|
|
Post by griffyn on Mar 28, 2022 20:24:12 GMT -5
In the process of switching to a majority whole prey diet. They currently eat grinds more often than whole prey but recently they started taking rats, when they previously wouldn’t. They’ve always loved mice though. But that brings the question what are your ferrets favorite whole prey animals to eat? So far I have mine eating mice and rats. Quail is ordered but hasn’t came yet.
|
|
|
|
Post by msav on Mar 29, 2022 16:43:29 GMT -5
When I had a breeders for my ferrets Loved ASF rats. They did not care for norway rats.
|
|
|
|
Post by Corvidophile on Mar 29, 2022 19:23:11 GMT -5
Regular mice and peromyscus were loved, as were day-old chicks. Everything else- rabbit, Guinea pig, four week old quail, two week old and four weeks old chickens, were tolerated but not loved. Oh I forgot another catergory of loved whole prey, I’m a horrible vulture and would take baby birds who had fallen out of nests in springtime back home to feed to him. He went nuts for those, HAHA
|
|
|
|
Post by abbeytheferret6 on Mar 29, 2022 22:10:47 GMT -5
My boy loves white mice. He gets 3 most mornings. I take the intestines out, so thats why I give three. He also likes medium hamsters. He also gets ASF rats. I am raising some in plastic bins. After this bunch of ASF's--I am calling it quits. Feeding a dog, 4 feral cats, and 3-4 bins of asf rats just too much for me---and expensive. I also butcher for him big white rats(about 8 ounce ones). He loves their tails:)))
|
|
|
|
Post by Charlie on Mar 30, 2022 22:34:42 GMT -5
My ferret loved his mice but recently he hasn't been eating it all. He has started to gut his own mice by shaking it and getting the intestines to fall out. Hmmm maybe he's hinting on me taking it out for him. lol He also likes day old quail as a treat. I can't bring myself to giving him rats because I use to have those as pets. He also likes rabbit but the ones I have are dressed.
|
|
|
|
Post by abbeytheferret6 on Mar 31, 2022 8:49:44 GMT -5
|
|
|
|
Post by griffyn on Apr 1, 2022 10:06:48 GMT -5
Good news is they love the quail. I bought 50 from Rodent pro as a test but going to need to buy more now. I’ve never gutted any of the whole prey I feed them, am I supposed to do this? Most of the time they leave the intestines but they also eat it sometimes.
|
|
|
|
Post by msav on Apr 1, 2022 17:39:42 GMT -5
it is also important to buy mature prey, non-adult prey will me missing some of the vital nutrients that your ferrets need.
Non-adult prey can be fed as a treat, but don't count on it meeting the nutritional needs of your ferrets fulltime.
I also always pre-pluck the feathers, How good a job you do in plucking depends on your ferrets experience in eating them. I always start doing a really good plucking.
|
|
|
|
Post by Charlie on Apr 3, 2022 21:22:42 GMT -5
Griffyn, you don't have to gut the whole prey. They usually eat everything in most cases. I was just saying that my ferret hasn't been eating all of his as of late. He's being finicky. He usually eats everything but 1 back foot and the tail. lol
|
|
|
|
Post by abbeytheferret6 on Apr 4, 2022 6:46:26 GMT -5
Taking only the intestines out was something I did to get mine to eat mice. I just never stopped doing it. I have also cut them up and put salmon oil on them. I have even defurred, gutted, and put them in Bullet before(LOL)---- to make a soupie. I think that was a rat. Sometimes it is difficult to get them to transition.
But no you do not have to.
|
|
|
|
Post by abbeytheferret6 on Apr 5, 2022 7:39:31 GMT -5
I can tell my boy is still hungry because he will come and sit by my feet in morning after I given him his mice. So what i have been doing lately --- besides taking out intestines--- is turning my scissors on the side and cutting off pieces of fur. The third one will have a lot of fur off. I put it on a saucer and run really warm water on it. Leaving a little warm water in plate. He likes warm water on his food. His little quirk I guess. Maybe, the hottish water gets the smell of mouse going too.
|
|
|
|
Post by Charlie on Apr 7, 2022 21:08:09 GMT -5
I can tell my boy is still hungry because he will come and sit by my feet in morning after I given him his mice. So what i have been doing lately --- besides taking out intestines--- is turning my scissors on the side and cutting off pieces of fur. The third one will have a lot of fur off. I put it on a saucer and run really warm water on it. Leaving a little warm water in plate, I give it to him and he will eat it. He likes warm water on his food. His little quirk I guess. Maybe, the hottish water gets the smell of mouse going too. I think I'll have to start gutting the mice for him if he continues to not eat it. I know when my little guy is hungry too. He will climb up on the couch or bed or wherever I am and get me to follow him. I follow him out to the kitchen and he's at the fridge door. lol Mine tends to like his food cold. |
|
