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Post by Deleted on Jun 16, 2011 15:14:32 GMT -5
I've had to make some changes to the raw menu I started out with based on what and how much the girls were actually eating, so after some trial and error this is the new menu I've come up with: MONDAY: AM – Pork Muscle Meat + Pork Hearts (Muscle Meat) PM – Goat Stewing Chunks (Muscle Meat, Non-edible Bone) TUESDAY: AM – Rest of Pork Muscle Meat (Muscle Meat) PM – ¼ of a Cornish Hen (Bone-in) WEDNESDAY: AM – ½ Patty Ground Rabbit Carcass (Bone-in) & Turkey Gizzards PM – Turkey Necks/Wings & Ground Turkey (Muscle Meat, Non-edible Bone) THURSDAY: AM – Beef Muscle Meat + Beef Heart (Muscle Meat) PM – Lamb Stewing Chunks (Muscle Meat, Non-edible Bone) FRIDAY: AM – ½ Patty Commercial Ground Rabbit (Bone-in) + Chicken Gizzards PM – Chicken Wings/Backs + Necks (Bone-in) SATURDAY: AM - Chicken/Pork/Beef Hearts PM – Organs (Chicken/Pork/Beef Liver + Beef/Pork Kidney + Beef Offal) SUNDAY: AM- Rest of Organs PM- Whole Quail (Bone-in) Just wanted to make sure this menu has enough protein variety and enough of each protein, as well as that the muscle meat/organ/bone %'s are still in the right range. I have a hard time figuring out if they're really get 10% bone, 10% organ, I'm definitely NOT a math/percentages person ;D But I'm worried there's not enough EDIBLE bone in there, since a lot of the bones they get are too big for they to eat (just chew on and clean their teeth). Also do chicken and turkey necks count as edible bone? They eat the meat and the spinal cord but they always leave the vertebra. What do you guys think? Do I need to add some more edible bone, and if so... what else has small enough bones for them to eat?
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Post by Heather on Jun 16, 2011 15:24:54 GMT -5
I think you need more bone in their diet. Turkey necks are not a good bone in meat...I'm not saying it's not good protein but for bone most of them won't eat the bones. Ferrets are such a lazy chew...the brats. I've found that pork button bones works for my guys. Chicken necks if they're smaller, chicken wings, turkey wings should be ok, but I find that my brats have a tendency to leave the bones(but they'll eat chicken legs which has a thicker bone). My guys also steal the ground commercial that my cats eat, which has bone in it too so I'm not as concerned about getting a lot of variation in the bones. Do you feed prey at all? Rats have good bone and mice are an excellent source of taurine. Just a few thoughts ciao
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Post by Deleted on Jun 16, 2011 15:29:33 GMT -5
Thanks Heather I agree, my girls are so LAZY too when it comes to the bones! The turkey wing bones are way too thick for them to chew (or even for me to cut with scissors) so the only bone they do eat is the commercial ground raw and the quail and the cornish hen and the chicken wings. what are pork button bones? I've never heard of them. I haven't tried feeding prey at all, I could pick up some frozen mice and see if they'll give it a go? I'm just a little grossed out at the thought of feeding mice. Actually it's more the thought of cutting them up that grosses me out, and I doubt they'd take them whole the first few times. I could also try add more commercial raw, but they really don't seem to be big fans of the stuff. They love their quail and cornish hen though, so maybe I should make that a couple meals a week?? So they get more bone from that?
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Post by Heather on Jun 16, 2011 15:35:26 GMT -5
I would definitely increase the quail. Cornish hens (now remember, the cornish hens are just baby chickens these days) so their calcium count is going to be lower than an adult chicken part. I have used chicken bones to make up the bone count on a number of times, you just increase the variety of your proteins and not use chicken as a muscle meat. Have you tried whole rabbit? My guys love it (they're just not that fond of the really furry ones ) ciao
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Post by Deleted on Jun 16, 2011 15:36:08 GMT -5
instead of whole mice, with the fur already grown, try pinkies and work up from there.
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Post by acodlin on Jun 16, 2011 15:39:22 GMT -5
What is pork button bone? I havent found a pork bone yet that mine will eat.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 16, 2011 15:48:11 GMT -5
Thanks! I think I'll make quail a couple meals a week. Did not know that cornish hens were just baby chickens, crazy! They sell fur-less rabbits at the asian market, but I still don't know if I could handle feeding that. Aren't most of the rabbit bones too thick for them anyways? I would start with pinkies for sure, their bones wouldn't be as good calcium wise as full grown mice though either I'm guessing. Ugh the thought of feeding mice/rats/rabbits makes me sick But I will suck it up for my babies if I have to! Using chicken bone to make up the count sounds good though. So would I just buy whole chickens, give them the wings/ribcages/backs/legs/etc for a couple meals and then not feed any other chicken in the diet sort of thing?
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Post by Deleted on Jun 16, 2011 16:02:34 GMT -5
nope, pinkies are like candy. you just have to work up to a full mouse. since having no hair is easier to get used to then hair. as long as you just feed chicken bone in they shouldn't get sick of it, if you still have enough protein sources.
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Post by Sherry on Jun 16, 2011 18:51:47 GMT -5
You can pick up pork button bones at Richmond Co-op. Along with pork rib ends You know what's weird? Mine have no problem putting back the turkey neck(usually just find tiny pieces of the bones next morning), but won't eat the button bones ;D
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Post by Deleted on Jun 16, 2011 20:55:05 GMT -5
Thanks Sherry! I swear I can never find anything in this city That is weird, I guess maybe each ferret just has specific bone preferences? Sometimes I do think they eat the vertebrae of the chicken necks and turkey necks because I don't find as many as there should be left over, but I think they definitely need some more edible bones. I sure hope they'll eat the button bones and pork rib ends! I'll have to do some shopping this weekend and come up with a better menu. I wasn't expecting them to be so fussy about bones
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Post by Deleted on Jun 16, 2011 21:11:48 GMT -5
For thicker bones like turkey necks and legs/thighs, I just smash them up with a hammer. Seems to do the trick and my girls love turkey necks
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Post by Sherry on Jun 16, 2011 21:19:36 GMT -5
Actually, I've start smashing up the chicken thigh bones and drumstick bones, and they(girls, along with Zeus and Athena) are eating that.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 16, 2011 22:42:45 GMT -5
What a brilliant idea! I will have to try that
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Post by goingpostal on Jun 17, 2011 19:14:37 GMT -5
Lol I've just been smashing them up as well, got my very own hammer actually but makes it so I can feed turkey bone in to the cat and ferrets. Same with chicken drummies, rabbit heads, anything a little harder that they can eat, but won't otherwise because they are lazy. I feed part of a turkey neck one night, almost completely gone, the next two times they barely bothered to chew the meat off and gave up.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 17, 2011 19:39:08 GMT -5
Lamb, goat and beef bones probably aren't smashable though I'm guessing? (I thought that smiley face was cute )
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