Olenka's Switching Thread / Sherry

[olenka]

All is well. Ruby put on another 10 grams. They ate chicken liver for breakfast yesterday and chicken wings for dinner. Today they had chicken breast for breakfast. I will serve them kidney soup tonight. Trying to catch up on organs - they had just chicken for 5 days in a row.
I am pretty sure that Ruby would not eat kidneys, even with cream or other meat. If she refused to eat the soup, should I give her some chicken?

[Sherry]

Are you giving the kidneys by themselves, or blended half and half with the liver? If alone, mix the two together.

[olenka]

I blended 3 oz of kidneys, 3 oz of heavy cream, and 2 chicken hearts. The boys had 2 oz each. Ruby had about 1 oz. I even did not have to spoon-feed them - just scruff&stuff once. After that they started eating from a bowl while sitting at my lap. I put some chicken slices in soup left overs and left it in the cage over night. They did not touch it, so I disposed it.

This morning Ruby was so hungry that she chewed up whole chicken neck. But she would not eat chicken soaked in soup.

[Sherry]

Okay, start backing WAY off on the cream. They should only be getting about 1 tablespoon per feeding. Not one ounce each
Ruby is going to be a "special" girl But we'll work on her and get her there. Also- an ounce is good for her. Some of my females only eat an ounce a day in the summer. They'd eat 1.5-2oz a day in the winter.

[olenka]

Today I served them chicken, and I put a small slice of kidneys in a bowl. So, they would get use to that (disgusting!) smell. Is it a good idea?

[Sherry]

It certainly won't hurt.

[olenka]

WOW such a development: my poor hungry babies ate up everything yesterday, including that slice of kidney! I do not know who did it, but definitely not Ruby:))))
Today I served them chicken liver with chicken leg for breakfast (approx. 50%X50%) And I put another small slice of kidney in their bowl. Let's see how it goes.

[Sherry]

Sounds like they are doing well! Keep track of how much liver/organ they are getting. You don't want to overdo it.

[olenka]

I am:) They have chicken on a bone for 2 days in a row. I do not put kidney slice in their bowl any more. It was too hot in NJ recently. I was afraid that they might freak out. Heat and stinky kidneys might be too much for them to handle So, I discarded all thawed kidneys. But they will have kidney soup next Sunday.

[Sherry]

Sounds good Let's set up a temporary menu of what they are now eating. That way we can start really working balance in.

[olenka]

Sure, let's do that
They like chicken liver, hearts, and gizzards. As for bones, they can handle only chicken wings and ribs. Recently I have been feeding them chicken legs. They rip off all the meat and try to chew the bones, but can eat up only the cartridge.
I offered them some pork yesterday. I think that they did not touch it, just took it out of a bowl (although it is hard to tell - looks for me that some tiny slices were gone)

This morning they were really hungry. So, I gave them chicken gizzards and liver that were sitting in a fridge together with veal kidneys (I put them in one ziplock bag to defrost). My fuzz butts refused to eat those chicken organs! Milky and Ruby found a bare chicken bone and started a fight over it.
Shall I continue starving them in order to make them eat those gizzards soaked in kidneys juice? Or just give them some chicken after their morning walk?

As I write, I can hear a bone crushing sound coming from a corner. LOL This is Milky finishing a piece of chicken he stashed under a couch

[Sherry]

We'll start with pork. Sliver some up and mix in with regular chicken chunks. As they start to accept it increase amount and size.
For the bones, smash them up a few times to expose the marrow. And for now stick with the smaller bones.

[olenka]

Oops... Milky's poop was light yellow this morning; Choco's poop was dark-brown, as always. None of my ferrets has diarrhea. They ate chicken for dinner last night and for breakfast this morning.
Is it because Milky had some "ferret jerky" yesterday?

[Sherry]

That's more than likely And quite normal lol. It is how their body's deal with the higher bacterial count.

[olenka]

Thank you, Sherry! I started worrying already because Milky's poop was dandelion color(mom, here is a flower for you:))
Is ferrets poop supposed to be yellow if they ate "aged" meat?