Excited/nervous for switching 4 ferrets!!

[Deleted]

I've been wanting to do raw for a while,and poncesmom helped me finally get off the fence and start my plan for switching my guys into raw! I know that I want to do a frankenprey/ whole prey diet. And now is actually a great time for me to start their transition since I'm getting low on kibble. I do have some questions/concerns though.(also I'm trying to plan it out so you'll see me write,that here)

I know in the beginning I'm probably gonna deal with some stubborn ferrets. And getting them to see the soup as food may take a bit but a concern I have is that I usually have to be at work early in the morning around 7:30/8. And I usually wake an hr earlier to get ready. (but my job is only 5 min away) So how would it work? Most likely I'd just have to wake up even earlier right? And I know it's possible to make And freeze their soup. To me it seems to make sense that the night before for their breakfast id get all the soup ingredients ready and in the fridge and just make it in the morning.... I think I just answered my own question haha. Anyways, during the switch to the soup do I completely take out their kibble? I know you guys say to take it out a couple hours before feeding but with me waking up so early already that seems really hard to do.

Could anyone tell me how their day goes when feeding. Like a schedual just so I can see a typical raw feeding day goes.

Also this week I have thursday and Friday off so do you think I should try to get them on the soup then? Since I can wake up early and get them tasting/eating it without the early,morning rush to work and to get a head start during my work week. Thanks a bunch!

[Deleted]

You fall into a rhythm quickly and learn what works for your schedule.

I go shopping and put everything in the fridge for a little while. Then I prep all my meals into serving sizes. They go into bins in the freezer that are marked.
The cutting board is washed and the counters sanitized and I wash my hands.

I have a white board on the fridge with their meal plan. It lists what days are Bone In, Muscle meats or Organs. That way I can make sure that I'm following the balanced meal plan.

You quickly learn what days work best for what meals and your schedule and what their favorite foods are.

The night before, I take out their breakfast and put it in the fridge to defrost.
When I get up, it's defrosted and I put it down on their plates. This involves alot of help from everyone who get little tastes as I go along.

I pick up their dinner plates and wash them. They go into the dishwasher along with the sponge.
My hands get washed. They get fresh water several times though out the day in their water bowls.

Food is safely left out during the day.
Soupie is good out for 6-8 hours.
Muscle meats depending on the size are good for 12 hours.
Bone in meats can be left out for 24 hours.
Whole prey for 48 hours.

After breakfast is set out,  I pull out their dinner and put it in the fridge to defrost.

At night, I pick up breakfast and wash the plates and put them in the dishwasher.
I have several sets of plates just for them. I use a ferret only cutting board and knife set.

After their dinner is set out, I pull out breakfast and it goes in the fridge to defrost.
Rinse and repeat for each meal.

I would start your soupies on your days off. You will want to sit with them and have a towel and spoon ready.
Dab some on their mouth and they have to lick it off.
Then offer some from a spoon.
If everyone runs away, pick one up and put someone in your lap.
Place a hand under them to let them know you are there.
Offer some from the spoon again.
Be patient, they simply may not recognize this as food.

You may need to dab soupie on everyone's mouth a few times during the day off and on
 until they understand this is food.
Patience and persistence will win the game. You want to expect this to happen and it will.
I swear they can read our minds and if you think they will eat, then they seem to pick up on that.

As for kibble, you already know to keep it away for a few hours.
If you still continue to offer kibble, they are smart enough to hold out for the kibble.
Freya is your oldest one and unless she has Insulinoma, then they can eat the soupie or you want to be firm and let them get a tiny bit hungry.

Don't panic if they refuse  soupie for the first time and offer kibble. They will play you and you will get pathetic looks each time you offer soupie.

You can do this and it will be fun hearing all of your stories.
:wave3:

[Deleted]

I'll see if I can get the soup ingredients in the way home today and start them on soup. How much should I buy when I get their food?

[Deleted]

The basic soup recipe which has 8 ounces of chicken thigh
1-2 hearts
1/2 of a liver
1/3 tsp of dried eggshell powder will make about 10 ounces and then you add water.

Depending on how much they eat, they may not finish the first batch.
What you can do is make the soupie without water. Then put the soupie into ice cube trays.
I use to slide them into ziplock bags to keep them air tight.

Then when you are ready for the soupie, pop out one or two cubes and let them defrost a touch.
Add some warm water and you have instant soupie.

Since you have four, why don't you buy a package of chicken thighs.

Hearts will be in a package and have alot. Don't fall for the Tyson gizzards and hearts, that has only one or two hearts.

Liver is in a tub and will provide alot of livers.
You can bag up the hearts and livers into individual baggies.
Then when you need to make another soupie batch, you have thighs already and your individual baggies of the right amount of heart and liver.

As for the eggshell powder, you pick up a carton of eggs. Make omelets for dinner and save the eggshells.

Rinse them out and put them on a paper towel in a bowl. Let them dry out for a day or two.

Then grind them up into a fine powder. I used a new little coffee grinder that I bought for $9 at Walmart. The powder stores well in a dry place. Put it in a tupperware container.

So, you have everything you need for the first few batches of soupie.

Does that all make sense?

[raynebc]

The more you can make and freeze at one time, the less time you'll have to spend overall prepping for each batch of soup. The last time I made raw soup I tried to make 1-2 weeks' worth at a time.

[Deleted]

That seems easy enough. But since I don't have eggshell powder on hand what do I do? I can get some and dry them tonight. And I'm hoping to find the hearts and liver. If I can't find the hearts,tonight is is fine to make it without it? Just until i do a big shop thursday Friday

[Deleted]

Don't dry the eggshells in any other method then air drying.
If you have to wait a few days for the eggshells and the hearts, then just try making the soupie with plain chicken thighs.
Leave the liver out for now until you have everything else.

They can still taste the chicken and get use to the texture.
You'll get some practice at pureeing and learning how to wrangle four ferrets into eating a new food.
That's a good first step for now.

(dance)

[Deleted]

What if I get everything but the eggshells? Could I just leave that out until I get mine dried and crushed? Or is it something mandatory?

[Deleted]

The eggshells are for calcium. You're fine for a day or two without them.
You will have loose poops though.
Heart and liver will always make loose poops anyway.

No imbalance will happen overnight, so if you would like to make it without the eggshells, until yours have dried then you are fine.

[Deleted]

Do I get boneless thighs?

[Deleted]

It's less expensive to get the bone in thighs but don't try grinding those up.
Just cut the meat and most of the skin off the bone and use that.

The bones will kill your food processor.
So will gizzards. Never put gizzards into a food processor.
They are not in the soup recipe, we just had someone do it on the Facebook page and they lost two food processors trying.

[Deleted]

Oh wow really? ill keep that in mind then! I ended up buying thighs and some liver. Ill (hopefully) be able to get the hearts thursday or friday. ill make myself some eggs and toast for myself and dry the shells so they should be ready by then. Im gonna try the soup tonight and see how they take it. Since i dont have everything for the soup should i leave the kibble? or just take it anyways.

[Deleted]

Im making soup now and was also wondering what doesnt get eaten can i keep it in the fridge or do i have to freeze it? since it is just chicken thigh and i will be making the complete soup tommorrow or friday i was thinking just to put it into the fridge until then

[Deleted]

Well the soup seemed to be a success!!! im hoping that when i start them with the complete soup that it goes the same way!!

Everyone got a little dab on their nose/mouth to taste test. Ghost went to it like a fish out of water haha! Phoenix took two tastes to decide she did in fact like the soup. and when i offered from a small dish they both ate straight from it. Luffy and Freya seem to be the most reluctant. When i first dabbed some on Freya's mouth she jerked away. so i pet her while she licked it off her face and tried again. she seemed to be okay with it so i offered some from my finger which she reluctantly ate. Luffy doesnt know if he likes it. when offered from my finger he licks a little bit of it and i offered from this small dish i had and he reluctantly ate from it. I have the dish by my bed now so whenever one of the beans comes near i give them a little taste and now Freya will eat from the bowl! Hopefully the whole switch will go well!

[Deleted]

I'm thrilled to hear you made such great progress.
You all did wonderful.

I'll be offline most of today but others will check in.
I'll check back in when I'm home.
:thumbsup: