|
Post by Charlie on Apr 14, 2018 9:45:53 GMT -5
Ok I have a question. In the wild ferrets catch their food and eat it so we actually should be feeding them what they normally catch in the wild. But how was it decided that the Frankenprey diet is balanced or any other diet other then whole prey? I'm just curious. I know animals adapt to their environment and since these little guys have been domesticated and it's not always possible to give them the wild experience, other then letting them go in the wild, we don't want to do that to our furries. I think I'm over protective sometimes lol but better to be safe then sorry. OK I found info on this!!! Got my answers!! Glad you went hunting. Lots of great information on here. Nothing wrong with being over protective -- means you love your little guy!! <3 And that you want enough information to be knowing you are making the right decision. So how is the meat going? What size are the meat chunks? Is Charlie chewing up some of the bones when you put them in? He was doing good up u til yesterday. He didn't eat his bone in chicken in the morning so I gave it to him again with his organ meal and he left the chicken. I wasn't sure if I should give that to him again so I threw it out and gave him fresh bone in chicken this morning. He seemed to turn his nose up to that too. Now what do I do? He can't go without eating?
|
|
|
Post by mermaidsirena on Apr 14, 2018 12:35:56 GMT -5
Bone in meat is more work. It can also be left longer. Meat is good for them a LOT longer than you think. Typically food is good for: Soup: 8-10hrs Grinds: 10-12hrs Chunks and bone-in meats: 12-24hrs Whole prey: 24-48hrs
How long had the bone in meat been there?
|
|
|
Post by Charlie on Apr 14, 2018 13:30:12 GMT -5
Bone in meat is more work. It can also be left longer. Meat is good for them a LOT longer than you think. Typically food is good for: Soup: 8-10hrs Grinds: 10-12hrs Chunks and bone-in meats: 12-24hrs Whole prey: 24-48hrs How long had the bone in meat been there? I gave it to him in the morning usually around 9am. He didn't eat it so I gave it to him at 8pm. He didn't eat it so I didn't want to give it to him again in the morning because if he didn't eat it by night I figured he doesn't like it. Usually he eats it over the night. I had bought some more chicken wings to I chopped up some of that and gave that to him. He ate some of that so maybe the other bone to too big/hard for him? He was ok with the wing bones.
|
|
|
Post by mermaidsirena on Apr 14, 2018 19:46:21 GMT -5
Some of the chicken bones might be too big for him. I crack the bones for mine so they taste the marrow and continue to chew them. Was he eating the meat off of the bone you gave him? Was it a meat he was not as familiar?
|
|
|
Post by Charlie on Apr 14, 2018 20:18:07 GMT -5
Some of the chicken bones might be too big for him. I crack the bones for mine so they taste the marrow and continue to chew them. Was he eating the meat off of the bone you gave him? Was it a meat he was not as familiar? I have been chopping up the bones with a meat cleaver I found in my drawer. I knew I had one somewhere. Lol No he didn't even eat the meat off the bone. It's was only 3 small chunks that he didn't eat so I threw it out. He did have a solid poop tonight! Looking at the poor chart, he is getting bone to form the poop more, so that's good! He also had one earlier today that was more formed too because I was able to pick it up off the carpet. Lol
|
|
|
Post by mermaidsirena on Apr 14, 2018 20:37:57 GMT -5
Very good to hear! You will never be more interested in poop than as a ferret owner. It's a pretty big topic of conversation. Alternating between bone in and meat or organ helps regulate the poop. Egg will make it a bit runny at times. Organs can make it very dark.
Oddly enough I found pruning shears a great way to cut the meat bones. They don't do well cutting the meat or skin (I use the knife for that) but my hands seem to be able to break the bones with the shears pretty easy. And the shears just pop in the dishwasher when I am done.
|
|
|
Post by Charlie on Apr 14, 2018 20:43:34 GMT -5
Very good to hear! You will never be more interested in poop than as a ferret owner. It's a pretty big topic of conversation. Alternating between bone in and meat or organ helps regulate the poop. Egg will make it a bit runny at times. Organs can make it very dark. Oddly enough I found pruning shears a great way to cut the meat bones. They don't do well cutting the meat or skin (I use the knife for that) but my hands seem to be able to break the bones with the shears pretty easy. And the shears just pop in the dishwasher when I am done. I found my meat cleaver! Lol Yeah, I've always checked his poop even before finding this site. When he was on his cat food he had some solid poops but as I gave him raw meat it became more runny and darker. Now I know why! Lol I'd like to offer him egg shells too. I will give him an egg once a week and have decided to do it every Monday. So if I scramble the egg white and yolk and crush up the shell and mix that in, will that work?
|
|
|
Post by mermaidsirena on Apr 14, 2018 21:28:12 GMT -5
Just the white and yolk scrambled should be fine. You have him eating bone now; won't really need the shell. If you still want to put it in, I suggest grinding it to get it more of a powder or it will probably not be eaten.
|
|
|
Post by Charlie on Apr 15, 2018 18:08:25 GMT -5
Just the white and yolk scrambled should be fine. You have him eating bone now; won't really need the shell. If you still want to put it in, I suggest grinding it to get it more of a powder or it will probably not be eaten. I was thinking of having the shell because he doesn't always eat enough of the bone
|
|
|
Post by Charlie on Apr 16, 2018 9:13:45 GMT -5
Yay!! Charlie ate all his bone in chicken from last night's meal!
My rabbit should be in tomorrow so looking forward to trying that with him too! I got a whole rabbit from the butcher.
|
|
|
Post by mermaidsirena on Apr 16, 2018 11:45:49 GMT -5
Yay, Charlie! See - he figured it out. And I bet he enjoyed it!!
|
|
|
Post by Charlie on Apr 16, 2018 15:53:47 GMT -5
I heard him crunching on today’s chicken too!
|
|
|
Post by mermaidsirena on Apr 17, 2018 18:27:18 GMT -5
I knew he would do it! It's an awesome sound (and sight) when you catch it. The amazing feat of teaching an animal that is suppose to eat meat --- to like it!
|
|
|
Post by Charlie on Apr 17, 2018 19:20:46 GMT -5
Got my rabbit today! I chopped up half for him and the other half is for me! Ha! But I gave him some ribs and he ate it!
|
|
|
Post by mermaidsirena on Apr 17, 2018 21:16:04 GMT -5
Rabbit is often a favorite. The ribs were a good choice -- bone and meat! You have a happy little boy.
|
|