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Post by Deleted on Aug 3, 2015 21:50:01 GMT -5
Marty got hungry again, so I gave him the rest of the wing tip and he's munching away. Afterwards I'll give them another half ounce.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 3, 2015 21:55:32 GMT -5
Layla was hungry too so I gave her her own half ounce and put another ounce in the bowl, they'll get more if they finish. Sigh these guys are hard to keep up with lol
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Post by Deleted on Aug 3, 2015 23:07:09 GMT -5
Today's diet: 8oz of chicken thigh (WOW) with a half ounce of it yet to be eaten. One CGH wingtip each.
Layla: She ate as usual, and was very happy about the wing tip, needed very little coaxing.
Marty: He ate more than usual today. He needed a lot of coaxing to eat more than half of his wing tip.
All in all: They seem to flip flop on how enthusiastic they are for new things. Tomorrow night I'll post their weights and dangling pictures.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 4, 2015 7:58:30 GMT -5
The fuzzies are eating the pork happily! They're having to put a little effort in because it didn't thaw all the way overnight, but they don't seem like they mind.
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Post by gfountain on Aug 4, 2015 8:18:04 GMT -5
Gizzards are good and most ferrets love them. Actual necks are mostly bone. So as of right now, they eat gizzards, chicken thigh, CGH wings, chicken liver, FDR hearts, and pork. Is that correct?
As I said previously, newly switched fuzzies usually eat more than the average. They'll slow down eventually, but for now let them eat as much as they want.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 4, 2015 9:16:15 GMT -5
That's correct! And I understand, I've been giving Marty food whenever he wants, sometimes Layla picks at the extra food, but she usually just chews a little bit on a piece.
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Post by gfountain on Aug 4, 2015 10:03:02 GMT -5
See if you can get another protein to start them on in the next few days. They're doing really well accepting new things. Give them another meal of pork and then let's work on bone again.
You still have the CGH bodies, so thaw those out and cut the rib section out. The ribs are small and should be easy to eat. Cut between the ribs so there are 1 or 2 little bones in each section and give them those. They shouldn't have any trouble with them, but if they do, give them a whack to break them up a little.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 4, 2015 14:17:57 GMT -5
Alright! I'm hoping to go to the store tomorrow, and I might get to the butcher that I mentioned in time.
Will do! I've noticed that Layla is more cuddly now after play time rather than immediately wanting to go in the cage and Marty is less so. (He doesn't like sitting still anymore! Its great!) I currently have two pretty girls cuddling with me (Layla and Miracle).
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Post by Deleted on Aug 4, 2015 20:58:05 GMT -5
Layla: 1lb 6oz Marty: 2lb 8oz! Today's diet: 4oz of pork, with another 2oz for them to eat. Layla: She doesn't seem to like pork as much as chicken... too bad for her. She did eat as usual though. Marty: His spine is filling in! And I don't feel the gaps in his ribs as much! I'm so relieved I want to cry, but his belly seems to be a bit plumper than what I think is normal. The picture doesn't really show it well because his fur is fluffy. He also doesn't seem to like pork as much, but he was more enthusiastic than Layla for it, though he seems to have backed off on his eagerness for wanting more and more food today. All in all: I'm not concerned with Layla's weight, its been consistent since she stopped growing despite her being smaller than the usual size range. Marty however, worries me. When I first got him he was maybe a pound and a quarter, then he gained weight on good kibble to be about two and a quarter, then he dropped to a pound and a half before switching to raw, and now up to two and a half! Is this just because of the seasons and him eating more due to being on raw? I hope you can ease my worries about his belly.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 4, 2015 20:58:50 GMT -5
Hah. I just noticed how grumpy Marty looks in that picture. Also, excuse the mess, got a package from a friend today.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 4, 2015 21:30:11 GMT -5
They just ate another ounce, and it was adorable because they kept switching where they were eating (bowl and a tupperware container I have propped up and attached to the corner of the cage). Layla was just nibbling, Marty ate most of it.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 4, 2015 21:35:23 GMT -5
Did you mean give them more pork tomorrow? I have plenty prepared, I just don't know if you meant another meal today or another meal tomorrow, as I've been feeding them continuously like you said rather than meals.
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Post by gfountain on Aug 5, 2015 9:03:39 GMT -5
They both look fine to me. If anything, Layla is a tiny bit thin. See how her sides tuck in a little. But it's only a tiny bit and its summer, so I don't see anything to worry about. Marty looks fine, and grumpy! His tummy doesn't look too big to me. He's just a little round. Both of their weights are right in the average zone. Marty's weight fluctuations seem extreme. What time span are you talking about?
I want you to get on a twice a day feeding schedule. You will eventually go nuts trying to feed them all day long. I know you're concerned about food being out that long, so I want you to take the next couple of days to prepare yourself mentally. We're taught from the time we're small that you don't eat food that's been sitting out, so getting past that is one of the big hurdles in raw feeding. Reread the section in the mini-book about how long food can stay out and still be safe. Ask questions of other ferrents. And get ready! Also, for the next couple of days, I want you to be diligent about weighing EVERYTHING. Everything you serve them, everything you toss. Weigh their food before you give it to them and weigh what they don't eat. Then subtract to find out exactly how much they are eating. Every time you feed them anything, do the math and write it down.
You guys are doing great!
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Post by Deleted on Aug 5, 2015 10:05:06 GMT -5
I first got him at the end of last September, his weight was up by December, then it was back down around two months ago.
What do I do about when Marty wants food in between feedings? And I've been as accurate as possible about measuring everything, but I don't have a digital scale so I can't be exact, and single pieces can't really be weighed. They never have anything left through the day, and I try to leave an ounce in overnight, which they always eat all of. My concern now is more about the ferrets not having enough food than not finishing their food.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 5, 2015 10:19:59 GMT -5
I'm also worried about how you're saying that they'll eat less when they're transitioned... will Marty keep his weight up? Will their eating habits be regular or irregular? (They ate 8oz the other day and then 5.5 oz yesterday!) Should I only feed them at set times and ignore when Marty's banging for more food? I doubt he's starving but I know what its like to be hungry and not be allowed to eat.
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