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Post by katt on May 28, 2018 23:51:19 GMT -5
Awww congrats on the new baby! <3
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Post by Sherry on May 29, 2018 7:33:37 GMT -5
If she keeps that up, he'll cave
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Post by azaelia on May 29, 2018 16:56:30 GMT -5
hi katt thanks, little toffee is a sweet heart! she's so funny, she's currently following ellie around dooking at her, trying to get her to play, but shes too shy to get too close to her. i don't think ellie even knows she's there (shes deaf) sherry - what do you mean "if i keep it up ,he'll cave"? you mean with frank & toffee? i hope so, he's so unhappy tonight. he's fine until she's around, then he just stands & stares or makes a speed-bump. i'll give them another month & if theres no improvment then she'll have to go back. i don't believe in giving up & surrendering to shelters, but shes so sociable it's not fair to keep her as a solo & i can't take on more. i'll be gutted. anyway - i ordered next weeks food - duck & chicken wings, with rabbit, beef, pork & lamb chunks. they're gonna be happy fuzzies next week! frank hasn't done as well today with his heart, but he's still eaten some. i'm going to give him a big meal of beef chunks tonight & then i'll add bone back in now i'm happy he's eating like he used to be. new menu should start on saturday if the food is delivered in time. ALSO - what's your thoughts on using positive reinforcement on these 2? This morning I gave them an egg each & they ate in close proximity, apart from toffee being nervous it went well. This evening I put them in the bath (dry) & fed beef chunks. It worked great until frank was full & beat toffee up. She pooped.
I just don't like some of the methods I've heard like putting them in a full tub & letting fear bond them, ursing sudocreme on they're scruffs so they taste fowl. things like that mostly make it worse with dogs (i'm much more familiar with dogs). i'm getting a new bottle of salmon oil hopefully tomorrow. i read about someone who covered his ferrets scruffs in it & it worked for him. i also read your old post on facebook about using time out. but mostly these days he's not attacking her, he'll just snap at her if she gets too close. i think positive reinforcement is the way to go - make all they're interactions really positive with lots of love & food. i'd also love to have some 1 on 1 time with frank, but theres no where i can take him that wont smell of toffee, he always seems so stressed outside. i brought in some leaves for them to play in. franks terrified & wont get in them. i might still put his harness on & take him for a walk tomorrow if it's not too hot. see how he reacts.
I'm just having one of those nights where things seem so hopeless. These little creatures are such a learning curve lol
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Post by azaelia on May 31, 2018 2:46:05 GMT -5
Bone went down ok with frank last night. He didn't eat much but he did chew up a few bits, I'll be able to sit with him this afternoon to encourage him to eat more. I didn't watch poppy last night, but most of her food was gone this morning.
I've finally decided on naming her Poppy, she's my little Popsicle lol.
Update - I've just sat with frank for his 1st bone meal of the day, he ate around the bone. Tinker.
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Post by Sherry on Jun 1, 2018 7:54:40 GMT -5
Positive reinforcement for these two should work now. He sounds like he was at the point Lucrezia was when getting used to Frodo. They did wind up sleeping in a pile together about a month or so later. She barely tolerated him for a while. Try some playtime, like dragging a tube behind you. They often go crazy bounding into and out of a tube. Or towel drags. Another good positive reinforcement is salmon oil on a plate. Each get a few drops on either side of the same plate. Once they can do that okay, drag a few drops all around the circumference. As for bones, what are you using for him now? Something I found worked well for mine was chicken necks, chopped in half and heavily cross hatched. Give those for 2 or 3 meals in a row to get them used to bone. Wings can be used for the same method.
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Post by azaelia on Jun 1, 2018 10:45:25 GMT -5
I'm using duck necks atm, but from Sunday well be going to duck wings & another bone that I can't remember atm.
I'll feed just bone for 3 meals straight from Saturday evening / Sunday morning depending on how meal prep goes.
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Post by Sherry on Jun 2, 2018 8:50:19 GMT -5
Sounds good. Make sure it is a bone they can easily consume, and/or one they've eaten before. Duck wings, other than the tip, will be too heavy for them to eat. Chicken wings and cornish hen are great for this.
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Post by azaelia on Jun 2, 2018 15:33:11 GMT -5
so duck wings are no good? omg i could cry lol. i portioned them all out today. never mind, i've got duck necks & Ill go & get some chicken wings tomorrow
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Post by Sherry on Jun 4, 2018 7:41:16 GMT -5
Hey they still get lots of stimulation pulling the meat from the bone So not a total loss!
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Post by azaelia on Jun 4, 2018 9:08:50 GMT -5
1. name: ellie 2. weight: 467g up from 468g 3. average eaten: shes doing very well, she's feeding herself now. 4. poops: perfect 5. Activity levels: normal for her. 6. Weekly menu: same as always (vince the vet commercial raw, either lamb with beef offal, turkey with lamb offal or beef with lamb offal). photos.app.goo.gl/IRFveP5pj93G54ep2photos.app.goo.gl/Icd1a5eLMhDTzoIo1*** 1. name: frank 2. weight: 638g up from 625g *Happy dance* he seems so much better for it! 3. average eaten: he's been fed mostly bone the past few days & he's doing much better! Not hearing much crunching bone but I've heard him in the past so I know it's only a matter of time. 4. poops: poops have been quite loose the past week, but then his diet has pretty much been muscle. I'll be feeding a balanced diet from now on since he's back to his old self. 5. Activity levels: still a little reduced, I think it's more because he's still sulking because of poppy. When she's not around he's much more active. 6. Weekly menu: mostly muscle this past week, I'll post the weekly menu at the end. photos.app.goo.gl/hfspZIktrazWI2r73photos.app.goo.gl/Da2th9mdOhh2fvdI2photos.app.goo.gl/2DCqPwkmhN2nq2zm2I couldn't get a good shot. *** 1. name: poppy 2. weight: 900-&-something (she wouldnt sit still) down from 1.3kg 3. average eaten: shes still eating me out of house & home. 4. poops: been a little loose because she's preferred to pinch Frank's muscle rather than eat her bone, but not too bad. 5. Activity levels: good - She's not being put off by Frank's bullying & plays with me every night. 6. Weekly menu: I'll post at the end photos.app.goo.gl/wmRIi5TimHb7ZMmi1photos.app.goo.gl/P6i5yddRR51KoTgY7*** So menu: Mon am - bone Mon pm - bone Tues am - bone Tues pm - heart (lamb) Wed am - liver, kidney soup (50:50) (lamb & ox liver, spleen & kidney pre made ground) Wed pm - bone Thurs am - bone Thurs pm - meat Fri am - bone Fri pm - meat Sat am - heart, liver, kidney soup (50:25:25) Sat pm - bone Sun am - meat Sun pm - bone Bone is duck wing, duck neck & I'll get some chicken wings this week. Meat is beef, pork tongue, wild boar, pork meat.
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Post by Sherry on Jun 5, 2018 7:57:53 GMT -5
Sounds like they are doing really well! Poppy will settle down soon Mine are presently doing the same- and they were just switched off commercial raw in the mornings! Silly buggers can't seem to get enough to eat of the frankenprey. I don't know if it is at all possible, but I would prefer seeing one other bone in protein. Quail and turkey necks are the two most common in grocery stores. Check the freezer section for meats. I find 6 packs of dressed small quail there, along with turkey necks. Now, you are almost ready to graduate In the interim: 1. You have run out of heart, how much taurine supplement should your ferrets get? (be specific) 2. In an emergency (you run out of bone), what are 2 acceptable bone substitutes and how much should your ferrets get? (be speficic) 3. List 3 organs aside from liver. 4. What is a Normal Fasting Blood Glucose level? 5. Are leaner meats better for your ferret or fattier meats?
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Post by azaelia on Jun 5, 2018 11:06:37 GMT -5
I hope she gets over it soon, shed eat her food, Frank's & ellies if im not carefull, shes a piglet lol
I can get chicken wings at the supermarket, I've never seen quail or turkey necks here.
I'll reply to the quiz a bit later - I'm at work right now.
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Post by azaelia on Jun 6, 2018 9:11:03 GMT -5
Ok so quiz time - 1 - 500mg of supplement per fert per day. 250mg in the morning, the other 250mg in the evening
2- powdered egg shell or bone meal powder - 1/2 a tsp per 226g (8oz) of food.
3 - brain, spleen, kidney.
4 - between 5 & 7 (uk) I think. Idk how to convert it to US measurements
5 - fattier meats are better - they get they're energy from the fat.
***
So organ isn't going well today. Pops did ok & has had a mouth full or 2, I've just about got Frank to taste it off my finger. I'm working with him every hour or so to encourage him.
Frank attacked pops again this morning, but before I got him to the sin bin I realised that pops was fighting back! (She never fights back) so I let them fight it out & the result seems to be that Frank's got some new-found respect for her. He's no where near as quick to snap at her & is now giving her space, whereas before he'd chase her away every time she came too close. I hope this is a turning point. & on Friday I'm taking them to my parents for the weekend, so they get 3 days of 100% neutral territory to sort themselves out. & speaking of that - I'm going to be late posting the weigh in this week 'cause I'm going away. I'll get it posted at some point between Monday & Wednesday.
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Post by Sherry on Jun 7, 2018 8:47:31 GMT -5
All coorect on the quiz I think you know your stuff. And YAY for Poppy Sounds like she FINALLY had enough from him
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Post by azaelia on Jun 10, 2018 2:22:33 GMT -5
Hmmmm, maybe I shouldn't have fed organ when we're staying at my mum & dad's pmsl.
It went down better this time- I added 2 drops of salmon oil & Frank ate really well!
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