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Post by Heather on Nov 30, 2015 23:25:06 GMT -5
Name: Krista Watters HF Forum Username: Bonbon Please confirm that you are 18 years of age or older: Born November 16, 1991; Age: 23 1. Where did you first learn about natural diets for ferrets? I learned about you guys from a fellow ferret instagrammer, as well as my friend Ashley she is a part of your facebook group. 2. Please describe the type of diet you would like assistance in switching your ferret(s) to. I’m not really sure what type of diet I was thinking of switching him too. I would prefer to stay away from live because I don’t want to see him get hurt. All it would take is a possible day where he wouldn’t want to hunt and who knows a mice could attack and possibly injure him. I wouldn’t want to chance it. I do know that the one girl I was talking to gave her ferrets raw eggs to help with shedding/coat health, I kinda liked that idea. But again im not too sure, the raw diet forums are a little confusing for me to understand although I’ve read them. 3. Why are you interested in switching your ferrets to a natural diet? I want my ferret to be as healthy as possible and if giving him raw meat as treats is a thing then why not give him an all raw diet. 4. Do you understand that switching your ferret to a natural diet can be a lengthy, arduous process? Its not an overnight switch. It requires a commitment of several months at minimum. Your HF Mentor will be more then happy to assist you in switching your ferret(s) to a natural diet, but you need to be equally as committed. The switch takes time and effort every single day. It can also be extremely frustrating at times. If you aren't willing to tough out a potentially lengthy switching process, you have major life changes approaching (baby on the way, moving, starting school, getting married/divorced, etc), or limited time due to work, then it might be a better idea to wait on switching your ferret's diet until you have more time. Are you willing and realistically able to make the neccessary time commitment? Although I do have a lot going on in my life I would like to switch him, because I feel the raw diet would be healthier for him. Possibly for this first year a partial switch may be more appropriate as he has been on his kibble diet for about four months, he may not take to it right away and I am currently in college and planning a wedding for 10/15/16. But I am more than willing to put the effort in to making sure that my ferret is happy and healthy. 5. How many ferrets do you currently have? What are their names? Ages? Genders? Do they have any health problems? Are they overweight? Underweight? How long have you had each ferret for? I currently only have one ferret, gender is male and his name is Bonbon McTruffles, but Bonbon for short. He was born June 21, 2105 so he’s almost 3 months. There are no noticeable health problems, he just sneezes every once and awhile but he’s constantly getting covered in dust as he crawls underthings. I haven’t weighed him yet, but he looks like he is a healthy weight. I’ve had him for a week, we got him on 9/7/15. 6. What diet do you currently feed your ferrets? (Please include all treats, supplements, etc) Do they already eat some form of soup? Right now he currently eats Marshall’s chicken kibble. 1 cup of kibble to a ½ cup warm water and then I mash it into an oatmeal like consistency. He hasn’t received any treats yet as I started looking into the raw diet shortly after getting him. 7. Have you ever tried to switch your ferrets to a natural diet in the past? If yes, what happened? No 8. What additional information about yourself or your ferrets would you like to share? I am worried about doing an all raw diet when it comes to vacation time. My fiancée and I travel for a week – two weeks during the summer time to visit his mother in west virgina. I’m sure she would be more than happy to have us bring him with us, but if there is a possibility he couldn’t come with us, should I still have him eat some kibble. Would it harm him at all? But usually someone is always around to be with him, as of now my fiancée works overnight. He would be able to give him his AM diet when he first gets home and I would be able to give him his PM when coming home, but don’t ferrets need food available to them 24/7? I have so many questions… 9. How often during the week do you have access to a computer? 100% of the time. I have many ways to access the internet, Smart phone, tablet, laptop, pc you name it I got it. 10. Please post a picture of each of your ferrets (if possible). photos will be posted as soon as i figure how too. 11. Have you met the requirements for this program? Are you at least 18 years of age? Do you have your scale, a place to access meats, hearts, livers, etc? Yes, I am of age and meat is readily available for me as I work at a butcher shop. The only thing I will need to do is pick up a scale and molder and pestle. But by the time I get 15 posts I should have them readily available. Hi and welcome to the mentoring program . In a little while your mentors (Machan), will introduce herself and you can get started on a new adventure in natural ferret care and diets. Please remember to post regularly (daily or as per arranged with your mentor) so that your mentor can assist you move along safely in this adventure. If you experience computer difficulties or are going to be away, please notify your mentor and most of all relax and have fun :boing: . Your mentor is here to help you on this journey. ciao
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Bonbon
Junior Member
Raw Feeder
Posts: 194
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Post by Bonbon on Nov 30, 2015 23:56:26 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Dec 1, 2015 5:34:44 GMT -5
Hi Bonbon ! You beat me to posting hehe! I'm Machan, from Darley, Victoria, Australia- so there may be a time difference. I do hope that won't be an issue. I have three dumplings called Haru, Yuki & Beavis. If you want to know some more about me, check out my profile in the Meet Your Mentor Section. holisticferret60.proboards.com/thread/176/meet-mentorI checked out your unofficial switch and you now have a new little one called Benji. I'm very excited to work with you, Benji and Bonbon~ Here is a quick reminder: Okay, now how are Benji and Bonbon doing at the moment? Has anything changed since your unofficial switch? Can you give me a run down on what they are currently eating and how much they are eating each? From your unofficial switch, Bonbon is eating 4 different proteins and didn't require the soup stage. Chicken, CGH, quail, and duck. Is Benji on the HFF soapie recipe? I'll post the recipe below just incase. 8oz raw chicken thigh (raw)1 oz raw chicken liver (or other raw liver)1-2 raw chicken hearts (approximately 1 oz) or 1 oz other raw heart½ to ¾ tsp bone meal or crushed egg shell(air-dry egg shell then crush with mortar and pestle or in a clean coffee grinder)Their raw food is also safe to leave out for a period of time. Here is the basic guidelines: Soups - 6-8 hours, Grinds - 8-12 hours, Chunks - 10-24 hours depending on the size (larger chunks last longer) Bone-in meats - 12-24 hours, again depending on the size, Whole prey - up to 48 hours. During the transition process you will more than likely see a lot of funky poop. The funky poop is the detox phase which is when their bodies begin to eliminate all the toxins from kibble and start using the nutrients from raw. Feel free to post about poop if you like. It would be great if you could post some photos of Benji and Bonbon. One showing the overall body shape of each ferret. (http://holisticferret60.proboards.com/thread/4342/type-picture-new-switches) And also a dangling photo of Benji and Bonbon. So for that you could just hold them up and their bodies should look like a tube. I'm off to sleep as well since its now pretty late where I live. I will check in tomorrow and see how you're going. See you later!
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Bonbon
Junior Member
Raw Feeder
Posts: 194
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Post by Bonbon on Dec 1, 2015 13:48:49 GMT -5
alright since i'm at college right now i can give you a post about the boys and their meals. Bonbon and Benji are both doing good. Benji has been on a raw diet since the day i brought him home and he took to it right away. We didn't have to do the soupie stage with him because i caught him nibbling on bonbon's food in the cage. His meat is cut a lot smaller than Bonbon's but he's still eating slivers. As for proteins both of the boys are up to speed and eating four different proteins as quail, Cornish game hen, chicken and duck. But both will be introduced to turkey later in the week. I have turkey necks and organs left over from Thanksgiving to give them.
Things that I have noticed with the boys. Bonbon is still picky when it comes to the organ meals where Benji is all for organs. I still keep them separate to eat, i have a two leveled ferret nation cage and the one ramp can be held upwards, but now i leave the ramp down but feed them on separate levels for now to properly measure how much they eat. Both boys are eating between 2.5-3.0 oz per meal two times a day. But they both seem hungrier now as the weather gets colder so i've added a 1.5oz meal for them to share during the afternoon.
I have been having difficulty getting hearts as of late, my main sources aren't able to order them in and i'm unsure of where to order them from online. another concern of mine is that we are planning to go out of town for my aunts wedding at the end of december and if we decide to leave the ferrets at home i thought a soupie meal would be easier for my roommate to give to them, i'm just worried they wont take to the soupie now that they both skipped that stage.
i will get the rest of the information when i get home, so expect it later today.
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Bonbon
Junior Member
Raw Feeder
Posts: 194
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Post by Bonbon on Dec 1, 2015 20:42:21 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Dec 2, 2015 5:11:15 GMT -5
It's fantastic to hear that both Bonbon and Benji are doing good and i'm very happy to hear that you put Benji on the raw diet from the moment you brought him home. The younger they are, the more likely they will be to try a new food. I think it was around 7 months that they imprint on their food and generally ferrets over 1 year are those that need more encouragement due to the imprinting thing. Benji is such good little boy for trying some of Bonbon's food! Give both Bonbon and Benji lots of verbal encouragement and praises when ever they try food. I find that it can help a lot. Turkey is a great meat for ferrets. I actually give my guys Turkey necks on a regular basis. The necks are quite large compared to that of chicken necks and may also be a lot tougher to cut up. A good idea would be to try cutting them up into small discs, then over time increase the size. Cutting them into discs are also easier to baggie and freeze. It tends to be easier for storage when they're in small discs. Turkey meat in general is a rich source of protein and is a source of iron, zinc, potassium and phosphorus. It is also a source of vitamin B6 and niacin. Turkey also contains the amino acid tryptophan, which produces serotonin and plays an important role in strengthening the immune system. It is a source of selenium, which also boosts immunity and acts as an antioxidant. I'll give you a lesson on Vitamins and Minerals at a later stage in the transition. Things that I have noticed with the boys. Bonbon is still picky when it comes to the organ meals where Benji is all for organs. I still keep them separate to eat, i have a two leveled ferret nation cage and the one ramp can be held upwards, but now i leave the ramp down but feed them on separate levels for now to properly measure how much they eat. Both boys are eating between 2.5-3.0 oz per meal two times a day. But they both seem hungrier now as the weather gets colder so i've added a 1.5oz meal for them to share during the afternoon. There will always be the one who is picky with one type of meal hehe. My little girl, Haru, Is also quite picky with Organ meals. How do you feed organs? Though it is recommended to have them in chunks so the ferrets have to chew and work their jaws as they eat, a lot of people find having the two organs, Liver & other organ such as kidney, blended together like a thick soup. I actually mash organs with a cleaver compared to thoroughly blending them in a blender (my blender actually died so I have no other choice rofl!). I find this way they have to chew some rather than simply lap at the soup. Either way, mashing or blending, both are a great way to make sure that ferrets eat an equal amount of both organs rather than simply picking out favourites like they may with chunky organ meals. I have been having difficulty getting hearts as of late, my main sources aren't able to order them in and i'm unsure of where to order them from online. Hearts are their main source for Taurine so they are essential for their diets. Here is some information on Taurine: holisticferret60.proboards.com/thread/15089/information-taurineTaurine can also be found in other types of meat, but hearts are needed to insure they get an appropriate amount of Taurine in their diet. Heart, brain, and tongue all have a high amount of Taurine. Raw tongue is also the next best option to hearts as it is very high in Taurine. In fact, Tongue has a higher amount of Taurine than that of Heart. Beef tongue is a good option if you can find it. If you cannot locate Tongue, Supplementing with a Taurine powder can be used short term until you can find alternative sources for hearts. A health food store should have Taurine powder. This thread has some good information on Supplementing with Taurine Powder/Capsules. holisticferret60.proboards.com/thread/13404/little-education-on-taurineOrdering online is also another option. You may be able to buy Hearts in bulk on sites such as Hare-Today, My Pet Carnivore etc. another concern of mine is that we are planning to go out of town for my aunts wedding at the end of december and if we decide to leave the ferrets at home i thought a soupie meal would be easier for my roommate to give to them, i'm just worried they wont take to the soupie now that they both skipped that stage. It would probably be best just to leave them on slivers or chunks during the time, but the HFF soupie is balanced as well so it wouldn't hurt to use it. Since they have been so open to eating slivers and new proteins so far, they my be more open to trying soupie. You could always make up a batch and test it out on them. If they are reluctant, dabbing some on their mouths may do the trick. Anyway, Great job with the questionnaire! In their photos, both of their coats look nice and soft already and they appear to be a nice weight. Benji and Bonbon are also eating a good amount per meal. On average an adult male ferret can eat around 2 - 6 ounces per meal, whereas a female could eat from 1-3 ounces give or take. Kits especially are known to sometimes eat a lot more since they're still growing until they're around 18 months old. Sometimes it also depends on the ferret and specific season. In Summer ferrets may eat less and in Winter some ferrets may eat more than usual. That can also be reversed in some ferrets. With the weekly menu on the questionnaire, could you please list them as different proteins as well, That way I get an idea on what meats they are getting as well as if its a muscle meat or bone in meat or organ etc. Different Protein basically means the different type of meat. Here's an example: MON AM: Turkey Wings. MON PM: Chicken Necks, etc. Also with the energy levels, rather than the time they get out of cage, it would be a great help to know how energetic they are in general. You could say something like 'low energy, average energy, high energy' for example. Energy levels can change depending on the diet. Ferrets who start transitioning may sometimes become more energetic because that is due to their bodies using more nutrients from their raw meat diet. I'm off to feed my guys some dinner now, I'll see you later! Big hugs to Benji and Bonbon!
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Bonbon
Junior Member
Raw Feeder
Posts: 194
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Post by Bonbon on Dec 2, 2015 13:39:39 GMT -5
Oh sorry. Monday AM CGH bone in PM chicken breast Tuesday AM CGH bone in PM organ Wednesday AM turkey Bone in (raw egg) PM duck Bone in Thursday AM duck bone in PM CGH bone in Friday AM turkey bone in PM chicken breast Saturday AM CGH bone in PM turkey heart/ organ Sunday AM duck bone in PM CGH bone in. That's this week's menu. I have ordered bulk hearts and will be getting more meat on friday, but there's still a lot left for them to eat. Also you asked about the organs, I fed then with sliver like slices, they seem to do fine with that. They will eat everything it's just Benji eats faster than Bonbon. Bonbon will eat about half and then come back to it. Energy levels, Benji is insane so high energy for him, but when we first got him he had average energy levels to low. Bonbon seems to have calmed down, when he first was switched he had a huge amount of energy like Benji, but now it's average. Also I don't know if your curious but the boys are Bonbon 5 months old (D.O.B. 6/21/15) and Benji 4 months old (D.O.B. 8/2/15) it's his month birthday today. Edit: I also noticed above that you mentioned the boys fur looks really soft. They are really soft and we can already see a coat color change in Bonbon he's become a lot darker. I think i have a noodle picture of him early on when we first got him and he looks so light colored i'll post it for you as a comparison.
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Bonbon
Junior Member
Raw Feeder
Posts: 194
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Post by Bonbon on Dec 2, 2015 16:29:01 GMT -5
Also i just placed an order with Hare today for 4lbs of chicken hearts, 2lbs turkey hearts, turkey necks, and quails. They don't ship over the weekend so it should ship out on Monday. Just wanted to let you know and thanks for letting me know about the website.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 2, 2015 18:28:01 GMT -5
Oh sorry. No need to apologise, you did a great job~ That's this week's menu.
You've done a great job with getting them started up on their raw diets. At the moment it is pretty Chicken/CGH heavy, but thats alright since its only the start of Bonbon and Benji's transition. Over the course of the transition you will experiment and try new proteins and create a balanced menu before graduation that suits your budget and your little hungry carnivores ~ I have ordered bulk hearts and will be getting more meat on friday, but there's still a lot left for them to eat. Buying in bulk is always a good way to go, especially if things are hard to come by where you live. I personally had issues with Bone in meats and had to result in buying bulk interstate- Incredibly worth it! Also you asked about the organs, I fed then with sliver like slices, they seem to do fine with that. They will eat everything it's just Benji eats faster than Bonbon. Bonbon will eat about half and then come back to it. :thumbsup: Great work! I love how every ferret has their own eating style. As you may already know, Liver is required as 5% of the organ diet, and the other 5% is other organ. Nutritional Organs for raw feeding are Major Hormone-Secreting Tissues such as Liver, Kidney, Spleen, Pancreas, Gallbladder, Brain, Major glands (thymus, thyroid, parathyroid), Uterus, Testicles etc. If you cannot find some of those, they may be on those online shops I mentioned. Kidney is the most easily found I would assume. Anyway, Here is some more information on Organs and Non-Organs in raw feeding. Pork Stomach Lining** (pork stomach is an organ, but it is lower in nutrients than the others listed) Tripe is the stomach of ruminating animals (usually Beef). White tripe has all of the nutrients bleached out of it and should not be fed. Green tripe is high in nutrients but smells horrid and usually ferrets won’t go near it so it’s really not worth the bother. If your ferrets will eat it, more power to you. Chitterlings (pork small intestine): similar to stomach this is an organ but is low in nutrients compared to the others and usually picked out of whole prey so there isn’t much benefit to feeding it. NON-Organ meatsGizzards – gizzards are comprised of primarily muscle tissue and tendon, nutritionally they are a muscle meat source. Great for cleaning teeth. Tongue – the tongue is comprised of muscle and mucous/salivary glands. These glands secrete mucous and digestive enzymes but NO hormones. The sublingual tonsils are at the very back of the tongue and are a lymphoid tissue (immune system). These tonsils are way at the back, so IF they are included on your purchased tongue, they are included in the whole tongue piece. Nutritionally tongue is a muscle meat source. Lungs- lungs do not secrete hormones, they are comprised of connective tissue and endothelium. They are not considered a true “organ” as far as raw diet is concerned. They are however a GREAT part of a raw diet and are very high in Iron and Vitamin B12, as well as other B Vitamins. Definitely a good thing to feed if you have access. Energy levels, Benji is insane so high energy for him, but when we first got him he had average energy levels to low. Bonbon seems to have calmed down, when he first was switched he had a huge amount of energy like Benji, but now it's average. Also I don't know if your curious but the boys are Bonbon 5 months old (D.O.B. 6/21/15) and Benji 4 months old (D.O.B. 8/2/15) it's his month birthday today. They always seem to have the huge burst of energy at the start of transitioning. My guys went through the same thing~ Now they've calmed down a lot too. Bonbon and Benji are still little Kits, So cute! My little baby boy, Yuki is turning 1 in a couple of days (5th of December, which would technically be 4th of Dec for your time since Australia is ahead on dates) I'm going to be kitless, which kind of makes me feel like I'm going through a midlife crisis ROFL! I wish ferrets could stay young forever! :'D Bonbon and Benji look like Champagne or Cinnamon in colour. I love the colours! They're so handsome ~ Edit: I also noticed above that you mentioned the boys fur looks really soft. They are really soft and we can already see a coat color change in Bonbon he's become a lot darker. I think i have a noodle picture of him early on when we first got him and he looks so light colored i'll post it for you as a comparison.
Yay! You've seen changes already~ I think the soft fur is one of the best benefits to raw feeding. Kibble fed ferrets seem to have more coarse looking fur. Colours can also change depending on seasons. I noticed my guys have gotten darker in summer compared to their winter coats which is lighter. Have you sniffed their tails yet? They might start having the grape tail. When I first smelt the grape tail I was ecstatic. It's such an interesting thing and apparently it tends to happen to raw fed ferrets the most. It tends to smell more during switching and fades a little in time. Also i just placed an order with Hare today for 4lbs of chicken hearts, 2lbs turkey hearts, turkey necks, and quails. They don't ship over the weekend so it should ship out on Monday. Just wanted to let you know and thanks for letting me know about the website.
Yay! Ordering food for ferrets is such fun. You'll have so much fun when they arrive and when you prep them up. I wish we had a similar site to Hare today over here. I order from Instincto, which has a great variety, but not as great as what Hare today has. Here is a lesson for today on Bacteria. It's quite long, but very informative and something that is worth reading about. You can read it in your spare time. That's all for today~ If you have any questions on the lesson, Don't hesitate to ask. Big hugs for Benji and Bonbon for being very good little boys!
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Bonbon
Junior Member
Raw Feeder
Posts: 194
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Post by Bonbon on Dec 3, 2015 2:22:14 GMT -5
Just a few comments before my questions on today's lesson. I know that this week is a little heavier on CGH and chicken, but the finished up the quail Saturday and I have another order coming in on Monday so I will tie it in next week where there will be five protein types. Also I do have a heart each for them for this week so they won't be going without them. 1 turkey and 1 duck, should I give them each half of each one or just pick who gets turkey and who gets duck. This will be Benji's first heart so I hope he takes to it and doesn't waste it. Both of the boys were really stubborn today food wise. They didn't eat their raw egg at all. They maybe at half of one egg and I usually put two on a small plate for them to nom on. Also they were introduced to turkey this week, Bonbon did fantastic and took to it right away, Benji on the other hand thought I gave him poison, the look that ferret gave me was histerical! The grape tail, isn't that a sign of adrenal? I have checked each of them and I don't feel a bump at the base of their tails yet, but I did notice that they both smell like roses, well Bonbon anyway I need to break Benji's habit of making his own perfume. Bonbon smelled like roses compared to Benji when we first got him, and although Benji has a gross boy side to him he still smells pretty good. Is this what your talking about?? I should smell just the tails then? Also thank you for the wonderful comments on my boys they are my pride and joy, and my cat. She keeps them in line, it's so cute she considers them kits and she even protects them. They boys do have interesting colors and I believe Benji's birth certificate technically says he's a silver ferret, but I thought silver had grey, not that I'm complaining he's beautiful. He may be deaf, or just have selective hearing I can tell yet....hmmm. also your going to be kit less soon did you ever think of getting anymore ferrets? Edit: Sorry that I didn't post this last night as I fell asleep while reading the lesson. I really read it over breakfast and found it very informative, although I actually don't have any questions at the time. And my reasoning is that with being a butcher I've had to listen to many bacteria lessons and answer questions as well as I'm a Science major in college and received an A in Mircobiology. Heck I grew Staphicoccus for an entire semester. I'm not saying I'm a know it all, but with my background I don't have any questions. But I was suprized that they wouldn't allow a service dog to continue to serve if it was eating a raw diet, what would happen if they had to be put on the diet for health reasons. Peoples logic doesn't make sense, if you want the best food "eat organic" then why don't you give your pets what's best for them too. I know some people in my family find it gross and horrid that I feed my ferrets raw. They think I'm insane and twisted because it doesn't bother me to skin a duck or cut up a heart, etc. But hey my pets are well cared for. Thank you for the lesson it was very informative, I'm sorry I don't have any questions at this time.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 3, 2015 16:29:09 GMT -5
Just a few comments before my questions on today's lesson. I know that this week is a little heavier on CGH and chicken, but the finished up the quail Saturday and I have another order coming in on Monday so I will tie it in next week where there will be five protein types.It's no issue to have a Chicken heavy menu at this stage. When I was switching I was heavy on the chicken for a while until I could find places to purchase meats. Chicken is also a good starter meat when it comes to bone in meats, so the Chicken and CGH are alright at the moment. You're doing a great job by introducing new proteins as well! I'm quite envious that you found some quail. Where I live, It's pretty much non existent which is unfortunate for me lol! The only reason we say to not have a chicken/cgh heavy diet is due to the fact that Chicken is a well known cause for intolerance or sensitivities in ferrets. Lamb is the opposite to chicken and is less likely to cause sensitivities. Its also more gentle on ferret's digestive tract. Also I do have a heart each for them for this week so they won't be going without them. 1 turkey and 1 duck, should I give them each half of each one or just pick who gets turkey and who gets duck. This will be Benji's first heart so I hope he takes to it and doesn't waste it.
Perfect! It would probably be best not to mix proteins at this stage since they're still fairly new them and if either Benji or Bonbon did happen to have a sensitivity to a certain protein, it would be easier to find the culprit. I also hope Benji enjoys his first heart~ I'm sure he will. Both of the boys were really stubborn today food wise. They didn't eat their raw egg at all. They maybe at half of one egg and I usually put two on a small plate for them to nom on. Also they were introduced to turkey this week, Bonbon did fantastic and took to it right away, Benji on the other hand thought I gave him poison, the look that ferret gave me was histerical! Egg can be quite filling in general, and maybe they were possibly still slightly filled up from their last meal. My youngest boy, Yuki eats half of his eggy and runs off to play, then comes back after a while. Egg is safe to leave out for about an hour or so. Bonbon did well on his first try of Turkey! Benji is such a cutie! I've seen a face like I've given my guys poison too. They're such funny little creatures! :heehee: Seeing their reactions to new foods is one of the fun sides of transitioning- when they don't become stubborn that is rofl! The grape tail, isn't that a sign of adrenal? I have checked each of them and I don't feel a bump at the base of their tails yet, but I did notice that they both smell like roses, well Bonbon anyway I need to break Benji's habit of making his own perfume. Bonbon smelled like roses compared to Benji when we first got him, and although Benji has a gross boy side to him he still smells pretty good. Is this what your talking about?? I should smell just the tails then?
Adrenal ferrets tend to have an increase in musky body odour. Grape tail isn't a sign of adrenal, its actually this strange phenomenon where raw fed ferrets get this grape smell in their tails. It is similar to that of artificial grape, or grape koolaid. No one actually knows for sure what causes it, though we do know ferrets get it from eating raw. I noticed it strongly when I started my guys on raw but now its faded. It's also an addicting smell. (Okay I admit, I sniff ferret daily... can't deny it ahahah!) (shy) Apparently ferret smell can change depending on what they've eaten. I haven't smelt roses on my guys yet, but Haru does smell like rice-after she's been using the rice box hahaha! Also thank you for the wonderful comments on my boys they are my pride and joy, and my cat. She keeps them in line, it's so cute she considers them kits and she even protects them. They boys do have interesting colors and I believe Benji's birth certificate technically says he's a silver ferret, but I thought silver had grey, not that I'm complaining he's beautiful. He may be deaf, or just have selective hearing I can tell yet....hmmm. also your going to be kit less soon did you ever think of getting anymore ferrets?They deserve the compliments~ ;u; I'm the same with my babies being my pride and joy (and my cockatiels, since I no longer own cats rofl!) Thats fantastic to hear that your kitty is getting along well with Benji and Bonbon. Ferrets are born white and their adult colour begins to show at around 3 weeks of age, so maybe Benji's colour was little late and they mis-labeled him. He is beautiful! I adore his coat, and Bonbon's coat. Both are simply lovely. Have you tried testing to see if he responds to noise making toys? Small animal channel says: "stand near the ferret and have a noisemaker (squeak toy, horn, can of pennies, clicker, keys to jangle, bell, etc.) behind your back. Don’t let the ferret know you have it. Once your ferret’s head/back is turned, use the noisemaker and see if your ferret reacts in any way." www.smallanimalchannel.com/ferrets/ferret-health/identifying-a-deaf-ferret.aspxDeaf seems to be quite common for ferrets. I've been told and have read that they can live a pretty normal, healthy and happy life. I really wanted a cinnamon coloured ferret before I actually brought home ferrets, but they seem quite rare where I live. We don't have the mills over here so its all Back yard breeders, or the rare registered private breeders. 3 ferrets is my current limit at the current moment-though I know I want more, thats inevitable rofl! I will be offline all day so I will check in tonight~ See you later!
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Bonbon
Junior Member
Raw Feeder
Posts: 194
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Post by Bonbon on Dec 3, 2015 18:35:47 GMT -5
I love your ferrets they are always so cute and I follow you on in star am so I can always keep track of there ferretantics. Also my fiancee said that Benji had eaten all of his turkey overnight. So that's good both boys ate without any trouble. Today just for reference Benji is getting the Duck heart and Bonbon will be receiving the Turkey heart. I switched the heart meal from Friday to Thursday because we are looking into getting some lamb tomorrow at my work and I could see if I could introduce them to that. P.s. both of my boys have grape tail. Bonbons is much stronger in scent then Benjis, but now my fiancee plans to smell their tails everytime he picks them up. Benji's raw egg and turkey stool Both of the boys used this corner after their Cornish hen meal. It looks a lot darker than it actually is. Also both boys devoured their hearts there wasn't any coaxing needed
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Post by Deleted on Dec 4, 2015 22:12:41 GMT -5
Oops! I missed your edit on your reply. No problem if you have no questions for this lesson~ I think that an A in Microbiology is really awesome! I never really studied that too in depth when I was in school. I wish I got to grow some Staphicoccus hahaha! I never heard about the service dog thing. In a way it doesn't surprise me that people wouldn't allow it, since raw diets for pets seems to be incredibly 'taboo' to a majority of unknowledgeable people. I agree, People's logic doesn't make sense. rofl! I do think that pet food is built on greed though. Human made pet food is created for the sole purpose of gaining profit rather than animal health. Thats why they use cheap ingredients and spend more on ads or labelling etc. Then we have the kibble fed pet's owner who a majority of are kind of 'blind' in a way and don't bother checking too in depth when it comes to ingredients and go for the most popular brand, or one with a pretty looking label, or simply the cheapest on the market.| I know some people in my family find it gross and horrid that I feed my ferrets raw. They think I'm insane and twisted because it doesn't bother me to skin a duck or cut up a heart, etc. But hey my pets are well cared for.We gotta do what we gotta do~ My family weren't too fond of the idea either. It was also quite hard for me when I began- I was the kid in science class fainting and being sick and the sight of directing an eye from a bull and I had to suck it up when I was getting my guys onto whole prey (had to cut up a mouse, whole mouse-) I hate that I have to do these things, but it's for our beloved carnivores, and we have to take responsibility. ;u; I don't mind cringing through cutting up organs, just so my lovelies have a tasty meal. The over all outcomes are incredible too. Healthy shiny, soft, lively coats. More energy, happier ferrets. I love your ferrets they are always so cute and I follow you on in star am so I can always keep track of there ferretantics. Also my fiancee said that Benji had eaten all of his turkey overnight. So that's good both boys ate without any trouble. Today just for reference Benji is getting the Duck heart and Bonbon will be receiving the Turkey heart. I switched the heart meal from Friday to Thursday because we are looking into getting some lamb tomorrow at my work and I could see if I could introduce them to that. Thank you~ I was just thinking 'what's in star am' and then it hit me, OH INSTAGRAM. Must be autocorrect? hahaha! Good boy Benji! Bonbon and Benji are such great little ferrets and eating all their meals. Big hugs to them! Lamb sounds fantastic! I hope they enjoy that new protein~ P.s. both of my boys have grape tail. Bonbons is much stronger in scent then Benjis, but now my fiancee plans to smell their tails everytime he picks them up. Yay! It's a crazy addicting smell. Other people would probably think us as strange for sniffing our ferrets tails. I had the hilarious reaction from my room mate and was insisting she try smelling them too. At first she wasn't keen, but now I have her hooked! Both poop pics look pretty good too. Egg tends to make their poops more loose and same with organ. New ferrents tend to worry when it comes to organ poops at first since they make the poop really dark. I'm incredibly impressed by Benji and Bonbon's progress.They are dealing with new proteins considerably well and are eating their meals like the good little dumplings they are. You've done a great job with them!
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Bonbon
Junior Member
Raw Feeder
Posts: 194
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Post by Bonbon on Dec 4, 2015 23:17:11 GMT -5
Thank you. (shy) I have tried my hardest with them and it seems to be paying off. I actually didn't get lamb as I found a more exotic protein at work today, Wild boar. So I bought about 5lbs of that. It's muscle meat, so it gives me something else to rely on than just chicken boobs. Lol
And yes I had my fair share of worried poops. They have such odd poops!! First time I saw the organ one I was on the forum. Thank god pouncemom sent me the link to the poop board so I reference to that a lot.
I have thought about feeding whole prey but I've always been nervous about that. I figure it's a long way down the road until we get to that point. I worry I'd fall in love with my ferrets food. (giggle)
So do you have any questions, comments, concerns or anything about the boys diet? Or something I should do?
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Post by Deleted on Dec 5, 2015 22:04:52 GMT -5
Thank you. (shy) I have tried my hardest with them and it seems to be paying off. I actually didn't get lamb as I found a more exotic protein at work today, Wild boar. So I bought about 5lbs of that. It's muscle meat, so it gives me something else to rely on than just chicken boobs. Lol And yes I had my fair share of worried poops. They have such odd poops!! First time I saw the organ one I was on the forum. Thank god pouncemom sent me the link to the poop board so I reference to that a lot. I have thought about feeding whole prey but I've always been nervous about that. I figure it's a long way down the road until we get to that point. I worry I'd fall in love with my ferrets food. (giggle) So do you have any questions, comments, concerns or anything about the boys diet? Or something I should do? Wild boar may carry Trichinella spiralis (causes Trichinosis) which is resistant to freezing. You may have heard of this already since you're a butcher right? Anyway, Store brought usually mean that its human grade/farmed wild boar so that should be alright. It's generally the wild hunted, wild boar that have a higher risk of having Trichinella. Here's a thread incase you would like to read about Raw Meat, Freezing, and Parasites. holisticferret60.proboards.com/thread/14803/raw-meat-freezing-parasitesHaha! Poncesmom is great. She was my mentor when I was switching. Whole prey isn't as worrisome as we make it out to be. I think we tend to over think when it comes to whole prey when the best thing is simply to not think of them as anything but food for ferrets. It sounds quite strange, but thats what they're bred for, just like meat cows, pigs and chickens are bred for humans- just slightly different because they are whole obviously. I wasn't planning on feeding whole prey, infact I wasn't planning on even breeding whole prey and now apparently I do- In fact one of my females actually gave birth this morning. If you are interested, you can take one step at a time. Frozen/Thawed Pinky mice are a great way to start out with. It can help you get used to whole prey and help your ferrets adjust to something new. Thats what I did, then gradually went from pinky to fuzzy, to full blown adult and even went on to try ducklings quite recently. I have to admit at first it was little morbid and I cringed every time I heard bones crunching. Haru even was thoughtful enough to eat in my lap and left a half eaten mouse there. *shudder* But over time I got used to it and got over the sad thoughts of mice dying for the ferrets, and looked at it entirely from a different perspective and became thankful for the little mice lives. Pinky mice are usually about a couple of days old and are tiny like a jelly bean. They look so strange yet incredibly intriguing, and apparently make a nice treat that ferrets generally love. Benji and Bonbon are both a great weight and are eating incredibly well. I actually do have a question, Roughly how big are the pieces that they are eating now? Here is a thread on sizing for meats: holisticferret60.proboards.com/thread/4341/standardized-sizing-etc-meats I will also give you a little pop quiz today. Q1 - If you are out of Hearts, what could you use as a backup? (aside from Taurine Powder). Q2 - What does the term "normal flora" imply? Q3 - Why is taurine an important nutrient for ferrets? I will give these little pop quizzes every so often, so consider these as a study guide for your final exam before graduation. Tomorrow I will give you a small lesson on Liver.
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