dt241
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Posts: 28
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Post by dt241 on Mar 8, 2019 22:56:37 GMT -5
I feed my ferret Wysong Epigen 90 + archetype chicken. I don’t feel comfortable feeding her 100% raw due to the fact that if I were to go out of town or anywhere, and if I had the opportunity to take her comfortably... how would I have raw meats on me during those times? Just not logical. But I still want to give her raw as I see the importance and benefits. I know the risks of feeding kibble and raw meat too soon together. So my questions are: 1) do you recommend i feed a mix of different kibbles? Such as Orijen + Wysong + Archetype? Or is Wysong + Archetype sufficient? Is there a risk with mixing kibbles? 2) is it safe to feed small amounts of raw meat in between kibble feedings? Since she isn’t dependent on raw meat alone - is it okay to not feed a proper raw meat diet (a balance of muscle organ bones what not??) since I’m assuming majority of her nutrients is supposed to come from her kibble since that’s what she would have if I wasn’t feeding raw at all. 3) I assume chicken hearts are safe, right? What about small portions of drumstick with the skin ON? Such as this pic: www.istockphoto.com/photo/raw-chicken-drumsticks-with-skin-on-white-background-gm98130644-12408317I wouldn’t give her the entire drumstick cause I think that’s too big. But just chunks of it - is the skin safe?? I’ve been giving her chicken breast - meat only and she’s been loving it. Also is it safe to cut the drumstick bone and give it to her as a chunk or is that not safe?? I heard chicken neck bone is the only safe bone.. what about drumstick bone? My worst fear is if she chokes and gets blockage..
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Post by raynebc on Mar 9, 2019 19:06:08 GMT -5
1. If you're feeding kibble, it's traditionally been recommended to make a mix of two or three different ones, so if one becomes unavailable (discontinued, out of stock, etc) the other foods your ferret will accept are still ready.
2. Any more than a small amount of supplemented meat could make her diet unbalanced. I'm not sure how much is enough for this to become an issue, but a snack sized amount between feedings probably is OK.
3. Chicken hearts are great. The bone in drumsticks is likely too hard for the ferret to eat, but the muscle meat and skin should be fine. Chicken skin is really high in fat, so it's probably good to limit how much of it she eats. Chicken necks, backs, ribs and wings are all soft enough for ferrets to eat as they aren't the weight bearing (ie. thigh, legs) bones. If you chop the bone up, just make sure the piece is big enough that she has to chew it instead of her being tempted to swallow it whole. She will be able to learn how to chew it up into small enough pieces to eat.
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dt241
New member
Posts: 28
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Post by dt241 on Mar 9, 2019 22:36:33 GMT -5
Thank you that is very helpful.
I will look into get another type of kibble in that case, possibly the Orijen brand that I hear so much about.
Oh I didn't know that, thank you. I usually give her maybe... 1tsp of chopped meat 2x a day in between meals when i take her out. I don't know if that's too much for a ferret who is already on a kibble diet......
Thanks, I also wasn't sure if wing bones were safe to eat - I will be purchasing some chicken wings in the future then!
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Post by Heather on Mar 10, 2019 0:28:59 GMT -5
Wing bones with attached meat is ok, so is leg bones (just smash them with a cleaver). I'm gathering you're feeding raw as a treat. Try not to feed both meat along with the kibble as some ferrets have digestive issues with this ciao
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