Noob :)

[valren]

I am new to a species appropriate diet for ferrets. I currently do not have any slinky cats but have had 4 in the past. My fiance and I are going to go pick out one (possibly 2, still trying to talk him into it, lol) sometime in the coming week or so. I would like to feed our ferret(s) a species appropriate diet but have no idea where to begin with these little guys. I've had past dogs on barf diets and imagine its somewhat similar but still different? I would love any kind of direction as a 'newbie' with this as I would love to have happy, healthy ferrets We have a ferret nation cage but plan on letting them have a lot of free roam when we're home and once i know they're primarily litter box trained.

I do currently have two bunnies (Spoc & Sora) and two Hamhams (Bisquit & Gravy).


(I know they're not ferrets but since I don't have mine yet I figured I'd share a pic of my bunnies instead )


-Kyra

[Deleted]

Generally, ferrets and cats have a higher protein and bone requirement. They are also obligate carnivores, where dogs are considered more omnivorous (as some say they do have more requirements for plant/starch).

Basically a break down of a good week's menu is this:

8-9 meals of bone in (meaning the bone size has to be edible to the ferret, so no big livestock bone, generally)
1 meal of organ (2 oz liver, 2 oz other organ)
2 meals of heart
2-3 meals of muscle meat (this can be from bigger animals, since it's boneless. You can give beef bone in, and have it count as a boneless meal since ferrets can't get through that size of bone, but they get extra stimulation from stripping it and gnawing it )

Most owners feed twice a day, with a meal big enough to last 8 hours or so. You need at least three different protein sources as staples. But the more variety the better, of course!

(oh my gosh, cute buns! I have 1 an 8-9 year old bun, Cinder the Rabbit [he's charcoal] - also on a species appropriate diet. They're amazing critters!)

[valren]

Have you heard of (or use) Natures Variety instinct raw frozen foods? They're geared more towards dogs/cats. A breeder I was speaking with feeds her ferrets Chicken/Rabbit medallions from this company in addition to mice, cut up rabbit pieces, chicken wings/drumsticks, chicken hearts, and once a week either liver or egg yolk mixed with goats milk.

Or do most people make their own meals completely without using something like the natures variety medallions?

Side note - what exactly is a species appropriate diet for a bunny?

Thanks!

[Deleted]

I've heard of that product, and I know people on here use it. I don't specifically (I use hare-today.com and supplement with good things I can find at the store,which is a rare event, most of what my store carries is laden with chicken broth and sodium. Not good for us, really, especially not good for fuzz).

Generally, the rule with the commercial raw is stick to the brands made for cats (more suitable to a ferret). Hopefully someone with more experience with this mixed diet set up will chime in.

A species appropriate diet for a bun: using varieties of hay and grasses, as well as fruits and veggies to make up the diet (no pellets). I get big bales of timothy hay, orchard grass, meadow grass, oat hay, brome, bermuda grass, etc. He has three large hayboxes in his room (yes, he has his own dedicated room), and he gets a small bowl of fruit in the morning, and a salad the size of his body in the early evening (salad contains at least 3 types of crunchies and 3 types of leafy greens). I also use different shapes, textures, and even temperatures to provide him with stimulation as he eats. He's been on it since we got him as a baby from a feed store of all places, and doing wonderfully. He's a little tank

[valren]

So can you give me what a basic weekly menu for a single ferret in your home would look like?

Interesting! I've always read that bunnies can't properly process fruits/veggies until they're a few months of age. I'd definitely like to try getting my little ones a diet similar to that! And maybe (just maybe...) it'd entice me to eat more fruits and vegetables myself, lol! Also pretty awesome that he has his own room! Spoiled bunny. By crunchies I take it you mean carrots, celery, etc? Seems like there a lot fewer "crunchies" that a rabbit should eat than there are leafy greens. I'm not sure of any places around here (Austin, TX) that sell orchard grass, meadow grass, oat hay, etc. I can only ever find timothy and alfalfa.

[Deleted]

Haha, a single ferret? I have 6, and all mine seem to be bigger than the average farm fuzz (smallest girl I have weighs over 2 lbs in the summer), and I also feed them as a group (it's been so long since I've done exact measurements, b/c I know my guys now and make a meal size based on my instincts, and the business's behavior). But I can come up with an example C: What can also help, is when you get your fuzz sign up for the mentor program. There they walk you through the transition and help you get ratios, meals and variety right

I get mine from Southern States (and some local farms. NC and VA are pretty good with the variety. I've also ordered and had shipped different cuts of timothy from WA. 1st, 2nd, etc ... those do make a difference in what nutrients are in there ). I give my guy bits of alfalfa, but it really doesn't pay to get a big bale, though young buns can have a bit more of it than the older guys

As young uns you start them off slow. Introducing one thing at a time. You have to give their bodies time to create the enzymes needed to break down the food, as well as watch for sensitivities (this also goes for if you haven't fed a certain item in a while. Add it in in tiny amounts and build up). If you don't you risk GI stasis, which is not pretty. You'd be amazed - much of what they say isn't good, is because of the added pellets in the diet, not because there's harm in moderate amounts of veg.

[Deleted]

Hi and welcome! Thank you for doing your research first

JUst to note, Nature's Variety Freeze dried has large pieces of ....pumpkin seeds and shells, which are a blockage risk. However, their frozen raw is just fine.

So Nature's Variety is considered commercial raw, and it is usually more expensive than just getting meats from the grocery store. IF you do go the commercial raw way, it would be best to still supplement with bone meats like chicken wings, necks, ribs etc. Because they clean the teeth and add stimulation.

Here is my menu in my house.

Mon AM - Chicken bone in (I chop up a whole chicken and just portion it out randomly)
Mon PM - Cornish game hen bone in

Tues AM - Beef + chicken hearts boneless
Tues PM - Turkey necks bone in

Wed AM - Organ (liver + other) + heart
Wed PM - Chicken bone in

Thurs AM - Cornish game hen bone in
Thurs PM - Pork + chicken hearts boneless

Fri AM - Turkey necks bone in
Fri PM - Chicken bone in

Sat AM - Cornish game hen bone in
Sat PM - Beef + hearts boneless

Sun AM - Turkey necks
Sun PM - Pork + hearts boneless

[valren]

So if you introduce them slowly to one thing at a time should they be kept on pellets during this process? I'd love to switch my two over to this And I'm sure they'd love it as well

[Deleted]

What I'd do is wean them off the pellets as you're introducing the new stuff, and also make sure that they have access to unlimited amounts of hay (and water, of course). You generally don't want to drop pellets out of the diet cold turkey.

As they go through this switch, keep an eye on their behavior and their poos, of course. Papaya is a great digestive aid, as well as hairball preventative, and you can get it fresh and give it to them or get it in tablet form (if you have an exotics vet, they should know)

[valren]

Jackie,

Thanks for the menu! It's always much easier to get a better grasp on things when it's laid out. It's also interesting to see the different varieties people use.

As far as amounts go, how do you know what to feed? I know with my dogs it was between 2-4% of the body weight depending on if you wanted them to stay the same, gain, or lose weight.

[valren]

With the buns - so give lots of hay and start out with say... collard greens? Just stick a bundle in there and let em have at it or just one leaf at a time for a couple days? And how long do you do the slow intro's for? About a week or so before adding in a new delicious treat?

[Deleted]

Not collard greens - those can cause gas. I start off with a good lettuce - romaine, green leaf, red leaf are great staples. Pick 1 (romaine usually) give them a leaf each, watch poo over the course of a day. By the end of a week they should be eating a few leaves a piece. Next week, try another lettuce (1 leaf mixed in with romaine, etc). So, yes, every week should be a new veg. Do leafies first until the lettuces are done (these are the most important). Then you can add a crunchy in (I consider crunchies to be carrots, radishes, celery, broccoli, and even things that aren't exactly crunchy - cukes, cherry tomatoes (very occasionally), sprouts. etc), and alternate between a new crunchy and a new leaf (collards can be given [just not first thing], as well as kale, chard, turnip greens, napa cabbage, bok choy, etc), until everything you want has been introduced.

Fruits (except papaya, that can be introduced early for the benefits) are generally added after veg, because veg is more nutritionally appropriate Just do the same thing and add them in gradually and one at a time.

It may seem tedious, but it's worth it. My guy's healthy, with a gorgeous coat, excellent musculature, never been sick in his life, and is still going strong in his later years. What more can you ask for?

[Deleted]

Also, I forgot that herbs (rosemary, thyme, basil, mints (especially pineapple mint), rose hips, calendula, chamomile, etc) are great additions to the diet, as well!

[Deleted]

Welcome to the forum, and glad to know that you're researching ferrets' diet prior to welcoming one or more into your home!

[Deleted]

Aug 28, 2011 13:50:40 GMT -5 @valren said:

As far as amounts go, how do you know what to feed? I know with my dogs it was between 2-4% of the body weight depending on if you wanted them to stay the same, gain, or lose weight.

Ferrets rarely become overweight on raw - their bodies will self regulate. A ferret will eat anywhere from 1-5 oz a day, depending on age, activity level, gender, size, etc.

As a rule, when first switching, feed them as much as they will eat. Their bodies will then balance out how much food to eat, and then you can find a rhythm.

Ferrets eat much more % body weight than both cats and dogs (fast fast metabolism).