periwinkle
New member
Mom of Jackaroo and Alice AKA Mr. and Mrs. Weasel
Posts: 9
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Post by periwinkle on Dec 22, 2018 20:18:15 GMT -5
And no...I'm not the one who decided to feed ferrets Meow Mix Tender Centers. >.<
I adopted 2 ferrets today who were being rehomed (I will introduce them on the talk about your ferret board - and take pics if they ever crash out long enough to be still). They are sweet and friendly, but were being fed Meow Mix. I did buy a small bag of it because I don't want to upset their tummies or make them sick. I am reading in various places about transitioning, here, blogs, etc....but could I get your advice on how to transition these guys? (who for now will be called Mr. and Mrs. Weasel since I have not decided on names for them).
Thanks!
Peri
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Post by Charlie on Dec 22, 2018 20:24:01 GMT -5
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periwinkle
New member
Mom of Jackaroo and Alice AKA Mr. and Mrs. Weasel
Posts: 9
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Post by periwinkle on Dec 22, 2018 20:43:25 GMT -5
Thanks!
Where do you get your bone meal from?
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Post by Charlie on Dec 23, 2018 2:04:23 GMT -5
I don't use bone meal because mine eats the bone in the meat. But I have used egg shell that I grind up in a mortar and pestle. That also helps to keep stool firm.
I buy all my food from the grocery store and the butcher. I get turkey necks and backs, pork riblets, chicken heart, beef liver and kidney, stewing beef cubes and chicken wings from the grocery store and whole rabbit, chicken backs and beef cubes from the butcher. I don't feed grinds because my ferret doesn't like them. I got a duck grind from a raw pet store and he didn't even touch it. Thank goodness it was a free sample to try. Then I get mice from a small local exotic pet store that sells reptiles and snakes. You can even get some other stuff from an Asian market like frog legs and brains or spleen or tripe (which mine doesn't like) as another organ meat.
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periwinkle
New member
Mom of Jackaroo and Alice AKA Mr. and Mrs. Weasel
Posts: 9
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Post by periwinkle on Dec 23, 2018 9:15:06 GMT -5
I'll start with the egg shells then. most of what you mentioned I can get at my local grocery store. not sure about the legs or brains...never looked. Can 2 ferrets eat a whole rabbit? Once I get them transitioned over, was thinking of ordering whole rabbits and mice and such from Hare Today Gone Tomorrow. Are there any other meat sites? Will be shopping for their soup later today. I have a basic blender. Will that soup it up? Peri mom of Jackaroo and Mrs. Weasel.
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Post by abbeytheferret6 on Dec 23, 2018 10:17:43 GMT -5
Hi Periwinkle, welcome to the forum and bless you for adopting the little ones. Usually adult ferrets will not take to raw right off or even to whole prey---however there have been some surprises. If you want to offer a little raw meat to see if they will take to it you can-- even put a couple pieces in cage overnight--ferrets like to eat at night too. Raw should not have salt,solutions or spices in it. Eggshell powder If you have a Bullet or a cheap little coffee bean grinder(Walmart), you can do a quick work with eggshells. So if you want to start out with an omelet for yourself or someone---in 24 hrs(allowing eggshells to dry), you can have some eggshells ready to blend. I have not done the mortar, but that is fine too. I have tried expediting fresh eggshells for grinding by using my hair dryer---but ended up peeling that little skim that lays against the shell because they wouldn't grind well in my blender(plus blowing eggshell all over the counter LOL). Overnight, they should be fine. Feeding whole rabbit for two ferrets. I am sure some of the others can answer that especially crazylady. I think I read where MSAV has fed whole Guinea Pig(Hare Today). I get whole guinea pig but I remove intestines and stomach then cut up. Hare Today also has them in grinds. I feed the GP organs to ferrets. It is important ferrets get organ meat. The blender will be fine to make your soupies. Other meat sites My rat and mice sites r Perfect Prey and South Florida Rodents. perfectprey.com/southfloridarodents.com/Every Asian store that I have been to has frozen quail. I cut up them up like chicken. I have ordered duck things(like hearts)from Fresh Duck. www.farmfreshduck.com/Most the time I can get chicken hearts from our farmers mrkt and other things like lamb organs and rabbit organs. Hare Today does have a lot of different proteins. It is one of my favorite sites.
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Post by Charlie on Dec 23, 2018 11:15:48 GMT -5
My ferret usually eats around 2 oz serving size for food. I have given my ferret a whole rabbit but I had to chop it up and give him his 2 oz serving size from the rabbit. If I were to put the whole rabbit in that would be too much just for 1 ferret to eat. The rest would have gone bad. So it depends on the size of the rabbit and how many ferrets one has. Some people have more ferrets so putting in a whole rabbit is possible because they will eat it all! Oh, except for the feet! Lol
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periwinkle
New member
Mom of Jackaroo and Alice AKA Mr. and Mrs. Weasel
Posts: 9
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Post by periwinkle on Dec 24, 2018 0:03:24 GMT -5
I made a raw soup tonight, though the egg shells didn't really powder all that well. I felt like I was recreating a scene from American Werewolf in Paris with my Blender. So far they aren't interested. I know I am not But we will keep going. If nothing else, at least if they do retain some kibble in their life, it wont be cat food.
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Post by Charlie on Dec 24, 2018 0:17:19 GMT -5
Were you dabbing a tiny bit on their mouths so they had to lick it? Keep doing that so they taste it. You can also add a few drops of salmon oil. Do your ferrets like salmon oil? That will help too!
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Post by Sherry on Dec 24, 2018 6:32:58 GMT -5
Read through some of the switching threads in the diet archives. Those will give you a good idea on how to go about a switch.
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