. But it is a one feathered mystery.I never knew about that superstition Its intriguing~ If your uncle is breeding his quail, they will be safer than a hunted or wild quail. I'd still freeze it just to be sure. Does he name his quail..."Yuki, Haru...tonight is George for dinner". Awwwww....omg. I highly doubt he would name them since they are bred for human consumption. He's also a hunter and gets rabbits etc. My brother's name is george. George the Quail. It must stay. HAHA. It is nice to have Bone Meal powder in your ferret supply closet. I've been surprised before and found out that I was out of hearts and used it. Then sometimes, I find that someone's poops are looking a little too loose, because one of mine pigged out on everyone else's hearts. It's a nice back up.
Would egg shells be substitute to bone meal for aiding loose poop? Ah you mentioned the brand 'Now' is it this one? au.evitamins.com/bone-meal-now-34035They seem to be currently out. I might look around more and check back there later ^^ I found two other sites also that have it priced for $30-$40. Alittle pricey, but It should last a while so it would be worth getting. Yuki's been known to steal and stash Haru's share >3< Ferrets on raw really do smell less. Their coats are the first change that we notice. Next comes the Grape smell. Ferrets on raw often have a grape Kool-aid smell. My baby Mika even had grape scented urine. Poos are smaller too and that's very nice.
Oooh grape smell? I've heard some people say that their ferrets smell similar to popcorn >3< You did great on your quiz: One small note. Taurine is found in the muscle meats, the more they use a muscle, the more taurine is found in it. The best backup for hearts is actually tongue. Tongue really has more taurine in it than hearts.
You get a solid A on your quiz. Very nice job! :thumbsup:
I'll put it down on my 'to find' list. so I can search around for some tongue in the supermarket. Our local butcher closed down last year ;n; Apparently they're doing a whole heap of renovations and should be back late this year. I'm pretty sure the pet butcher 15-20 minutes out of town would have tongue, among other muscle meats. The store sells fresh cuts of meat for pet (dog/cat) consumption. The next town has like 3 butchers. Kind of jealous, but anyway i'm pretty sure i could find tongue at the supermarket i shop at. It would probably be in the deli section. Haru's getting her stitches out today. I will let them have a play time when i get home later after the stitches are out. I think there will also be an alpha stand off later since they've been apart for 2 weeks and they haven't quite settled who's the boss yet. As for poop check this morning, Haru's poop was light brown alittle runny alittle, seedy?. (Soup) Yuki's appeared to be darker brown, moist and alittle grainy/seedy. (Necks/Soup) Yuki is still in litter training. I had him using it fine one minute and then he started pooping on the second level, so I added another corner litter tray, which worked! They're currently sleeping. Little munchkins <3 I can't wait till they can be int he same cage together later and then start on soup properly >3< I'm going out now, bye bye!
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Post by Deleted on Jul 15, 2015 0:50:41 GMT -5
I'm at the supermarket at the moment. I talked with the butcher and found out they can order in any meats for me. They didn't have any duck gizzard though so I might order some in next time. I got 2 lots of chicken thighs and a heap of other meats like beef kidney, necks, more heart and liver etc.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 15, 2015 1:14:27 GMT -5
Also forgot to mention, got the scales today~
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Post by Deleted on Jul 15, 2015 4:47:48 GMT -5
We assumed he was the laid back kind but as soon as he got home he turned into 'i can play for ever' kind-no batteries required.
My Juliet is like that. She's like the Energizer Battery bunny. (do you have that commercial?) She moves at warp speed, never stops except to nap. She's my alpha and she honks. When she is moving, she is honking. She's so funny and all of them (except Keller) adore her. Boys tend to be snugglers, Yuki will probably be also, once he settles in. My Roamy is a player. He climbs on my lap and snuggles for five or ten minutes, then he gives me kisses, gets down and goes to his leash. He has now bribed me for a walk.
I never knew about that superstition Its intriguing~
There's a Heath Ledger movie called Four Feathers which about the feathers and lack of courage. It's sad. I miss him, he was one of my favorite actors.
Oooh grape smell? I've heard some people say that their ferrets smell similar to popcorn >3<
Some Ferrents say that their ferrets smell like corn chips. I've heard that can be a telltale sign of oncoming Adrenal. Let's hope that neither of us smell that on our ferrets.
I'll put it down on my 'to find' list. so I can search around for some tongue in the supermarket
Cow tongue is pricey here. My Mother adores Cow tongue and yes I think it's too yucky to try. Our town has more cows than people, so it shouldn't be. Mine love pork tongue. One of my other Mentees has recently found duck tongues and her ferret is crazy about those.
That's great that your butcher will save inside parts for you. You can also check with any Farmer's Coops or Farmers Markets for other variety. I saw a newspaper report that alot of Asian markets are closing in Australia, due to fruit fly concerns. Over here, we have online shippers like HareToday and MyPetCarnivore, but shipping costs are high.
As for poop check this morning, Haru's poop was light brown alittle runny alittle, seedy?
Both poops look pretty normal. Seedy is simply the undigested fats. Expect a wide range of poops. We only get concerned when poops become persistently funky or strange. Then we will look at what could be causing that and begin an elimination diet. Poop Patrol is important though and keep posting about them. If you think it's too runny, then up the eggshell powder a little. Too firm, lower the eggshell amount.
Haru's getting her stitches out today.
I know they miss playing together. I'm glad they will be back together.
Yuki is still in litter training. I had him using it fine one minute and then he started pooping on the second level, so I added another corner litter tray, which worked!
Great idea. My breeder friend also uses blankets in empty corners. Ferrets like a nice big litter box. One that they can turn around in. Those little triangle ones never seem to work. I use puppy pads, since mine are free roam and we have an upstairs and a downstairs. Of course, each room has to have a puppy pad. That's alot of puppy pads.
Hooray for your shopping trip and the scale coming in. It helps to keep a journal of their weights. I know you keep good records anyway. I like to take my journal with me to the vets, and make any notes of changes that I see.
Keeping them still on the scale can be a challenge. I just put a drop of oil on mine. Some Ferrents will weigh a bowl and then put their ferrets in the bowl.
It's getting late and I'm going back to bed. When I post later, we'll talk about the next ingredient in soup; Liver. It's important to know about Liver and Vitamin A.
You did great and give Yuki and Haru a big hug for being such good fuzzies. :wave3:
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Post by Deleted on Jul 15, 2015 7:39:17 GMT -5
My Juliet is like that. She's like the Energizer Battery bunny. (do you have that commercial?) She moves at warp speed, never stops except to nap. She's my alpha and she honks. When she is moving, she is honking. She's so funny and all of them (except Keller) adore her.Boys tend to be snugglers, Yuki will probably be also, once he settles in.My Roamy is a player. He climbs on my lap and snuggles for five or ten minutes, then he gives me kisses, gets down and goes to his leash. He has now bribed me for a walk.Oh yes! I've seen the commercial ad I'm pretty sure Yuki is attempting to be alpha but Haru, despite her small size, won't tolerate it. She keeps him in line. I also agree, Yuki very much seems he would be into cuddles. even though he's still nipping (training in progress) I've notice how much he's improved and he is held and had lots of pets. He soaks up attention. >3< Yuki climbs! He climbs anything he can climb, literally lol. He managed to he on the table today. I have no clue how he managed that. There's a Heath Ledger movie called Four Feathers which about the feathers and lack of courage. It's sad. I miss him, he was one of my favorite actors.Wah! I loved Heath Ledger >3< It was so tragic how young he passed away. (I haven't seen that movie, but I will check it out for sure) I still enjoy watching Heath ledger movies because he's simply one h*ll of an actor. >3< Some Ferrents say that their ferrets smell like corn chips. I've heard that can be a telltale sign of oncoming Adrenal. Let's hope that neither of us smell that on our ferrets.Oh wow! I wonder what kind of smell mine will have in the future. I love their slight musky scent >3< Haru seems to smell very very faintly of musk now though since being speyed. She didn't really smell before hand which I read what normal since males smell more anyway. Oh my, really? Thats worrisome... Is it just the smell of corn chips that relate to adrenal? Cow tongue is pricey here. My Mother adores Cow tongue and yes I think it's too yucky to try.Our town has more cows than people, so it shouldn't be. Mine love pork tongue. One of my other Mentees has recently found duck tongues and her ferret is crazy about those.
I couldn't find cow tongue in my supermarket, but when i spoke to the butcher there he said I can order in meats, any kind which is fantastic. I think it might be pricey here as well. I was told that brains cost alot. He gave me a rough estimate that it could cost me about $30. Apparently it costs more since it takes more time to cut the skull etc etc etc. The butcher said he had worker ferrets and was recommending me meats from what i asked and omg, He was like "you can feed them anything" Sounds like the breeder who i got Haru&Yuki from. In my head i was like "Wow... No you can't. I'm new, but even i know you cannot feed them 'everything'." Oh well~ Im just happy that I'm learning the most healthiest diet for mine. I want to avoid them being sick at all costs since they need more happy time and everyone knows that good healthy food makes anyone happy. >3< I was going to get some duck tongues today but they had run out until the following day. ;A; I might eventually try a variety of things~ I guess thats what the transition will help me and the fuzzies with ^^ That's great that your butcher will save inside parts for you. You can also check with any Farmer's Coops or Farmers Markets for other variety.The farmer market where i live is mainly fresh produce like fruit and veg, so finding fresh meats would be hard with that. But its all okay since I've located a few butchers that are great on prices. ^^ I saw a newspaper report that alot of Asian markets are closing in Australia, due to fruit fly concerns. Over here, we have online shippers like HareToday and MyPetCarnivore, but shipping costs are high.Oh that was probably from last year. Fruit fly has always been a concern but i doubt that alot of the markets would close permanently because of it. Melbourne city which i live about half an hour or 40 minutes away from has many great asian grocers. I might do a day trip and get some things from there every so often~ I looove asian grocers. ^^ Both poops look pretty normal. Seedy is simply the undigested fats. Expect a wide range of poops. We only get concerned when poops become persistently funky or strange. Then we will look at what could be causing that and begin an elimination diet. Poop Patrol is important though and keep posting about them. If you think it's too runny, then up the eggshell powder a little. Too firm, lower the eggshell amount.
Oh thats great to hear ^^ You mentions about undigested fats before so that was the first thing that sprung to my mind when I saw it. (Oh thats proof I'm learning new things) I'm starting to get into the poop checking habit. Sometimes I forget to check but I noticed I'm getting better at it. >3< I was explaining the poop situations with my roommate today too. She probably thought I was being strange but its necessary to spread the knowledge. Great idea. My breeder friend also uses blankets in empty corners. Ferrets like a nice big litter box. One that they can turn around in. Those little triangle ones never seem to work. I use puppy pads, since mine are free roam and we have an upstairs and a downstairs. Of course, each room has to have a puppy pad. That's alot of puppy pads.
I currently only have the corner ones but I'm going to get some square/rectangle ones in the next fortnight, especially for around the house since they're out more often now. Sometimes using blankets or towels around the area will work and other times he just scratches it and moves it around so he can go land a nice big poop where the litter box isn't. He has two specific corners on the lower level where he poops, so I was considering in one corner litter tray and one square one for the lower level. I currently have a corner tray on the second level. The current cage I have is great, But despite it being new and nice/larger, Its harder to clean so I decided I'm going to get a new cage called ferret kingdom. Its like our alternative to Ferret Nation. They open up wide and it looks so easy to clean, whereas my current cage has two large square flip doors where you have to reach in to hang stuff, wipe stuff, etc as well as the bottom where you can pull out the tray and then have to wipe that down. Ohhhh I'm pretty sure they will have the new cage by their birthdays! Birthday present for ferrets >3< (October for Yuki and December for Haru~We didnt know the exact date so our vet put it for the 5th. Lucky them~) I might get some puppy pads for around the house as well! Its such a smart thing to do. Hooray for your shopping trip and the scale coming in. It helps to keep a journal of their weights. I know you keep good records anyway. I like to take my journal with me to the vets, and make any notes of changes that I see.I was very happy about getting the scales. It's a little complicated but I think i figured out how to use them. I think I'm going to end up doing the same thing! I got the idea from this forum to make a journal and now I have a folder and everything where I keep ferret related papers, like vaccination cards/vet receipts for proofing etc. Today Haru got to see the same vet we saw when she had her shots done. Lucky her, She had such a nice vet and seemed to remember her very well. >3< Keeping them still on the scale can be a challenge. I just put a drop of oil on mine. Some Ferrents will weigh a bowl and then put their ferrets in the bowl.I was going to cover the bowl to stop them from moving around but it hit me like a light bulb that it could stress them out and if I wanted them still, Just use some ferretone or oil, so I had the idea to use some ferretone since I was out of olive oil or any other oil. I don't use ferretone all the time though. I heard its healthier to use just normal olive oil or salmon oil(was it?) Forgot to pick some up today since I went over board with spoiling the ferrets- no, you can never go overboard. >3< I put a drop of the ferretone on the bowl. We had a large fruit bowl which was all I had that would fit them in it I had to weight the bowl before hand since it might weight alittle bit and then just subtract what it weighed with the over all weighing of the ferrets. I successfully weighed them, both of them! yay! It's getting late and I'm going back to bed. When I post later, we'll talk about the next ingredient in soup; Liver. It's important to know about Liver and Vitamin A.Good night to you and your ferrets also~! Okay thats great! I look forward to learning more. You did great and give Yuki and Haru a big hug for being such good fuzzies.Thank you!
Okay here's alittle more stuff from today. So as I said, I went shopping and got some meats.
I bought two packs of chicken thighs. Some Beef Steak Mince (or ground mince), Two packs of chicken livers, A large pack of cute little chicken hearts, two packs of chicken necks and cow kidney. The cow kidney is huge so when I get around to using it, I will have to dice it *shivers* (I'm alittle squeamish when dealing with meats, but for my ferrets I suck it up~) I already had a pack of chicken hearts, still have the gizzards and some more chicken livers. I just realised how heavy the chicken is. I will have to start getting more pork, or duck/turkey next time. Also started on the soupie recipe. I think i may need a better blender since mine was over heated today with how thick the chicken thigh meat was. I almost thought I broke it But after letting it rest, it started working again. Yay. So I think next time I will dice the thigh meat up before hand to make it less stressful on my poor blender hahaha. (They both have their own colour plate. Yellow for Haru and Blue for Yuki) I may have given them alittle bit too much on the plates but Haru ate half of hers and Yuki ate alittle bit of his before he went off to play with Haru. I ended up covering them with foil since i'm out of glad wrap (really should have gotten some when shopping hahaha) So I could give them more later or tomorrow morning. I had alot left over so I managed to get them into the ice block tray (a full one) So I'll have more for the frozen and ready for when ever. So handy~ Haru enjoyed it! As did Yuki Oh and today I got this brand of litter. Its made from Recycled newspaper and seems to be very great.
After playing happily for about 2 hours, she ended up curling up in a coat sleeve. What a precious find <3 Okay, back to Soup topic. I weighed all the meats to make sure I got as close as I could to what the recipe stated. My scales only measure in grams so I had to convert ounces (oz?) to grams using an app on my phone. (I'm hoping everything is all correct) First I had to weigh the plate, since it was alittle heavy (being ceramic, i think lol). Then subtracted the plates weight from the overall weight of the meat. Plate - 286g. (This is after I subtracted the plates weight) Liver - 29g (x1) Heart - 17g (about 8g each x 2) Thigh - 226g. ½tsp of eggshell powder. I added ¼cup of water but it was alittle too thick so I added one more ¼cup of water. It ended up like the consistency of thickened cream. Now onto ferret weights. I hope I was able to correctly weigh them. I put them in a fruit bowl since it was the largest I had that would fit them and it wasn't really being used since we don't put fruit in it to begin with haha. Again, I weight the bowl just to make sure and subtracted from overall weigh in. I used the ferretone and they behaved for me by staying still for a few seconds. Haru got 65.6g while Yuki had 124.7g. I tried to convert it but I wasn't sure if the conversion was accurate. (So much numbers. *sobs* my weakness) Does that sound right to you? Okay I think I covered everything for tonight~ Good night for me~ bye bye!
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Post by Deleted on Jul 15, 2015 9:25:26 GMT -5
I never got back to sleep last night. It's raining here and I may try to nap.
I'm pretty sure Yuki is attempting to be alpha but Haru, despite her small size, won't tolerate it.
Girls usually rule. Everyone told me that when I got my first female Juliet and they were right. I don't think I've seen anyone on the forum with a alpha male, if there was a female in their business.
Yuki climbs!
Yuki is a climber, you're in for some fun. It's great for his shoulder muscles and scarey for ferrets. He will also most likely teach Haru to climb. I have found Ponce on the top shelf of my ten foot high closet. I found Mika in the garbage covered in spaghetti and Roamy began climbing curtains. Some will even push something closer and then jump on it to climb over something. I bought some inexpensive towels a bath rug. Mine climb up and into the tubs to play. It's great exercise for their shoulder muscles. You might want to keep toilet seats down and a lid on your trash cans. Make sure that they can't get anywhere near an open window, even with a screen.
I don't use ferretone all the time though. I heard its healthier to use just normal olive oil or salmon oil(was it?)
Ferretone is controversial because it has BTA's and BHA's which are cancer causing agents. Olive oil is plant based, so I prefer to use Wild Grizzly Salmon oil. It has a strong smell and I had to mix in some olive oil with the salmon oil at first, and then began reducing the olive oil until the olive oil was all gone and they were eating all salmon oil.
Haru got 65.6g while Yuki had 124.7g. I tried to convert it but I wasn't sure if the conversion was accurate. (So much numbers. *sobs* my weakness) Does that sound right to you?
I'm numerically challenged also. I can convert grams to ounces on the computer, so don't worry about converting. Their weights must be off. Does your scale have a button for grams and pounds?
Haru at 65.6 grams would be 2.3 ounces That's around the size of two or three chicken hearts Yuki at 124.7 grams would 4.3 ounes. That's about a half a chicken thigh.
Something is off. I checked a few times on the conversion table, but I'll have Paul take a look also. A grown female will weigh around 907 grams. A grown boy might be 1360 grams. If you have a can of something and it shows the weight on it, try weighing that. That will give you a way to calibrate your scale and get a good reading.
They did amazing on eating their soupie. Soupie can be left out for 6-8 hours. Try leaving a plate out and see if they finish it up. The next batch that you make, add some tiny sliver(with fat) to their soup. See if they munch on those. I had a whole monologue on coaxing them to eat soupies. Happily, I won't need to use it. (dance) What good fuzzies, They get special hugs today.
We talked about Hearts yesterday. One of the ingredients in soup. Today, let's talk about Liver:
Posted by Sherry on Apr 5, 2011 at 8:54pm Vitamins for a ferret are a very complex thing to work out. After all, just how do we know if they are recieving enough of each vitamin? As the food passes through their digestive tract so quickly the answer to this question is, "we don't!", but all vitamins MUST be used with extreme care. Some can cause serious problems if not treated with respect but those same vitamins can ensure a ferret has a healthy life.
To begin with let us look at Vitamin A. Vitamin A is a fat soluble vitamin (it is also called retinol) Normally a ferret on a natural diet would find vitamin A in oily fish or the liver of other animals (it can also be found in milk and eggs) when a ferret has eaten a food rich in vit A its own liver needs to go to work to regulate the blood level of vitamin A.
It uses a special blood carrier to transport vit A throughout the body. A ferret who has a high protein diet rich in fat can readily absorb vitamin A into its body. It is destroyed when cooked at temps of 40 degrees centigrade or more so. To obtain the maximim benefit liver should be fed raw.
Vitamin A is an anti oxidant that may protect against disease in the body. This vitamin is used for night vision, growth, and reproduction it also has many varied uses thru out the body and also helps maintain a healthy skin. It helps to prevent dryness of skin. It also helps with the health of mucous linings and these include eyes, ears, lungs, nose, throat and bladder. It is also good to help prevent colds! Ferrets can't catch our colds. They can catch the flu. So all in all vitamin A has many good uses, it also helps the ferrets immune system stay healthy.
A ferret who is deficient in vitamin A can show it in many ways and the simple deficiency can often be mistaken for something more serious. Some of the signs of a vitamin A deficiency can be as follows: dry or rough skin, problems with growth (bones appear weak), low resistance to infection, digestive problems (diarrea, kidney stones, loss of appetite) weak teeth that easily chip or break and appearing to have problems seeing - especially in darkness.
These are all the plus sides vit A can help solve but like all good things there is a reason for caution as there CAN be a down side if the vitamin is not treated with respect and used with care.
Vitamin A is a fat soluble vitamin that can be stored in the body and can cause overdoses if there is not a good break between doses. Very high doses can cause the following side effects: vomiting, hair loss, liver damage and painfull joints so a ferret finds it painful to walk. Vitamin A is a good vitamin, it is simply one that needs to be treated with respect and given in very, very small doses with a decent break between them. The plus side far outweighs the minus side but as I have stated and can't state enough, all vitamins should be treated with respect.
Get the balance right by carefully monitoring and your ferret can live a happy, healthy, long, illness free life. On the Frankenprey menu, they receive two Organ meal a week. One is Liver plus another Organ Two is 1/4 LIver plus another 1/4 Organ and a half meal of hearts.
Liver should be five percent of their weekly menu. The other organ will also be five percent. Heart ( a muscle meat) is ten percent. We do a full heart meal on one day and then a half meal with the second organ meal.
I can't tell you how happy that I am, with you and your Yuki and Haru. :wave3:
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