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Post by Desiree on Jul 17, 2015 20:20:50 GMT -5
So I'm getting my rat and African soft furred rat colony started on Monday. I will also likely add mice by the end of the month. My question is that I would like to be able to raise my own food for the ferrets instead of buying it. My closest Asian market is an hour away (where I buy organs) and the one that sells the good stuff (such as rabbit and quail eggs is two hours away. I can buy organs from the local butcher for a little bit more than the Asian market and save on gas but some of the more exotics foods are getting harder to come by cheaply.
If I were to add quail with my two types of rat and mice would this fulfill the proteins needed? I would want to supplement a meal of heart and a meal of organ just in someone is hogging the good stuff. Would it also be wise to still do a meal of muscle meat of pork or beef to add a little variety? I also have some DOC's that I can feed as a snack once a week or so.
I have pounds and pounds of meat in the freezer now so it will take us a while to get to the point where we can do whole prey all the time.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 17, 2015 20:53:26 GMT -5
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Post by Desiree on Jul 17, 2015 21:37:04 GMT -5
I would be raising my own quail.  |
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Post by FireAngel on Jul 17, 2015 23:06:02 GMT -5
I think if you are going to supplement with a red meat meal that you are safe. If you are raising all of your own in the end, have you thought about guinea pigs also? I actually used to breed them myself years ago until I developed a severe allergy to them. I would literally have to take a shower after handling them.
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Post by Desiree on Jul 17, 2015 23:15:05 GMT -5
Yeah I thought about them or rabbits but the cage space required is huge! Even though my feeders are designed for food, I want them to have the best possible life imaginable. Especially since the end goal is getting eaten.
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Post by FireAngel on Jul 17, 2015 23:25:54 GMT -5
Yes, guineas need a bit of room to play in and so do rabbits. I have a hard time thinking of rabbits as whole prey honestly. If I have to completely butcher something before I feed it so there is minimal waste I feel like it is just another protein for the frankenprey supplement to my whole prey base.
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Post by Desiree on Jul 17, 2015 23:46:50 GMT -5
Yeah, that is why I went to butchered ones instead of whole ones. Also why I want to raise quail instead of chicken. Perfect ferret size.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 18, 2015 4:29:07 GMT -5
 I was going to raise quail for eggs, but i let them go in field near house. This was temp cage, while son was building on my long cage outside. when people have to work , it is hard to ask them to do things,and he flat refused to take money, but i think I can finish it---I had an excellent supplier of eggs at farmer's market, but she may have moved back to Uruguay. |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 18, 2015 4:32:26 GMT -5
Ryou going to butcher them yourself?
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Post by Desiree on Jul 18, 2015 9:20:53 GMT -5
Yep. For the most part any squeamishness I had went out the window with owning ferrets. Because the prey that I ordered was so large, I've had to butcher into smaller portions. Another perk of raising my own prey. I can cull at a certain size. That's not a bad cage for that amount. I would to do an bug outside hutch but im uncertain of losing production in the winter months. Did you notice any particular smell besides the normal?
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Post by bitbyter on Jul 18, 2015 10:03:28 GMT -5
Just keep in mind that it takes time for A) the rodents to get to breeding age and B) you need to produce enough to get ahead of the ferrets appetites.
I've been raising ASF's and mice for 8 months now and I'd say just in the last month I have more than I need being produced (just started selling the odd bag of 25). I'm also closing down my mice due to the smell.
ASF's usually don't produce offspring until 3+ months old. Usually closer to 4 months so it all depends on how old the adults you get are.
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Post by Desiree on Jul 18, 2015 10:37:23 GMT -5
I won't run out of frankenprey meat for a long while. Whole chest freezer size worth of meat still. This is more of a preparing for the future type thing. I also have to make sure they will accept all the whole prey I throw at them. |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 18, 2015 13:45:14 GMT -5
The lady that raises quail for eggs---told me to put straw in their pen, and they should be fine in winter. Most people let them walk on 1/2 inch wire cloth so droppings fall thru. This is my pen (8 ft)--- I need to inclose it solid on 3 sides. I would put straw on my cloth. Also they like sand boxes.It also has a lean-to that sits on top , but it needs to be shingled. I guess i could go on you tube and learn how. The little cage has a wire bottom and a catch tray . I had to rinse it every day, until i put straw in it. (found it at thrift store) Like ferrets, some do not get along, so the bigger the pen the better. If pooh gets stuck on their feet it will get hard as a rock. If you don't get it off, and collects, it will get bigger and bigger. Read this on internet. I kept my quail's feet clean. The straw will help.  |
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