|
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 18, 2015 9:27:37 GMT -5
So we have been switching to raw since we got our babies about a month ago, they were 7-8 weeks old when we started, I did not do soup, I just tossed in meat and they love it, took to it right away. I also still offer Stella and Chewies and Wysong ferret which I switched them to slowly, as I was trying to transition them slowly to raw as well for their gut and I didn't want them to starve at all. So now they will eat the meat I provide first, I have most things on hand but I am having a really hard time getting organ meat besides heart and liver still, also can't find necks... but they are getting bones I just got some smaller birds and they chew up the chicken wings too. My issue is they eat SO MUCH that I don't feel like I can provide them enough food to make it through (I work at home and can check on them all the time so that is not an issue). I feed them 3-4 times a day sometimes, one night I left them with what I thought would be breakfast and lunch, I tried to weigh it but it maxed out my scale, they ate it ALL by morning and some kibble and all the stella and chewies. So now I am wondering, can I feed them to much as babies? No? Right? I am having a hard time with proportions so I am doing the 1.5 meals a week thing with the heart and organs, we just did maybe to much heart but they didn't have it for 2 weeks as they were switching slowly and I was locating it so I feel ok about that. So do I keep leaving back up kibble (they always eat the meat first) or am I over feeding them? They love what they get obviously... When will this slow down? Trying to shop appropriately and have no clue how much to get... a lot apparently... They are growing fast, and never have a cage without food just to make that clear, I am just putting way more in there than what an adult ferret is supposed to eat I am sure. Also I hope I didn't ruin their guts with no soup?
|
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 18, 2015 9:53:27 GMT -5
Yes! (dance) Babies are simply Tummies with Teeth. They will eat so much and eat throughout the day. They will eat what they need to and ferrets don't overeat like puppies. Leave food out for them during the day. Bone In meats are good for 24 hours. Muscle meats depending on size are fine for 12 hours or even a little more. Organs will be fine out until you get home. Baby Meepers mean we beg for Baby pictures, pretty please. :wave3: If you're having problems finding organs then try googling Find Asian Market near your location. Check yelp for reviews. A good Asian Market will offer alot of options at a good price. It will slow down but it might take awhile. gfountain 's little girl just about ate her out of house and home. I wouldn't supplement with kibble. It's too much like fast food and if they develop a taste for it then they will hold out for it and skip the healthier choices. You didn't hurt them at all by skipping the soupie stage. Most breeders go right to raw and the kits thrive on it. Heart has Taurine which is essential for ferrets. It's also water soluable and is eliminated from their system and needs to be replenished. As long as you follow the basic guidelines for a balanced diet, they will be healthy and thrive. docs.google.com/document/d/1ysfT1bIvXixXYv6QFjW_EZZqHymtRXRTc3E_wAxLbxU/edit |
|
|
|
Post by Sherry on Sept 18, 2015 10:19:34 GMT -5
Definitely leave the whole pieces in up to 24 hours, no problem at all  And yes, they will eat you out of house and home until 4 months or so  |
|
|
|
Post by FireAngel on Sept 18, 2015 10:29:51 GMT -5
:heehee: I have to share with you that I have 4 ranging from 5 months to 9 months now and I am still feeding over a pound of food a day. Yes they eat alot!
|
|
|
|
Post by Heather on Sept 18, 2015 10:38:14 GMT -5
Ah, got to love furry tummies with teeth. Now you know why many breeders like to get rid of kits as soon as they're weaned   * They pack away huge amounts of food and need it. Around 4 or 5 months they will cut their food intake by half (by the way it's still a lot) and you can breathe a bit easier. At this stage there is no filling them and you have to feed them a lot of bone in meats to satisfy their calcium needs. They also need red meats and good organ and hearts. Baby ferrets grow so fast in the first 4 months of their lives that they have to eat these ridiculous amounts ciao |
|
|
|
Post by raynebc on Sept 18, 2015 12:56:04 GMT -5
I added two young ferrets with my two adult ferrets recently. But the four of them eat a good three times as much as the older two had been by themselves, currently it's looking to be around 12 ounces per day. It'd be no joke how much the four of them would put away if they all had babies' appetites.
|
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 18, 2015 22:59:20 GMT -5
OK so I need to find more food! This is hard (the locating the food for them part) but I found hearts (chicken and beef), I had liver and can get plenty more (grass fed local cow), I have chicken wings and cornish game hen and chicken gizzards and salmon oil. No necks no kidneys no other parts yet... Today they had 1/2 a cornish game hen (about 11 oz) and a small bird (talked with the vet about this, she said it was good to go, they ate the head first... they won't eat the feet which is super awesomely gross). They got some duck meat, a bit of salmon meat, a couple local trout (whole thing, they don't seem to like the "lungs" though, I did leave them for them for over a day...too chewy I guess). I tried cooked steak treat to get them to learn to come to us tonight (they prefer banana and melon or anything else my son has, luckily he will not share, no training needed). They still don't like their kibble (what was left is pretty much still there just a mess now, so I will just pull that and get on it with the meats. I live in a small bavarian them town in the woods... no asian market... I am an acupuncturist... There's a tiny asian mini mart though (crossing fingers, was tiNy last I checked) and one more Mexican market I can check. I can get beef tripe at the other one. Is that a good thing to feed? It looked so pale... Worst case, drive 2 hours (each way) and bring a huge cooler... or order online (more likely). Also going to talk with my local farmers hunters and butchers some more, they are all super helpful so far, I just need to know what to get in bulk I guess... kidneys are probably a good one? and necks? Oh, and I have some fish face in the freezer (black cod chins) it is SUPER fatty with omega 3's and full of bones and smells terrible (and it's the best thing ever for humans marinated, yum). Also pretty sure I can get bait fish and salmon eggs.  |
|
|
|
Post by Heather on Sept 18, 2015 23:07:37 GMT -5
If the tripe was pale..it's no good. It's got to be dark, green, brown and smells like sh*t. That's good for your little ones  Sounds like you're doing a good job at finding your supplies. It does take time. I don't think it's ever finished. I still hunt for suppliers. ciao |
|
|
|
Post by Desiree on Sept 18, 2015 23:12:27 GMT -5
Kidneys is great option for another organ. White tripe is pretty much useless. Don't feed it, it offers little to no nutritional value. Green tripe is ripe full of good stuff but no ferret that I can recall has ever eaten it so I wouldn't bother with that either.
I understand not having anything close. I can find a good variety of food, I just have to drive an hour to get it, sometimes two hours if I need butchered rabbit. I don't bring a cooler and the food is never thawed by the time I get home fyi.
|
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 19, 2015 0:41:18 GMT -5
|
|
|
|
Post by raynebc on Sept 19, 2015 3:23:31 GMT -5
Before feeding any hunted meat, you'll want to freeze it to kill parasites. The duration people suggest for this varies quite a bit, but without knowing all the specifics I'd recommend at least 2 weeks of 0 degree temperature. It's also good to avoid feeding wild animals that eat meat (omnivores or carnivores, such as boar) because they can get some of the tougher parasites that don't die during deep freeze.
|
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 19, 2015 10:47:21 GMT -5
|
|
