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Post by Deleted on Jun 27, 2011 9:52:00 GMT -5
If you could breed rabbits I think it would be a great addition to your menu
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Post by Sherry on Jun 27, 2011 9:52:30 GMT -5
If you are willing to euthanize, and have the space and the cash to breed and feed properly, why not? But to start, I'd drastically cut the oil for them.
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Post by katt on Jun 27, 2011 15:22:09 GMT -5
Adding just rats will not give you the variety you need, though it will certainly help. They need regular variety. Beef Buffalo (Bison) Goat Lamb Duck Pheasant Quail Goose Pork Turkey Veal Game meats/Venison Etc.
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Post by ttfr on Jun 28, 2011 12:41:52 GMT -5
That's a lot harder than it sounds
Right now I have 100% access to chicken beef and prok. I sometimes find turkey, lamb is expensive. Any ideas on where I can find other types of meat? I would love to maybestick to a diet that is like their natural diet but still need to do more research. They also get fish once a month to once every other mounth. Ill ask a friend what kind of meats are at where she is at. Does anyone know how much wegmans is compaired to wally?
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Post by Deleted on Jun 28, 2011 12:54:28 GMT -5
you need at least three protein sources, the more the better. ferrets will also scavenge in the wild, so i believe any protein can go for them, if you want more natural.
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Post by katt on Jun 28, 2011 13:11:14 GMT -5
It doesn't have to be all of those meats, those are just some ideas. Look online or for pet stores in your area that carry commercial ground raw. It is SO easy on their bellys, will do amazing things for their poop (though not for their teeth ) esp when mixed with pumpkin, and you can find a lot of meats (often that include bone, heart, and/or organ) that you can't find at a grocery store. There are places where you can order commercially ground meat online for a decent price too, and some Mom and Pop local pet store might even be willing to get some in stock for you if you requested it. Also check out Asian markets, and check them regularly. They seem to have different stuff every time, but they are a great place to find really odd meats. Like rabbit, duck year-round, pork pieces (heart, liver, kidney, brain), etc. Also look for Halal Meat markets or African markets (same thing really). Halal meat is goat and lamb, and their prices are usually pretty reasonable as they get a LOT of it in (that's what they specialize in) as opposed to a regular grocery store that say maybe gets a few legs a months and so can price the "rare" item a little higher. Look for any other ethnic markets that may be in your area too. Drive around if you can and do some googling. Also, you are breeding rats...why not mice? Mice are tremendously easy to breed and are very healthy. Getting whole prey will help their poops a LOT. I understand completely about it being difficult to find variety. Koda is very allergic to beef, and moderately allergic to chicken. That cuts out a LOT of options. He gets mostly duck, pork, rabbit, goat, rodents, and commercial ground meats like pheasant and quail. Along with the occasional Cornish Game Hen and turkey. I would LOVE for him to get more variety, but there are things he just can't have, won't touch (lamb), or that stores here don't carry. The commercial ground meats go a LONG way towards filling in that missing gap. Another suggestion, have you tried probiotics with them? That could really help to balance out their tummies. Also something to think about. My 2 boys have smelly poops. They don't smell as bad as kibble poops, but the smell is different too. When their poops are bad they definitely smell way worse, and there seem to be certain foods (heart, organ, chicken, etc) that make them smell worse. Keeping pumpkin in every day makes a big difference. But let's face it - poop is poop. What you are smelling is the loads of bacteria being expelled from their digestive tract lining and any that was on the food, as well as digested dead animal. (is their food fresh and from a good reliable source? if there is too much bacteria on it it could be contributing) With 11 poopers I can easily see how the smell would be overpowering. Using a litter (not newspaper) would make a HUGE difference in helping you control the odor. I personally HIGHLY recommend Swheat Scoop Multi-Cat with a little baking soda mixed in. Yes it tracks, but otherwise it works like a dream and is the best litter ever IMO. Adding rats, mice and rabbits would REALLY make a difference in their diet and definitely in their poops .Whole prey is like the magic cure all for most of these guys when it comes to digestive issues.
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Post by ttfr on Jun 29, 2011 21:28:56 GMT -5
Mice....well they really smell compaired to rats which is why I choose ratties. What about freshpet comericial stuff? Not sure what it contains but I remeber seeing itat work.
They get meat left pretty much between cleanings when I pop in to pick up and clean. Usualy there is non left but ill change some stuff around to see if that will help the problem.
Probotics? Like another supplement or vet medication?
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