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Post by kattadragon on Jan 10, 2017 9:52:27 GMT -5
Chicken thigh: approx. size is 1/4" X 1/16". I would say about 1/3 of the chunks were eaten last night!! Who ate them I am not sure they were all kenneled together. I could separate to find out who is eating what, but they do not seem to eat as well if I do that.
Tiny is my punk, she has lots of "personality". She thinks she is in charge of everything. She was the first one to take the soup and the last to consider the chunks. I know she is a stubborn one and am not entirely sure how to approach getting her to eat chunks. I read that the scruff and stuff on females only pisses them off, and it would be easy to do with her.
On the other hand, I think even Bill wants to eat the chunks and he just got two teeth removed. Jack will eat the chunks and Jezzy is unsure about it, but takes the coxing really well. For her it is just patience, but for Tiny, well, think bitchy stubborn.
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Post by antismurffette on Jan 10, 2017 14:24:09 GMT -5
Chicken thigh: approx. size is 1/4" X 1/16". I would say about 1/3 of the chunks were eaten last night!! Who ate them I am not sure they were all kenneled together. I could separate to find out who is eating what, but they do not seem to eat as well if I do that. Tiny is my punk, she has lots of "personality". She thinks she is in charge of everything. She was the first one to take the soup and the last to consider the chunks. I know she is a stubborn one and am not entirely sure how to approach getting her to eat chunks. I read that the scruff and stuff on females only pisses them off, and it would be easy to do with her. On the other hand, I think even Bill wants to eat the chunks and he just got two teeth removed. Jack will eat the chunks and Jezzy is unsure about it, but takes the coxing really well. For her it is just patience, but for Tiny, well, think bitchy stubborn. I scruff and stuffed my little girl. Now she eats whatever I offer her while holding her. Or worst case if I gently hold her scruff. Kinda feels like I'm force feeding her so I don't often do it but it's useful for blockage protocol. My boys on the other hand twist and turn and push the food away until they eventually yawn.
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Post by kattadragon on Jan 13, 2017 12:21:55 GMT -5
Maybe I am just expecting them to move through the steps too fast. I just worry about the need for variety in their diet to keep them healthy.
I have found it easiest to cut the meat into m\small pieces when it is partially frozen. Does anyone have any other good ideas for making the chunks bite sized?
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Post by kattadragon on Jan 13, 2017 18:41:04 GMT -5
Oh, I will be going on a ski trip with my son for three days, we leave saturday afternoon and will be back monday evening. I will not have a computer, but my husband is going to feed my ferrets their soup while we are gone.
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Post by Aftershock on Jan 14, 2017 1:23:17 GMT -5
Patience is definitely needed for a switch. They are such stubborn toddlers! I personally use an ulu knife. A cleaver takes to long for me to cut things and is awkward for me to shatter bones with. There is always the option to try slightly bigger pieces and putting them in the soup. Persistence is key here. It is ridiculous, but they often will forget there is something different about the food and end up eating the bigger pieces too. Helping them figure that (I would try popping it in their mouth once a day at least, and holding them so they can't run away and spit it out. Praise a ton while doing this and even more if they begin to chew.) it is food is a big thing. I know it feels like you aren't getting anywhere right now, but you are doing great! I promise! Enjoy your skii trip with your son! Stay safe!
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Post by kattadragon on Jan 17, 2017 13:25:33 GMT -5
We are back. No injuries!! And I may have to get my son ski lessons now, I have created a monster!!
Anyway, the ferrets are all eating their soup twice a day, 10 ounces per meal. I am going to start cutting up deboned thigh when it is mostly frozen, let it thaw, mix it in, and keep some out to stuff the unwilling. I plan to start that tonight. I have to make up another batch of food for the week since I was gone this weekend.
I think they have all gained weight (I need to keep more accurate weight records), they look like it anyways, but they are all way more active. I discovered the boys are too big to fit under the doors! That means I can let them out to play in the house. I still harness and leash everyone until I get all my ferret proofing worked out, manufactured houses are terrible for ferret proofing, so many holes and gaps.
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Post by kattadragon on Jan 18, 2017 11:10:22 GMT -5
I think Tiny is my hunter. She goes very serious when she hears a squeaky toy, goes straight for the toy, shakes the crap out of it and hides it!
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Post by Aftershock on Jan 18, 2017 11:35:48 GMT -5
Welcome back! I'm so glad you guys had fun and didn't get hurt! I laughed really hard at this. How did they take the bigger pieces? That is the one thing I enjoy about the squeaky toys, is that I get to see them 'kill' them.
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Post by kattadragon on Jan 18, 2017 11:59:51 GMT -5
Bill and Jack are both eating the chunks. Jezzy looks mizzerable when I make her eat the chuks and Tiny looks pissed, but they all had some. I did not make Bill eat them, he just got some with his soup and kept eating.
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Post by antismurffette on Jan 18, 2017 14:06:46 GMT -5
I'm sure the girls will come around. Do you just have to pop it in their mouths and they eat it or do you hold them until they eat it?
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Post by kattadragon on Jan 18, 2017 15:06:19 GMT -5
I hold them. In the head up, scruffed with my hand around their mouth so they can't spit it out the side kind of holding.
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Post by antismurffette on Jan 19, 2017 14:18:58 GMT -5
I think your just supposed to put in their mouth and then let them go. Like with the soup and how you just bop them on the nose/mouth with it during playtime so they have to lick it off and get a taste of it. I grab one of mine as they pass me during playtime, scruff them with their body supported on my lap and pop in a tiny sliver as they yawn. Then I let them go. Sometimes they spit it out and then I just use that piece on a diffrent ferret until someone eats it lol. Then I try again a little later until eventually they all eat it when I pop it in their mouth. From what I understood you aren't literally supposed to stuff them. But Id feel better if someone more experienced chimed in. kattadragon, Klarissa
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Post by Klarissa on Jan 19, 2017 14:28:48 GMT -5
Hi! How big are the pieces you're trying? If she's being very obstinate, then you want slivers the size of rice, or a little bigger. I've used a cheese grater Usually these pieces are small enough to go unsuspected in soup, but ferrets are finicky with a flare for dramatics 😂 So the next step would be gently scruff (with body supported), pop a piece in when she yawns, then just hold her in your lap. If she spits it out, lol. I would leave her alone with some cheese grated meat for 3-4 hours. Wish you luck. They all get it eventually
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Post by kattadragon on Jan 19, 2017 14:37:20 GMT -5
I tried the cheese grader, did not work, but if the meat is mostly frozen I can get the pieces fairly small, 1/8 X 1/16 ish.
She sits in my lap and I hold her medium struffed. My hand is next to her mouth, I do not hold her mouth shut or anything. After she swallows one I give lots of praise and give her some soup on a spoon. She likes to be hand fed so it makes a nice reward for her.
I have tried just leaving her with small chunks for 12 hours. She would not touch it.
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Post by katt on Jan 21, 2017 22:59:13 GMT -5
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