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Post by Deleted on Oct 22, 2015 10:39:42 GMT -5
How do I go about that?
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Post by Sherry on Oct 22, 2015 10:43:21 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Oct 22, 2015 18:12:15 GMT -5
How old is Simon?
I ask because ferrets imprint on their kibble somewhere around 6 months to a year old.
If he is a young ferret, then we can approach the new food a bit differently then if he is older.
Older ferrets are finicky so we begin them with a soupie recipe.
The idea is to get them use to the soupie which is balanced nutritionally. Then you begin adding small to tiny slivers of meat to the soupie.
Once Simon is eating slivers, then you'll start reducing the amount of soup and increasing the amount of slivers until he is eating all meat slivers.
Then we move them onto the next step which is introducing new proteins and that leads to the Frankenprey menu. If you would like to feed whole prey then there is also some great information on that on the forum and ferrents to help with that.
Sherry gave you some good links to look over.
The soupie recipe is:
8 ounces of raw chicken thigh meat.
1-2 chicken hearts
1/2 chicken liver
1/2 tsp of dried eggshell powder.
To make dried eggshell powder, simply save some eggshells then let them dry out for a day or two.
Grind them up into a fine powder. I used a clean coffee grinder that I bought just for this purpose.
The powder will store well for quite awhile in a dry place.
You blend all this up and it makes a thick paste.
After the soupie is made, you can put it into ice cube trays and freeze it.
Then when you are ready to serve soupie, you pop out a cube and let it defrost a little bit and add some warm water. Voila! Instant soupie.
The fun part is sitting with Simon and teaching him that this new food is food. The key to success is to work with him. Patience and coaxing will make all the difference in the world.
Chicken thighs and chicken liver are easy to find at a local grocery store.
Chicken hearts can be harder to find. Most of us will go to a local Asian grocery store where they have a nice variety of organs and hearts plus other exotic meats to add variety to the ferret's menu.
You can google "find Asian Market near (your area) and check Yelp for reviews to see if they have a meat section. Some markets are dry goods only.
Once you have everything for your soupie recipe, then let us know and someone will help you with the next step which is teaching Simon to eat his soupie.
It's important to read and understand what you are feeding and why.
Heart for example is in the soup recipe because it provides Taurine. That is absolutely essential to a ferret's nutritional needs. Every ferrent needs to know this.
I think you will enjoy feeding and being a part of Simon's meals. He in turn will be healthy and thrive on a good diet. His fur will be softer and silkier, his teeth will be cleaner. Ferrets and ferret poop smell less and they are less likely to develop certain illnesses like Insulinoma as they age. Ferrets on a raw diet develop a grape Kool-Aid smell which is pretty amazing to you, your friends and family.
Don't hesitate to keep asking questions and posting. We all love to help.
(dance)
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If you want an idea of what goes into a switch, read a few of the archived threads: