Post by Deleted on Aug 14, 2016 11:08:21 GMT -5
It was suggested to create a switch thread here so I thought it would be a good idea to get used to doing so since I just applied for a mentor.
I have 3 ferrets Winston male age3 starting weight 2lbs 6oz., Penelope female age5 starting weight 1lb 7 oz, and Madeline female age5 starting weight 1lb 5oz. I have had my Winston since he was 8 weeks old but my girls were a Craigslist rescue at the age of 2.
I have begun making the switch slowly three days ago. Day one I offered a little bit of liver a mix of chicken and beef mixed with an egg they ate it pretty well what they didnt after hours passed I mixed in with kibble over night. I let a few days pass without offering raw because I wanted more information and to have time to buy more things to have on hand to make sure I did everything right. On day two of raw I offered a mix of chicken thigh 8oz, chicken liver .5oz, beef liver .5oz and one whole egg including shell instead of water to make a "soup" I then put it in my food processor. (did not have heart yet). It wasnt a true soup it was more of a raw grind. They ate it all throughout the day/overnight I just bounced the spoon lightly on their snout and they dug in without any issues! Over night I did have some kibble in the cage with the meat but it doesnt look like they ate much of the kibble! Last night my boyfriend took me to the Asian Food market and I stocked up on so much stuff!
On hand Items....(weighed/portioned and bagged for freezer)
11 bags of Chicken feet with 3 feet per bag/1 per ferret
Muscle meat- Pork 9- 5oz bags, Duck gizzard 6- 5oz bags, 1.5lbs of venison (frozen for about a year)
Other Organ- Pork kidney enough for 12 weeks
Heart- Pork enough for 9 weeks
Tongue- Pork enough for 3 weeks (this will be a substitute for heart or used as a muscle meat)
Liver- Pork enough for 4 weeks, 15 bags of beef and chicken liver mixed total = enough for 19 weeks
7 bags/servings of "soup" prepared and frozen ready to be defrosted and put into food processor as needed
I also have frozen chicken wings, bone in chicken thighs, and beef suet and I plan to purchase more chicken and turkey for bone in meals and beef chuck for more muscle meals to have on hand
8/14/15
Today I put a 5 oz plate with soup ingredients but didnt add water to it so I kept it in a raw grind consistency in to feed them they turned their nose up to it so I held them and spoon fed Winston ate a good table spoon and the girls a teaspoon size serving and then they went to sleep lol all three woke up had a few bites for a while on their own and went back to sleep and have been for awhile now. Is it normal for them to be eating and then going right to bed again? I feel like they just want to eat and sleep now lol
8/15/15
Last night I put in another 5oz plate with soup ingredients without water again and when I woke up they didnt touch any of it! I am concerned about them not eating! Could really use some suggestions of what to do! ugh I am worried that I cant do this because I am scared that they will loose too much weight....I ended up getting out the fresh bowl and I feed them by hand as much as I could get them to take. Penelope ate 2oz, Winston ate 2oz and Madeline ate 1oz. I put a small 1oz portion on a plate to see if they would eat more they each went up had a little bit and walked away from it and they each went to sleep....if they dont try eating again by 1pm I am going to try spoon feeding them again? Should I put the kibble back ? Are they maybe eating enough for them and I am just worrying too much? I am going to weight them weekly to make sure that they are ok....if I dont my sanity might not take this lol I am a worrier it is what I do When I got out of work tonight I sorted and packaged more meat....when I was done I spoon fed them each 1 tbsp of the "soup" without water grind and I got them to eat a couple of slivers of the beef I was sorting out that I had left over. They fought it but finally they each gave in and ate it. I put another plate of 5oz of the "Soup" grind in with them for over night along with a little but of kibble.
8/16/16
Together they ate 2.5 oz over night they kibble looked untouched again that is a plus but I am worried about their intake. Maybe they are eating enough for them and I am worrying for no reason. They are peeing and pooping well! Nothing that looks concerning. I put fresh food in for them this morning they came to me looking for it but wanted me to feed them by spoon lol go figure. They each at 1oz by spoon so I put 1oz on a plate all three ate that. So I put another 2oz on the plate with some beef itty bits and they havent touched it at all and it is 3pm. I pulled out a chicken foot to see what they would do with that and they each ate a lil nail off from a "toe" and part of the toe. I put some of the powder to duck soup package and rubbed it on it like seasoning they wouldnt eat it if I set it down only if I hung on to it for them my penelope was chewing on it the most but seemed to be having a hard time figuring it out and breaking it up....I think once she gets it she is going to be my little bone destroyer lol....madeline is a stinker about it out of the group but she is a foodie light weight and my tiniest ferrt...winston would rather play with me so he is not happy that mom is holding him still to get him to eat so he kind of diggs in when he realizes i have put my foot down to get it out of the way so i will play
8/17/16
I put 3oz of the "soup" mix in their cage over night it was all gone when I woke up this morning! This morning I put 3 oz in their cage after spoon feeding them each one full teaspoon spoon. Am going to see if they will eat it on their own if they dont touch it by 3 pm I will try spoon feeding them and coaxing them to the bowl to see what happens. I did include slivers in the bowl to see if they would eat them...once they start to eat them and not leave them in the bowl or in the cage I will switch over to slivers more and more.
I have 3 ferrets Winston male age3 starting weight 2lbs 6oz., Penelope female age5 starting weight 1lb 7 oz, and Madeline female age5 starting weight 1lb 5oz. I have had my Winston since he was 8 weeks old but my girls were a Craigslist rescue at the age of 2.
I have begun making the switch slowly three days ago. Day one I offered a little bit of liver a mix of chicken and beef mixed with an egg they ate it pretty well what they didnt after hours passed I mixed in with kibble over night. I let a few days pass without offering raw because I wanted more information and to have time to buy more things to have on hand to make sure I did everything right. On day two of raw I offered a mix of chicken thigh 8oz, chicken liver .5oz, beef liver .5oz and one whole egg including shell instead of water to make a "soup" I then put it in my food processor. (did not have heart yet). It wasnt a true soup it was more of a raw grind. They ate it all throughout the day/overnight I just bounced the spoon lightly on their snout and they dug in without any issues! Over night I did have some kibble in the cage with the meat but it doesnt look like they ate much of the kibble! Last night my boyfriend took me to the Asian Food market and I stocked up on so much stuff!
On hand Items....(weighed/portioned and bagged for freezer)
11 bags of Chicken feet with 3 feet per bag/1 per ferret
Muscle meat- Pork 9- 5oz bags, Duck gizzard 6- 5oz bags, 1.5lbs of venison (frozen for about a year)
Other Organ- Pork kidney enough for 12 weeks
Heart- Pork enough for 9 weeks
Tongue- Pork enough for 3 weeks (this will be a substitute for heart or used as a muscle meat)
Liver- Pork enough for 4 weeks, 15 bags of beef and chicken liver mixed total = enough for 19 weeks
7 bags/servings of "soup" prepared and frozen ready to be defrosted and put into food processor as needed
I also have frozen chicken wings, bone in chicken thighs, and beef suet and I plan to purchase more chicken and turkey for bone in meals and beef chuck for more muscle meals to have on hand
8/14/15
Today I put a 5 oz plate with soup ingredients but didnt add water to it so I kept it in a raw grind consistency in to feed them they turned their nose up to it so I held them and spoon fed Winston ate a good table spoon and the girls a teaspoon size serving and then they went to sleep lol all three woke up had a few bites for a while on their own and went back to sleep and have been for awhile now. Is it normal for them to be eating and then going right to bed again? I feel like they just want to eat and sleep now lol
8/15/15
Last night I put in another 5oz plate with soup ingredients without water again and when I woke up they didnt touch any of it! I am concerned about them not eating! Could really use some suggestions of what to do! ugh I am worried that I cant do this because I am scared that they will loose too much weight....I ended up getting out the fresh bowl and I feed them by hand as much as I could get them to take. Penelope ate 2oz, Winston ate 2oz and Madeline ate 1oz. I put a small 1oz portion on a plate to see if they would eat more they each went up had a little bit and walked away from it and they each went to sleep....if they dont try eating again by 1pm I am going to try spoon feeding them again? Should I put the kibble back ? Are they maybe eating enough for them and I am just worrying too much? I am going to weight them weekly to make sure that they are ok....if I dont my sanity might not take this lol I am a worrier it is what I do When I got out of work tonight I sorted and packaged more meat....when I was done I spoon fed them each 1 tbsp of the "soup" without water grind and I got them to eat a couple of slivers of the beef I was sorting out that I had left over. They fought it but finally they each gave in and ate it. I put another plate of 5oz of the "Soup" grind in with them for over night along with a little but of kibble.
8/16/16
Together they ate 2.5 oz over night they kibble looked untouched again that is a plus but I am worried about their intake. Maybe they are eating enough for them and I am worrying for no reason. They are peeing and pooping well! Nothing that looks concerning. I put fresh food in for them this morning they came to me looking for it but wanted me to feed them by spoon lol go figure. They each at 1oz by spoon so I put 1oz on a plate all three ate that. So I put another 2oz on the plate with some beef itty bits and they havent touched it at all and it is 3pm. I pulled out a chicken foot to see what they would do with that and they each ate a lil nail off from a "toe" and part of the toe. I put some of the powder to duck soup package and rubbed it on it like seasoning they wouldnt eat it if I set it down only if I hung on to it for them my penelope was chewing on it the most but seemed to be having a hard time figuring it out and breaking it up....I think once she gets it she is going to be my little bone destroyer lol....madeline is a stinker about it out of the group but she is a foodie light weight and my tiniest ferrt...winston would rather play with me so he is not happy that mom is holding him still to get him to eat so he kind of diggs in when he realizes i have put my foot down to get it out of the way so i will play
8/17/16
I put 3oz of the "soup" mix in their cage over night it was all gone when I woke up this morning! This morning I put 3 oz in their cage after spoon feeding them each one full teaspoon spoon. Am going to see if they will eat it on their own if they dont touch it by 3 pm I will try spoon feeding them and coaxing them to the bowl to see what happens. I did include slivers in the bowl to see if they would eat them...once they start to eat them and not leave them in the bowl or in the cage I will switch over to slivers more and more.