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Post by pazupazu1 on Nov 26, 2018 11:27:59 GMT -5
Turkey meal today. Pazu dove right in when I put the plate down, Howl needed spoon feeding. I know he's hungry, he's just unsure of eating it. Maybe he's worried about chunks or mixed in unfamiliar meats? Either way, I have split up their Ferret Nation so that I can monitor how much he eats when I'm at work today.
I want to look into better commercial raw brands. Darwin's is nice, but super expensive and the meals contain sea salt for whatever reason. I like what I'm seeing on Hare Today. That's the only site I've liked so far, does anyone have any other recommendations? I love feeding grinds with bone and organ included so I know they are getting the good stuff. I could blend all of that myself but the bones are tricky (I also can't find "other organs")
So far, my order from Hare Today looks like this: -ground beef kidney -ground beef pancreas (does this count as "other" organ?) -ground chicken/bones/organs (68% meat, 27% bone, 5% liver) -ground beef/organs/tripe/bone (82% meat, 9% bone, 9% liver + kidneys) -ground turkey/bones/organs (68% meat, 27% bone, 5% liver)
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Post by Charlie on Nov 26, 2018 17:34:48 GMT -5
Have you been able to weigh them? Did you change the way you have been feeding them? Like you mentioned on a plate instead of a bowl. Were you usually feeding them on a plate? Do you have salmon oil? Do they like it? You could try drizzling salmon oil on the food too if they like salmon oil.
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Post by pazupazu1 on Nov 26, 2018 18:37:14 GMT -5
Have you been able to weigh them? Did you change the way you have been feeding them? Like you mentioned on a plate instead of a bowl. Were you usually feeding them on a plate? Do you have salmon oil? Do they like it? You could try drizzling salmon oil on the food too if they like salmon oil. I haven't weighed them. I should have, totally forgot to. I can get Pazu's starting weight from the vet. I did start by feeding them the raw meals in a small dish/plate (not their usual dish) but then started using the normal one once they ate enough of the soups. They were sharing from this for awhile just fine. They don't like the smell of the salmon oil, lol! They also aren't a fan of most treats. I'm at work, and my mother checked on them and said Howl hasn't touched his food on the plate but Pazu has eaten half of his own. When Howl sleeps, he does so continuously without waking up too many times, so it's possible he just hasn't woken up yet. Before I went to work, Howl was eating fine from a spoon and when I set it down on the plate, he would continue to eat off the spoon and plate. I don't know what his deal is!! He is definitely hungry as he doesn't protest much when I offer on a spoon, it's almost as if he has too many other things he wants to do before he eats. He used to be the one who was last to eat and finished off the bowl on his own terms. Maybe I'll make his favorite tomorrow of chicken thigh and heart soup to help bulk him up a bit. edit: Howl does really like raw egg yolk. Maybe I can put some over his food.
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Post by pazupazu1 on Nov 27, 2018 7:50:01 GMT -5
At a bit of a loss with Howl. I was so certain he would eat at least something overnight but he didn't touch his food at all. Last night he was eating from a spoon fine and would continue to eat what was on the plate as long as it was soupy enough. I think the bone is what's turning him off of the Darwins meals. But, he ate a lot from spoon feeding and didn't protest too much so I figured he got over it.
Nope! Still refusing to eat on his own. I just woke up 7:30am and went to spoon feed his overnight meal. He gobbled it down and was actually looking for more. I went to refill it, he wouldn't touch it or let me spoon feed more.
I don't know what to do. He's so young I worry about him lacking in nutrients. I hate having to keep him separated from Pazu for sleep time , but Pazu will just eat the whole meal himself (Pazu also enjoys being away from him for a bit, haha)
If I keep up with spoon feeding, will he eventually give in? Do I have to go back to the start again (w/ chicken thigh soup)? I tried this the other day and he wouldn't even eat that unless it was spoon fed. I tried putting raw egg yolk on top of the food since he loves the stuff but I don't think it worked either. I just can't get him to eat the food on his own. He will approach, sniff, maybe take a singular lick but will run away. I'm confused since this morning he went back to the empty plate and licked it, looking for more.
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Post by Sherry on Nov 27, 2018 10:14:29 GMT -5
He's being stubborn right now. Place him where you want him to eat, along with his food. Stand there and start spoon feeding. Slowly lower the spoon to the dish as he's licking from it and slide it away so he takes it from the dish. When he stops eating repeat. Soon you will be able to just stand there with the spoon in the dish, and finally he wont even need that.
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Post by pazupazu1 on Nov 27, 2018 10:43:53 GMT -5
He's being stubborn right now. Place him where you want him to eat, along with his food. Stand there and start spoon feeding. Slowly lower the spoon to the dish as he's licking from it and slide it away so he takes it from the dish. When he stops eating repeat. Soon you will be able to just stand there with the spoon in the dish, and finally he wont even need that. Okay, that is what I am currently doing. I guess I will just keep on trying then! I have to be at work all day today so I have the cage separated and his plate of food near where he sleeps. He slurped up a lot of this soup earlier today without the spoon (but used the spoon to entice him), so hoping he will at least touch it. It doesn't have any bones in it. I even left the spoon in there near the plate with some soup on it. We shall see.
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Post by Charlie on Nov 27, 2018 22:59:32 GMT -5
He wants you attention! You are spending one on one with him with spoon feeding and he seems to like that. lol
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Post by pazupazu1 on Nov 28, 2018 9:53:14 GMT -5
He wants you attention! You are spending one on one with him with spoon feeding and he seems to like that. lol Good news! I just put down breakfast and both Pazu AND Howl ran over and dug right in. No spoon needed! I didn't even make it real soupy I took it right out of the package and they were both eager to eat. edit: Today is such a great day. I put down some ground beef even though Howl hasn't had it in awhile, and he keeps approaching it and eating on his own!
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Post by Sherry on Nov 29, 2018 11:24:18 GMT -5
That is fantastic news!!! What are you ultimately looking at having them eat?
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Post by pazupazu1 on Nov 29, 2018 13:27:08 GMT -5
That is fantastic news!!! What are you ultimately looking at having them eat? I am going to be ordering from Hare Today this weekend so I can get some other organs in their systems. Eventually, I'd love to feed them chicken necks and other bone-in items so I don't have to order commercial raw anymore!
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Post by Sherry on Dec 1, 2018 11:10:41 GMT -5
Okay, so a full frankenprey diet then. Let's get moving toward that now if you'd like Give them a day or two on the ground, then start adding slivers of meat about the size of your pinkie crescent. Just add five or six to the dish. At first they'll simply eat around them, but at some point they'll eat those as well. When they do, double the number of slivers. As they accept the increase, each day double the number and decrease the ground until half and half. Then start increasing the size of the slivers in the same manner
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Post by pazupazu1 on Dec 2, 2018 22:34:22 GMT -5
Okay, so a full frankenprey diet then. Let's get moving toward that now if you'd like Give them a day or two on the ground, then start adding slivers of meat about the size of your pinkie crescent. Just add five or six to the dish. At first they'll simply eat around them, but at some point they'll eat those as well. When they do, double the number of slivers. As they accept the increase, each day double the number and decrease the ground until half and half. Then start increasing the size of the slivers in the same manner Yes! Attempting the full frankenprey. I'll admit, I've been SUPER busy!! the past couple weeks and a bit lazy with meals while feeding the commercial raw. I really should have been adding slivers to the meals, but I kept forgetting to thaw it! Bad me. They have been pretty good about eating slivers last I tried them, and were actually eating pretty large pieces of beef, chicken gizzard, and heart. I will put them out to thaw now so I don't forget >.< having a written schedule to print out and tape to my wall has been helpful, and when I didn't do it for a week I slipped.
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Post by Charlie on Dec 3, 2018 18:38:10 GMT -5
I have a schedule on my fridge for the week. It's the same each week to make things easy. If I get other meats then I can also add them in at various times. I know exactly what you mean by not taking the food out of the freezer! I have all the meats portioned and frozen in the freezer and keep forgetting to take the next days meals out. So I'm trying to take the next days meals out when I'm getting that nights meals ready to put in the cage.
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Post by Sherry on Dec 4, 2018 9:46:39 GMT -5
Having that schedule printed out makes a HUGE difference! I did that for the first 3-4 years of raw feeding Even now, I find I sometimes have to remind myself of what day it is to keep their diet balanced
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Post by pazupazu1 on Dec 4, 2018 22:31:11 GMT -5
The boys are doing super well on raw! They are (hesitantly) eating meat chunks the size of my entire thumbnail! They especially love beef chunks. I don't know what it is, but they are crazy about beef I finally got in my organs today so I can add beef gullet and kidney to their diets! My freezer is FULL! We are getting into a routine, and they are always looking forward to each meal when I place it down for them.
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