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Post by Deleted on Feb 3, 2016 10:57:21 GMT -5
Haha! I figured the chicken foot was too big!!! I was thinking to myself that I would be scared to see the chicken that owned the foot! It must have been a rooster or something cause Wampa is definitely not tiny! Or so I think? He's 2 lb, 2 oz. The foot got so gross after leaving it out for a while! They did not eat it thankfully. I was really surprised to actually get a photo of him sleeping too! They always wake up before I can take the picture or I forget where my phone is and they run away. The second stool was the one I was referring to. I didn't even notice the dried darker one in the back. I guess I may just be over reacting. I'm glad to know that their tummies are okay with the switch. This morning I got Ezio to eat all by herself in the cage. I really think by next week she will be eating soup just as well as Wampa. Hopefully I will be able to have them both eating chicken feet next week. Tauntaun is going to need some extra love. I am really happy though that even with as little as he eats, he has lots of energy. They all have lots of energy! They pretty much jump out of their cage in the morning. (dance) I haven't be looking at meat ads but I will start! I think once I do go to the store I can also get a better idea of meats for the menu plan. I know the local grocery store nearby always has the same meats in an abundant supply and if they don't, there is another just down the street from that one. I did go to a butcher for the chicken feet though and that store is a chain of stores, which I think is awesome for a meat supply. They were really cheap too! They looked at me funny when I asked for organs and feet. They though I was crazy and the cashier questioned why I was buying it. The stroller is so much fun! The people at the vets office thought it was the cutest thing ever! I got it at a thrift store for really cheap and it's in great condition.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 3, 2016 23:54:50 GMT -5
Haha! At least now we know that next time its better to chop it up until they're used to it. Must have been a bigfoot of the chicken world! It was a very lucky time when you got the sleeping photo. My guys are the same. They always do the cutest things when you don't have something to take a photo with and you rush back at the speed of light with a camera and they've moved! We have all been the same when it comes to poop at some stage hehe. When I started poop was a major concern for me as well. You'll eventually get used to the different poops and start seeing how poop can tell us a lot about our ferret's health. If I haven't already given you the link to the Poop chart, here it is: holisticferretforum.com/health/medical-files/raw-fed-ferret-poop-chart/ I'm so happy for Ezio! She's done so well since she's started. I'm actually impressed with everyone. Even Wampa, & Tauntaun are doing incredibly well. How much roughly would you guess that Tauntaun eats from the soup? Tauntaun is beginning to use all the energy he receives from his new food. They're completely off kibble now as well aren't they? That's definitely something to celebrate~ (dance) You may start noticing the smooth almost fluffy feeling coat, along with other pluses from the raw diet. Shopping for the ferrets is probably my favourite pass time. I'm not fond of meats in general, but when I buy them for my ferrets I become all giddy when I score a good price and manage to get 2 or 3 rather than 1 like planned. Good luck when you go to the store~ I hope you find some good deals I got questioned a lot as well. I basically sang that I own ferrets who feed raw and they give me the the face > Now they don't even ask lol!
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Post by Deleted on Feb 4, 2016 0:31:40 GMT -5
Bigfoot chicken! Now that would be a sight to see.... and then run really fast away from it!!! I actually got attacked by a chicken (rooster) once and those talons hurt! I chopped off the tips of the chicken foot and Wampa devoured them like they were candy and then was scouring the cage for more. I couldn't cut up the rest of the chicken because it was too thick! I need to buy a bigger knife to cut them up! Thank you! I am really impressed with them also. They're raw food eating CHAMPS! Lol. I thought I would have to do more kibble nights, but nope. They've been kibble-free(woohoo!) since Friday night, I think. Today Ezio and Tauntaun both ate without much convincing. Then right as I was giving them their last meal (3 cubes) for the night, Tauntaun and Wampa gobbled it up in five minutes, so I put some more out for Ezio. I think Tauntaun is eating about 2-3 ounces a day (1 cube is 1 oz). I can already feel the change in Ezio's coat. She has always had a wiry coat and now it's a lot softer. Tauntaun's coat has always been really soft, maybe it will improved the orangey tail he gets in the summer from all the built up oils. I'm so happy with their changes in appearance and energy. Ezio plays like a kit now when shes playing with the boys. I am excited to go shopping too! I don't eat much meat either.... but when I was shopping for those chicken hearts and livers I walked away feeling like I won the lottery because they were so cheap! Haha....scary chicken feet eating ferrets!!! (giggle) What are some treats that you feed your ferrets? I know you said prawns...
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Post by Deleted on Feb 4, 2016 10:01:59 GMT -5
Woohoo! Go Wampa! Some bones can be really hard to cut through. Getting a good cleaver might help. A lot of people end up with their own ferret food prepping knives. My cleaver is my best friend when it comes to bone in meats hehe. Now that all three are eating freely without much coaxing, you can try adding in some small slivers. You can have a look at this thread if you would like a general idea on sizing. holisticferret60.proboards.com/thread/4341/standardized-sizing-etc-meats2-3 ounces is also a wonderful amount. That's around average. Females eat around 1-4 ounces, and males around 2-6 ounces on average. Naughty boys, eating up Elio's share hehe. That's a great sign though. Feel free to add more. Especially for little Wampa since he's still young & growing. Kits tend to eat a lot and It doesn't surprise me that Tauntaun is eating a lot more now. That tends to happen at the start of a switch. Their coats sound incredible. Have you had a sniff of their tail yet? You might start smelling that Grape Tail thing. Grape tail is interesting. It tends to happen to raw fed ferrets and their tails start smelling like artificial grape, or grape kool-aid. I smell it on my guys every now and then, but it's never as strong as it was then they first switched. (I love it!) I never ate much meat as well and I'm recently decided to go back to being vegetarian. I can totally understand that lottery feeling. Everyone else may not get it, but us raw feeding ferrents do rofl! I feed a variety of treats. I don't do treats all the time, but when I do I feed them mainly freeze dried treats that I make home made. I recently made some raw freeze dried treats which ended up being a big hit with the ferrets. Other treats are prawns on really hot days (it's currently summer), Whole prey treats like Pinky mice (soon pinky rats), fuzzy mice, hopper mice, weaner mice, & ducklings. I guess duck fat would also be considered a treat as well.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 4, 2016 21:35:20 GMT -5
Chicken feet are his favorite now! He had more today. But they are making his tummy upset cause his stools is changing to more "snotty." A very gross description, but the best I could think of. Yay! I am happy to know that they are eating a good amount and aren't starving themselves. At this point I am giving them the minced Soupie. Is that a good thing? It has a lot of chucks of meat and skin in it and I have also started feeding them chucks of chicken as a treat. While I was making the Soupie today, Ezio was begging for some (pawing at me) and when I gave her a chunk of chicken she ran away happily. She is loving the raw diet. I haven't smelled the grape yet. That is very interesting though, I wonder what makes them smell like that? I went to the store today and bought beef liver and minced beef, when can I start to integrate this new meat into their diet?? I couldn't find any duck fat at the store. I was pretty bummed about that. (sniff) How long did it take for your babies to transition to a raw diet?
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Post by Deleted on Feb 4, 2016 23:16:30 GMT -5
Chicken feet are his favorite now! He had more today. But they are making his tummy upset cause his stools is changing to more "snotty." A very gross description, but the best I could think of.That's fantastic news~ He now has a taste for a little bone in meat treat. The upset tummy should get better in a little while. Yay! I am happy to know that they are eating a good amount and aren't starving themselves. The amounts also change depending on the season. I think it was around winter where they eat more and summer where they eat less (or vice versa) Girls sometimes eat very little which can be little frightening at times hahaha!! At this point I am giving them the minced Soupie. Is that a good thing? It has a lot of chucks of meat and skin in it and I have also started feeding them chucks of chicken as a treat. While I was making the Soupie today, Ezio was begging for some (pawing at me) and when I gave her a chunk of chicken she ran away happily. She is loving the raw diet. Aww! Ezio is definitely loving the raw diet! I adore it when ferrets do the little pawing thing when you make their food. Makes me want to cuddle them up! The minced soupie sounds great. Gradually they can transition onto just the meat pieces and then before you know it they'll be on the bone in meat~ I haven't smelled the grape yet. That is very interesting though, I wonder what makes them smell like that?I've often wondered what makes them smell like that as well. One of the many mysteries of the diet lol! I went to the store today and bought beef liver and minced beef, when can I start to integrate this new meat into their diet?? I couldn't find any duck fat at the store. I was pretty bummed about that. (sniff) Once they're on the meat, you can start putting it into their diet. You could also try feeding them little bit of the mince by itself and see how they take to it without the soup. Mince can be little mild in flavour and I hear some ferrets aren't fond of it. My guys loved it probably because I actually started them on beef mince before I transitioned them hehe. How long did it take for your babies to transition to a raw diet?
I started with Haru and Yuki, and Yuki was 6 months at the time so he took to the raw diet pretty quickly. Haru was my little stubborn princess and took more coaxing. Roughly around 2 months I had them on a balanced diet. I had to work with Haru little more until she was fully on bone in meats though. When I adopted Beavis (2 year old) just before I graduated, he was already eating meat. The rescue had transitioned him for me. Before they rescued him he was fed "Anything", thinking about that makes my skin crawl! Beavis was little reluctant for some things, but I ended up fully introducing him to the diet without mentor help.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 4, 2016 23:55:25 GMT -5
Today I'm going to give you a couple of lessons on Vitamins and Minerals. Feel free to read in your own time.
Since this article is very long, Please read more on the thread. It is a very informative thread and definitely worth having a read in your spare time. holisticferret60.proboards.com/thread/1222/vitamins#ixzz3zGVSVOYV** Fat Soluble. Vitamins or nutrients are classified as either fat soluble (vitamins A, D, E and K) or water soluble (vitamins B and C). The fat soluble vitamins are soluble in lipids (fats). Fat soluble vitamins, especially vitamins A and E, are stored in body tissues. They are stored primarily in the liver and in fatty (adipose) tissues. The fat-soluble vitamins include A, D, E, and K. Extra care must be taken to not consume these vitamins in excess because they stay in the body longer and can more easily lead to toxicity. A well-balanced diet will not lead to toxicity, but vitamin supplementation might. Water-soluble vitamins, which include all of the B vitamins, are easily absorbed into the body. If your ferret was to consume more of a water-soluble vitamin than it needs, the excess will be excreted VIA urine, not stored. This means the risk of an overdose is low, but you have to constantly replenish your stock. A good example is Taurine. Taurine is water soluble. To view the various Vitamins and Minerals in different meats, have a good look at this article below on the HFF website. Every protein is different, so that means that one protein or cut of meat may have more vitamins and or minerals than another. So having a variety of meats would ensure that the ferret receives all that he or she may need in order to be healthy and thrive. holisticferretforum.com/natural-diet/truth-about-diet/vitamins-and-minerals-in-raw/
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Post by Deleted on Feb 5, 2016 14:05:26 GMT -5
Wow! That vitamin lesson was intense! It reminds me of my chemistry classes and human anatomy & physiology classes. I love it! Totally my favorite subjects. (idea) I will definitely keep in mind that there should only be one liver meal a week. I don't think I will have to do supplements because the store is pretty well stocked with liver all year long. What is your recipe for an organ (liver) soup? I saw some in the forum. She was pawing at me again today! She loves her meat chunks! I do about 3 cubes of Soupie with six chunks of chicken. They eat the chunks last, but they still eat them. Yay! I will hold off on the beef then and try it once they start eating more chicken feet and chicken wings. Tauntaun! Tauntaun has the grape tail! I acted like a dork and sniffed his tail and it smells like grape. I was so surprised cause that is such a random smell caused by meat. That is really nice that a rescue was feeding him meat instead of a cheapy kibble. That's want most rescues would do because of their limited resources. Honestly, I think it will take 2 months before Tauntaun will come around to eating bone-in meat. He seems to be the picky one.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 5, 2016 23:39:06 GMT -5
I will definitely keep in mind that there should only be one liver meal a week. I don't think I will have to do supplements because the store is pretty well stocked with liver all year long. The one liver meal is actually split up during the week in the frankenprey menu. It's to ensure that they get the nutrients they need without having too much in one shot. Meal 1 would consist of : ½ heart + ¼ liver + ¼ other organ Meal 2 would consist of : ½ liver + ½ other organ Supplementation is usually a very last resort. It's always good to be stocked up for emergencies like if a shop is short of a certain meat etc etc. Usually Liver is very easy to come by. I think Kidney as well may be another easy organ to come by. ^^ What is your recipe for an organ (liver) soup? I saw some in the forum.I like to keep mine simple and simply use the two meals mentioned above. The two organs I use are Liver and Kidney, and I puree them as they are and keep any half hearts in chunks. Most people tend to puree them (even the hearts if needed) into a soup to ensure no ferrets eat more of one thing than another. If you have a single ferret then its usually not necessary, but having more than one ferret is more risky when it comes to piggies! She was pawing at me again today! She loves her meat chunks! I do about 3 cubes of Soupie with six chunks of chicken. They eat the chunks last, but they still eat them. Yay! I will hold off on the beef then and try it once they start eating more chicken feet and chicken wings. Ezio is so adorable. I've never heard of any kibble fed ferrets acting this way about their biscuits. I think its one of my favourite things with raw fed ferrets. I feed after playtime and every time my guys know when it's time for dinner and they rush into their room and right into their cage, or follow me closely until I put food down. Ezio has done extraordinarily well. She'll be eating bone in meat in no time! Tauntaun! Tauntaun has the grape tail! I acted like a dork and sniffed his tail and it smells like grape. I was so surprised cause that is such a random smell caused by meat.Yay! It smells wonderful doesn't it? I was surprised at first as well, and ecstatic! I've been curious about how it happens, but come up with nothing other than the fact it happens to raw fed ferrets haha!! That is really nice that a rescue was feeding him meat instead of a cheapy kibble. That's want most rescues would do because of their limited resources. Honestly, I think it will take 2 months before Tauntaun will come around to eating bone-in meat. He seems to be the picky one.Unwanted Fuzz are incredible. They rarely rely on donations and host a lot of auctions to raise funds. A lot of the people who volunteer put in a lot of their own money and have helped so many ferrets. Volunteers are also inside our HFF group, which I only found out after I adopted Beavis haha!! Tauntaun can take his time. Continue to persuade and coax him and he'll come around. Switches can vary in length depending on the humans and ferrets, so it will progress in a way to suit all of you. If Ezio and Wampa end up on bone in meat before Tauntaun, that's fine. We'll work with Tauntaun until he gets on the bone in meat in his own time.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 7, 2016 12:14:59 GMT -5
1. Ferret's name: Ezio 2. Ferret's weight: 1lb 11oz 3. Ferret has eaten "X" amount on average per meal. 1-2 oz per meal, she eats a lot of the chunks of chicken 4. Stools on various proteins. She has the small seedy poops from the previous photo. 5. Activity levels: Lots more energy!!! 6. Weekly menu: Monday-Friday: 2-3 cubes of minced Soupie 5 times a day, mixed with chunks of chicken Saturday-Sunday: I added turkey neck chunks because I ran out of chicken chunks and wanted to add some bone. 1. Ferret's name: Tauntaun 2. Ferret's weight: 2lb 4oz 3. Ferret has eaten "X" amount on average per meal. 1-2 oz 4. Stools on various proteins. Really oily (dark oily) looking and small. 5. Activity levels: Normal 1. Ferret's name: Wampa 2. Ferret's weight: 2lb 4oz 3. Ferret has eaten "X" amount on average per meal. 2-3 oz 4. Stools on various proteins. Runny and sometimes “snotty” 5. Activity levels: Lots of energy
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Post by Deleted on Feb 7, 2016 12:39:21 GMT -5
I will have to plan out the liver meals when they start eating bone in and not Soupie all the time, right? Since it’s in the Soupie... The organ soup seems simple enough. I will probably have to puree them all because Wampa is a lil’ piggie. He is always the first up to eat and eats a lot. Thank you! She is sort of the fave because she’s my first baby and the special one that I waited weeks to get. It wasn’t a for sure, so I would go to the store and visit her. She was so tiny and adorable! She whimpered once the first night because she was hungry and I was so nervous about leaving her alone in the cage, I forgot to give her food. That is a really cool rescue. I don’t know of any in my area. It’s such a small ferret community; it seems everyone is part of the same groups, rescues, and sites. Tauntaun is following right behind Ezio and Wampa, but he seems to do most of his eating at night when I can’t observe him. One day he was not into the Soupie, next he’s scarfing it down. Also, he has lot a little bit of weight, 2oz. Then last night…no one was eating the smashed turkey necks, and then this morning there were no turkey necks left. All that was left were the bones.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 7, 2016 16:24:33 GMT -5
When they move onto the slivers and start on bone in meat then yes you can add in the organ and start following a menu. Pureeing the organs is a good option too, especially since you have more than one ferret. Wampa is such a cutie. Feel free to give Wampa more if he is eating a lot. All the food will help him grow~ They all seem to be enjoying their new diet so far. Everyone seems to be doing very well. I'm so happy that you tried the bone in meats! That's fantastic! They didn't even need any coaxing, they deserve a good hug! Tauntaun reminds me of my Yuki. He too prefers to eat at night. Some ferrets tend to have their own preferred dinner time. I rarely get all my three eating together hehe. Tauntaun doesn't seem overly reluctant with the soupie, so thats a great sign. It is totally normal that somedays he may not be all into it. The weight loss is also natural. Ferrets, especially former kibble eaters, will start losing their kibble fat. They'll firm up and gain muscle. As for the poops mentioned, those seem normal with the new proteins. Over time they adjust more to newer proteins. I'm actually very happy that they're doing very well with all the new proteins. Great job! I think first pets always have a special place in our hearts. ;u; Haru and Yuki were both my first ferrets (& kits) & Beavis was my first rescue adoption, so I treasure all of my guys in their own unique way.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 8, 2016 11:24:20 GMT -5
Wampa does eat a lot more than the others two, but I wonder if he is eating all the good stuff and leaving them to eat the scraps or not at all. Today I mixed the Soupie with turkey necks and he at all of the Soupie and left the turkey necks for Tauntaun and Ezio. I only saw Ezio brave the turkey necks. Also, they don't seem to be eating the bones in the necks. They pretty much eat around them. Are they suppose to be eating the whole entire thing? I am really happy to know they are almost out of the Soupie stage. The prep work and actually making the Soupie is really laborious. Cutting up the chicken thighs is no easy task compared to just cutting up a chicken breast. The skin from the thighs has almost killed my motor four time! Haha. When they move on to bone in meats... for one feeding, will I just be setting out a turkey neck and they will just eat it? Or will I need to setting out one for each of them. How much meat, for one meal, is good for three ferrets? I am really eager to push for more bone in meals. Poop story! Haha! Wampa has been the most disgusting pooper out of the three of them. His stools are so foul smelling and sloppy.(I almost throw up every time) They are runny and he poops up the side of the litter box. Am I not adding enough eggshell to the Soupie? He is slowly getting more solid stool and I was wondering if that may be because of the turkey necks? I do notice a huge difference between Wampa and Tauntaun. Tauntaun is really all fluff and really doesn't have that muscular build. Wampa on the other hand, is solid and isn't "fluffy' at all. What you see is what you get!... When we bathed them all the other day... Tauntaun's mass diappeared cause of all the fluff and Wampa is so thick!!! Yeah I love them all in different ways! But Ezio is my lil' princess who is a lover and more affectionate towards me. Wampa is slowly starting to become that way. He's a snuggler and I think he is going to be easy to train. Tauntaun is more of my "cat" ferret.... he doesn't want your attention unless he's bored of stashing toys.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 9, 2016 7:47:15 GMT -5
Good morning! (I'm guessing its morning for you? It's currently night for me~) Turkey necks can be quite large for a starter bone in meat. That's where chicken necks are more easier to introduce compared to the large turkey necks. However if you do crush them down, they should be able to handle them. I even find some neck fragments with turkey necks. Some pieces are simply too dense, but as long as a ferret eats a majority of the bone then it doesn't matter as much that you get little cleaned bones. Here's an example photo of what I mean by crushing them down. This one is technically a chicken wing, but you could chop the necks down to this as well. Then once they're eating that well, you can start increasing size or decreasing how much you chop them down. A lot of people pick a single day and prep in advance for 1 or 2 week period. I myself buy in bulk, so I prep one large amount in a single day and it lasts me a whole 5 weeks or so. Some meats are so much harder to cut up. I find the fattier the meat, the more you have to work at it. The same would apply for bone in meats also. I actually lost a lot of weight in my arms thanks to all the food prepping (Great tone work!) I do think they are ready to now start on just the meats as they are, so feel free to decrease all the soup or remove it completely if they eat meat well as it is. If you come across new proteins like pork, feel free to give them those as slivers or chunks. Finding the right amount of food can take time. Simple rule to follow is, If they eat all the food before their next meal, then increase how much you feed. If they stash and have left overs when you go to feed their next meal, then decrease how much you feed. Kits like Wampa can eat a lot until they reach around 18 months of age, so increase if you find it necessary. Eventually you will start to notice the average for your own ferrets and you can prep according to how much they eat. Seasons and weather may also change how much they eat. So you may notice less eating in hot weather or in summer and more during cold weather or winter. On average males would eat around 2-6 ounces per meal and females on average around 1-4 ounces per meal. But that can vary depending on the ferret as an individual. As for the bone in meat meals, Turkey necks may need to be chopped down into disks. The same may apply for large bone in meats. Some ferrets may actually eat things such as wings as a whole, but if you find that your ferrets won't touch the meat as a whole, feel free to chop them down to a good size. As long as its still large enough for them that they have to work on it then the bone in meat would be fine and still clean teeth very well. Some larger ferrets may be able to handle the large bone in meats as they are, but most ferrets may be reluctant due to the size. I personally keep chicken necks as they are, but turkey necks I cut into disk or large chunks. I also prep my bone in meats like wings by chopping those into large chunks or segments also. Here's a photo I have of examples with wings. Chopping them into sections can help get them on Bone in meats also. You can either feed them as sections, or even segments. You will find the most suitable way by experimenting with your ferrets. Also here was the example on the turkey necks. This is how I feed them. You can chop them smaller to start out with and increase size like this or until you find a way that your ferrets can handle. Wampa's foul smelling and sloppy poop may still be due to the detoxing stage. Detoxing can last up to around 6 weeks sometimes. If you are noticing that they are runny, you can increase the egg shell powder amount or you can feed more bone in meats. You're correct, The turkey necks will help to make the stools more solid. You'll notice the change in poops as they start getting on a good routine menu. You mentioned body build. Apparently people often describe body types as greyhound, whippet and bulldog. There's an interesting thread on that here: holisticferret60.proboards.com/thread/3954I have to run off for now, I have to do some washing for tomorrow~ See you later and also fantastic work with your lovely three~ They're doing very well! (dance)
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Post by Deleted on Feb 9, 2016 15:22:37 GMT -5
Yes, good morning! Lol. Well...not it's afternoon. They are really liking the turkey necks. (They came pre-cut the way you have them pictured.) Like before, they usually eat around them... but today I found out that Tauntaun likes chewing on the bone. (giggle) He stashes them when all the meat is off the bone and gnaws on them for hours. Yay! I think I will put out some "big" pieces of bone out for him, but nothing bigger than a turkey vertebrae. I would love to give them chicken necks, but I haven't found any store that sells them or has them in stock. Weird, lol. Every time I go to the store, I find out they are all gone. Someone out there is enjoying chicken necks and livers. I know I should start prepping for sure! I have all of the supplies... I just froze all of it because I didn't think they would eat it all that fast. Now I am just waiting for all of it to thaw out. For some reason it does thaw very fast in my fridge. But now that I am going to start taking them off our Soupie it won't be so bad. So I have already introduced turkey as a base protein and the love it! Should I start with pork as the next one? (I want my base proteins to be turkey, pork, and beef.) Or can I try beef? I still have the minced beef and beef liver. I glad it's the detoxing that is making him so smelly and not something else. Though I hope it doesn't take up to six weeks. It is really smelly. Haha. I've heard of a whippet before, but never a bulldog. I think Ezio is a whippet body type and maybe Tauntaun too. But Wampa is so a bulldog body type. He is so stocky and when he plays in the tube he does exactly what that bulldog ferret in the video does. Have a goodnight!...I think. Time changes are so annoying. Where you are it's a day ahead of me. Thank you for all the picture diagrams. They are extremely helpful!!!! (dance)
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