terri
New member
Posts: 2
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Post by terri on Sept 2, 2020 0:31:31 GMT -5
Hi! New ferret owner here! Advice please! I have a nice selection of raw meats from a local raw pet food supplier.. there are bones in it which I know they need. Some bits smaller than others. I’m just scared! What if they choke?! Would they? Are they too young yet? They love the meat.. am I ok just to leave the bones in and let them get on with it? Or should I wait till they’re a bit bigger? Many thanks!
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terri
New member
Posts: 2
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Post by terri on Sept 2, 2020 4:05:23 GMT -5
I went for it.. they cleaned the meat off and left the bones. Will they eat the bones eventually? Ta!
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Post by Corvidophile on Sept 2, 2020 18:53:37 GMT -5
Bones have to be eaten fairly fresh as they dry out and get hard when left out without meat on them keeping them moist. I wouldn’t leave them around for longer than maybe eight hours, maybe less. Have you tried taking a hammer to the bone-in pieces to shatter them into smaller pieces?
Edit: oh I think you’re doing a grind, is that right? In that case the bones should be small enough, just a matter of getting the ferrets used to them.
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Post by PatienceTheVirtue on Sept 4, 2020 10:15:33 GMT -5
If you're doing whole prey or frankenprey, there should be meat around the bones. The bones should be softer, like from poultry and small rodents. Pork and beef bones are usually too dense. I crushed the bones for a few weeks to build jaw strength since I switched by guys after a year of age, but ferrets weaned onto meat from their mother will do better with it. Introducing multiple meats young will be great for their long-term health, so definitely don't give up! If it's in grinds, you don't have to worry too much. You can get finer grinds or put it through a grinder yourself to make it harder for them to pick out. It isn't usually a choking hazard provided they aren't choking it down at record speeds, and raw-only ferrets can easily digest bone if there aren't other health issues affecting digestion.
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