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Post by libertymjs on Feb 12, 2018 12:34:37 GMT -5
I'm about to start the raw soupie but am a bit confused in when I'd put it out for him. Is it like kibble and I leave it out all day? Or do I set times like a dog
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Post by Blue on Feb 12, 2018 13:42:22 GMT -5
Soupie is only good for about 4-6 hours, so don't leave it out all day. If your ferret is an adult and doesn't have insulinoma, twice a day should be good. Otherwise you may need to adjust.
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Post by LindaM on Feb 12, 2018 16:47:19 GMT -5
I feed my lot twice a day, there are those who feed once daily though, especially the whole prey feeders. Kits and sick ferrets do need food provided more often though; kits eat more than adults (up to 4x even), and a ferret who has something like insulinoma may risk a crash if they don't have access to food often enough.
How long the soup can remain out is also going to depend on the temperature of your home, my home is kept cold so rarely does their raw ever rot, vs just dry out. High and humid temperatures can spoil meats faster than the usual guidelines though.
HOW LONG TO LEAVE RAW OUT FOR:
Soups: 6-8 hours
Grinds: 8-12 hours
Chunks: 10-24 hours (depending on size eg. the bigger the chunks are, the longer they'll last)
Bone-in Meats: 12-24 hours (again, depending on size)
Whole Prey: up to 48 hours
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Post by libertymjs on Feb 12, 2018 17:30:20 GMT -5
I feed my lot twice a day, there are those who feed once daily though, especially the whole prey feeders. Kits and sick ferrets do need food provided more often though; kits eat more than adults (up to 4x even), and a ferret who has something like insulinoma may risk a crash if they don't have access to food often enough. How long the soup can remain out is also going to depend on the temperature of your home, my home is kept cold so rarely does their raw ever rot, vs just dry out. High and humid temperatures can spoil meats faster Thank you mine is a lot almost 3 months! |
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Post by LindaM on Feb 12, 2018 18:09:57 GMT -5
I've fed kits on the twice daily myself, just be sure that you're putting out enough food is all. A good way to figure out how much to put out is to keep a journal of it for a week or two, it allows you to get an idea of the average (also helpful doing it again later when they are adults). Zero/Tare the bowl you use to feed, add food and weigh, offer the food, and at the change of next meal time, weigh leftovers. If there was no leftovers you may not be offering enough, if there was a lot, you may need to offer less so there isn't too much wasteage.
Personally, I don't quite stop feeding kibble entirely (as in get rid of it in the trash can) until I've seen the ferret eat from the soup bowl myself. Ferrets can learn to hold out for food they prefer, so this can become an issue with kibble sometimes if you don't keep ahead of it. If I were you, I'd have some sessions with your ferret where you offer him some soup with a spoon to get him eating it at first, and then once he is actually starting to eat out of the bowl by himself (without you finger feeding, spoon feeding, or even dabbing some on his nose), then you can go ahead and BURN the kibble as it would mean he is seeing the soup as food!
Kits tend to switch pretty easily and you can often skip some of the stages because of that, I switched two 7 month olds onto raw slivers the very day they got in our home.
Let us know how the soup goes, it may very quickly become a hit and you can move along to the next stages.
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Post by libertymjs on Feb 12, 2018 23:02:59 GMT -5
I've fed kits on the twice daily myself, just be sure that you're putting out enough food is all. A good way to figure out how much to put out is to keep a journal of it for a week or two, it allows you to get an idea of the average (also helpful doing it again later when they are adults). Zero/Tare the bowl you use to feed, add food and weigh, offer the food, and at the change of next meal time, weigh leftovers. If there was no leftovers you may not be offering enough, if there was a lot, you may need to offer less so there isn't too much wasteage. Personally, I don't quite stop feeding kibble entirely (as in get rid of it in the trash can) until I've seen the ferret eat from the soup bowl myself. Ferrets can learn to hold out for food they prefer, so this can become an issue with kibble sometimes if you don't keep ahead of it. If I were you, I'd have some sessions with your ferret where you offer him some soup with a spoon to get him eating it at first, and then once he is actually starting to eat out of the bowl by himself (without you finger feeding, spoon feeding, or even dabbing some on his nose), then you can go ahead and BURN the kibble as it would mean he is seeing the soup as food! Kits tend to switch pretty easily and you can often skip some of the stages because of that, I switched two 7 month olds onto raw slivers the very day they got in our home. Let us know how the soup goes, it may very quickly become a hit and you can move along to the next stages Will do! Thank you for the help! Sorry for yet another question but I figured I'd ask it hear instead of a whole new thread. Can I make a big batch and then freeze it and store for next meal so I'm not making it every tone he eats? |
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Post by libertymjs on Feb 12, 2018 23:03:25 GMT -5
Soupie is only good for about 4-6 hours, so don't leave it out all day. If your ferret is an adult and doesn't have insulinoma, twice a day should be good. Otherwise you may need to adjust. Thank you! |
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Post by LindaM on Feb 12, 2018 23:54:24 GMT -5
You can most certainly make a big batch and freeze some and then thaw as needed! Though, since you might be able to switch even faster than you think, don't go making too big a batch either! Though there is nothing wrong in having a bit of frozen soup for later on either as it's great for when they are sick, or even to use as an incentive when struggling to introduce new proteins.
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Post by Sherry on Feb 13, 2018 8:08:59 GMT -5
And as they are only 3 months old, I'd be pushing the switch as fast as possible. Honestly- try cutting some long thin strips of meat, and just top them with the soup like a gravy. See how they do with it.
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Post by libertymjs on Feb 14, 2018 18:17:48 GMT -5
And as they are only 3 months old, I'd be pushing the switch as fast as possible. Honestly- try cutting some long thin strips of meat, and just top them with the soup like a gravy. See how they do with it. Should I do that with chicken strips? I just bought some chicken hearts as Well. I'm about to head home and make it I'll let you guys know how it turns out! |
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Post by Sherry on Feb 15, 2018 9:39:56 GMT -5
I would do it with a variety of meats  The more proteins you introduce them to right now the better. |
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