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Post by Deleted on Sept 6, 2015 14:45:34 GMT -5
Hey all, I just got River today. She's 8 months old. We're doing raw from the start. I plan to feed in twice a day but I did offer part of a chicken neck and wing this afternoon to see what she'd do. She was exhausted from all the excitement so hasn't touched it yet.
If she doesn't touch the wing and neck I'll make some soup to offer her for dinner.
We'll make this work! LOL We raise our own chickens so I have plenty of healthy organs and meat and fat. We also buy our pork from a pastured pork farm so she'll get fat, meat and soft rib ends from there. Our Publix, Harveys and Walmart offer a good variety. I can also get quail and duck from growers in town.
I'm excited to start this journey with her!
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Post by Deleted on Sept 6, 2015 16:12:59 GMT -5
Congratulations on your little River. Is this your first ferret? Also, Welcome to the HFF Knowing you can make it worth will win the battle. The more I mentor, the more convinced I am, that the ferrents expectations make it work. Keep posting and we will offer advice and support. You can also sign up for a Mentor. There is a waiting list but you may be well on your way when one is assigned. We often graduate ferrents who undertake their own switch. All of our mentors will pop in and offer advice and support to help keep your menu balanced while you are working with River. Reading is also important. You want to understand what you are feeding and why. Balance is important and so is including the proper nutrients. This page has some basic info that is great reading. holisticferret60.proboards.com/thread/17480/intro-raw-newbies-readWhen you get a chance, we love picture here. We also love to share stories and talk about everything from litter box training to toys and fun. If you need any help navigating the forum or finding some information, simply ask. Have fun and see you around the HFF (dance)
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Post by Deleted on Sept 7, 2015 9:29:08 GMT -5
Here's River! Finally got on the computer to get some pics on here. So, we're almost to 24 hours of having her here. I made some 'soup' but it didn't turn out very soupy. Yesterday she probably ate a total of about 2 tsp yesterday, and this morning maybe 1 tsp. She'll only eat that in my lap off my finger. That's all she's had since yesterday around lunch. She wasn't interested in the chicken wing and neck I offered.
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Post by FireAngel on Sept 7, 2015 10:33:44 GMT -5
It often takes some time and coddling to get them to eat raw at first. You're off to a good start though, just keep offering she will get it eventually!
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Post by Deleted on Sept 7, 2015 11:55:00 GMT -5
With the soup, do they tend to like it more soupy? Mine is the consistency of almost a paste. Would she eat more if I added water?
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Post by FireAngel on Sept 7, 2015 13:49:29 GMT -5
Every ferret is different but if they are eating it I would leave it thicker. It can be decieiving if a ferrets is eating 3oz of watery soup vs 1oz of thick soup, She would really be getting more "food" from a thick soup then a thin one. You will want to make it thicker every batch and work your way to adding slivers of meat into it for them.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 8, 2015 11:51:22 GMT -5
Okay, so today I gave her the thick stuff. She likes that much better. I weighed out an ounce this morning to see how much she's eating and when throughout the day. There's still a lot left but she's eaten more today than she did yesterday. Seems like each day is better!
I'm still worried because she's not totally chowing down and clearing out her bowl but it'll keep getting better, right?
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Post by Desiree on Sept 8, 2015 12:11:07 GMT -5
Girl ferts tend to eat only an ounce or so a day. 1-3ozs a day is average. I have a older female that barely eats an ounce a day, some days its 3/4 of an ounce but as long as she doesn't lose weight I let her eat as much or as little as she wants. My other female eats like a pig and can sometimes eat up to 4 ozs a day.
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Post by FireAngel on Sept 9, 2015 11:48:48 GMT -5
Just like Desiree said as long as she is holding her wieght it is ok. Some ferrets just seem to exist on air sometimes! I'm glad she likes the thicker soup. Maybe you can sneak some lsivers into the next batch and see how she does. Here is a good thread to help you visualize how the progression of slivers should go, sizing chart.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 9, 2015 12:15:51 GMT -5
Thanks! According to the sizing chart I'm giving her minced soup. I put some slivers of chicken meat and chicken gizzard in there and today she slipped off my lap to stash the gizzard in a corner of her cage and she took the chicken meat under a set of shelves to eat. Is this some sort of progress? I'm hoping her wanting to stash stuff means she's liking it.
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Post by FireAngel on Sept 9, 2015 16:18:21 GMT -5
Usually if they do not like it at all they just will not touch it, or they will just kind of move it out of the way, they normally do not bother to hide it if they do not plan to eat it at some point. It's great she is eating the pieces! Just keep adding more and more of the pieces and then upping the sizes and she will be raw eating pro in no time!
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Post by Deleted on Sept 10, 2015 19:53:54 GMT -5
What a day! I was starting to worry about River because she has yet to eat an ounce any day. Well, as a fluke this evening I rehydrated part of a freeze dried turkey heart. I chopped it very fine and left the water in the bowl, enough to give it a little sauce. Man, she couldn't eat it fast enough and even out of the bowl! Such a good girl!
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Post by Deleted on Sept 11, 2015 18:24:29 GMT -5
Woah, today River can't get enough soup! I also gave her some soupy ground turkey and soupy/chunky rehydrated turkey heart.
Happy mom right here!
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Post by FireAngel on Sept 11, 2015 19:39:15 GMT -5
Nice! Glad she is eating well today.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 14, 2015 13:04:14 GMT -5
We're still on soupies but River's doing great! She's eating the soupie recipe and has also been enjoying some soupy ground pork, turkey and rehydrated turkey heart. Didn't care for the beef.
I can't wait until she's chowing down on bone-in meat and whole chunks of meat!
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