|
Post by Sherry on Jul 13, 2013 18:32:13 GMT -5
Finger feeding at first.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 13, 2013 19:06:02 GMT -5
Just put some on the finger and see if they will lick it or ? scruff until they yawn and stick a bit on their tongue or rub on their teeth??
|
|
|
Post by Sherry on Jul 15, 2013 9:05:44 GMT -5
If they'll take it, then simply let them lick it. If they won't, then dab their noses a few times first
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 16, 2013 13:53:23 GMT -5
three of our five ferrets like raw eggs the other two want nothing to do with them. the three that do eat them only want the yolk. how do i tempt the other two into eating the egg? I want to switch them all to a raw diet but the considerations on the mentoring board state that during life changes it may not be the best time, we just rescued two 6 month old fuzzies and are getting the house ready to sell. should i wait? is it ok to go forward? I really want them off kibble!
|
|
|
Post by Sherry on Dec 17, 2013 1:29:57 GMT -5
How much time do you honestly have to devote to the switch right now? Can you take the time to try finger and hand feeding at least twice a day? If so then move ahead with it. Even if they have to stall and stay on a certain step for a few days/couple of weeks they will still be further ahead. As for the eggs- dab a bit on the ends of their noses Do that a few times and they should start accepting it.
|
|
|
Post by katt on Feb 4, 2014 19:24:16 GMT -5
Posting this because my original post on this has been buried under a long thread. I have been seeing a lot of egg stuff going on lately and feel the need to refresh this...
Ferrets can and SHOULD eat the ENTIRE egg.
First - quail eggs. Quail eggs are fantastic, super high in nutrients. But there is absolutely NOTHING wrong with chicken eggs. (unless you want to get in the whole GMO thing, but that is a completely different issue).
Now, egg whites. Egg whites contain a molecule called Avidin, that binds a nutrient called Biotin so the body cannot use it. Biotin is super important in the body, so if the Biotin is all being bound up, it causes a Biotin deficiency that can be a real issue. HOWEVER!!!! It would technically take a lot of raw egg whites, over a long period of time before a ferret developed a deficiency. BUT unfortunately many people would see that and think "oh, egg whites must be fine then!" and feed their ferrets too much egg white - that would be very bad. So as a rule, we tell people to never feed RAW egg whites ALONE.
Now HERE is the important part. Egg yolks are one of nature's RICHEST sources of biotin. They have SO much Biotin, that they effectively NEGATE the avidin in the egg whites. Does that make sense? Thus if you feed the WHOLE EGG you do NOT need to be concerned about a biotin deficiency.
Egg whites have a lot of really good proteins and nutrients in them. Yolks do as well. If you do not feed the whole egg, you are really doing your ferrets a serious disservice in my opinion. Whole raw eggs are a very complete and nutritious protein. Think about what an egg does...Eggs are designed to grow an entire baby animal from scratch inside of them, providing all of the necessary nutrients for healthy growth. At the same time, there's no poop-hole in an egg, so the egg must be equally efficient at eliminating any waste produced by the growing animal. As a result, eggs are a very unique and incredibly nutritious food. IF. FED. WHOLE. IF you do not feed the whole egg, you are missing out on a huge chunk of important nutrients.
Think of it this way - if a wild ferret or pole cat comes across a nest of eggs in the wild, do you think they are just going to suck out the egg yolks and leave the whites? Absolutely not! They would eat the whole thing!
I will answer a few common questions.... 1.) A chicken egg white is NOT too much egg white for a ferret, as long as the ENTIRE egg (white AND yolk) is fed 2.) Feeding the ENTIRE egg (white AND yolk) effectively eliminates any avidin/biotin issues! 3.) There is absolutely NOTHING wrong with chicken eggs. 4.) NO - do NOT feed plain whites - you MUST include the Yolk. However, whites should Not be excluded either. 5.) Raw eggs are absolutely, unequivocally best fed WHOLE - egg and yolk together
Feed the whole egg. Rule of thumb is no more than 1 egg per ferret every 3 days, though more can be offered if they are shedding but be careful to not give too much or they will have really bad poops.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 31, 2014 17:34:28 GMT -5
I am going to be starting the transition to raw soon, but I was wondering, in the meantime, if I could introduce a raw egg if they are kibble fed. I read somewhere that you have to wait four hours after they eat, and then another four after they eat the egg because of possible bacteria issues. Is this true? Can I feed them the egg right before I give them their soup, or should I just wait to introduce eggs when they start eating raw.
|
|
|
Post by Sherry on Apr 1, 2014 13:28:08 GMT -5
I would wait a couple hours between any wet and dry meals yes. Just to be safe Soup is a different matter. They have have one after the other.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 29, 2014 14:46:01 GMT -5
I''m not sure if this has already been asked on this thread (I haven't had a chance to look through them all) but what about egg shells? I currently feed about an egg a week and I wondered about the benefits or contraindications of grinding up the egg shell into a fine dusk and mixing it with the raw egg? I know it is used in raw recipies and thought the same benefits might apply. Any thought would be welcome
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 29, 2014 15:11:14 GMT -5
I'm not sure how that would work. Since we dry the eggshells first, I would think that a fresh egg would be too wet and not powder up, well.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 30, 2014 6:51:22 GMT -5
I'm not sure how that would work. Since we dry the eggshells first, I would think that a fresh egg would be too wet and not powder up, well. I was thinking of dried egg shells (as I'm already starting to dry some out) and I have a very good coffee grinder. I was more thinking about the benefits or disadvantages of it? I don't want to end up causing any mineral imbalances or the such. Thanks!
|
|
|
Post by Sherry on Apr 30, 2014 10:50:30 GMT -5
Try it. Just a sprinkle for an egg. Check stools and if they start getting dry then stop
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 30, 2014 10:57:53 GMT -5
Try it. Just a sprinkle for an egg. Check stools and if they start getting dry then stop Great, I'll give it a go with his next egg and let you know
|
|
|
Post by raynebc on Aug 1, 2014 3:12:48 GMT -5
I got some Nature's Harmony eggs a while ago and when the ferrets wouldn't eat them medium boiled I ended up eating the rest of them myself on sandwiches. I'd forgotten how good whole eggs taste, for a while I'd just been using egg beaters. I ran out the other day so I got some more and will see if my fuzzies will eat a raw scrambled egg. These aren't the organic kind, but they are steroid and antibiotic free with no added hormones, so they should be the next best thing. Apart from withholding their kibble for a couple hours before and after feeding the egg, are there any other things I need to worry about? Will their rubbing their eggy faces on stuff create a sanitation issue?
|
|
|
Post by Sherry on Aug 2, 2014 9:03:31 GMT -5
No more than it would with a cooked soup.
|
|