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Post by Deleted on Oct 21, 2011 12:50:11 GMT -5
Hello! I recently introduced my girls to Freeze Dried reconstituted (Nature's Variety chicken), and they love it. I am still finishing my excess kibble, and then I will keep them on the freeze dried alone. I also feed a bit of Ziwipeak in the mix (Lamb), they like it, but I don't give too much because of the sugar). I was looking to know if I should buy a variety of protein source for the freeze dried? They currently eat the chicken, and they have a bit of lamb from the Ziwipeak. Nature's Variety only has 4 proteins in freeze dried and they are Chicken, Beef, Lamb, and Venison. Ziwipeak has only three. They are Lamb, Venison, and Venison & Fish. Would it be acceptable for me to feed only the NV Chicken with a bit of Ziwipeak Lamb, or should I buy two types of each, and try to get 3-4 protein sources in alternating meals? I recently also tried the NV canned Rabbit. They did not touch it. Even wasted some reconstituted raw I mixed it in... PS: How long can I leave Freeze dried reconstituted before having to throw it out? I feed right now three meals a day (morning, when I get home, and evening before bed). I throw out the remaining before each new meal. Is this too long? just long enough? Or could I leave it out longer? What's your say on this? Thank you very much!  Sandra, Lyla & Meeko |
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Post by Sherry on Oct 21, 2011 13:12:20 GMT -5
I always have taken the attitude that if it's bad- they won't eat it To be honest, when I first transitioned them to raw, all soup/ground got tossed after 6hrs. Now- not so much ;D most of mine will eat their commercial raw after it's been sitting for 8 hours with no ill effects. |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 21, 2011 13:23:07 GMT -5
So leaving it out for 8 hours at a time SHOULD not hurt? lol I know they much rather the fresh, because they eat about half when fresh, then there is maybe 1/4th left when I get home 8 hours later... so they eat most when fresh, then nibble a bit on it later... Then I shall not be worried about the 8 hours Thanks for that! Sandra, Lyla & Meeko |
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Post by goingpostal on Oct 21, 2011 13:46:53 GMT -5
I don't know how long it's really good for, but mine won't really touch it once it's been sitting out, I just figured out how much they would eat at once and only make that. I also will leave out some of the vital essentials nibblets dry if I think they need it. Variety is great, I feed beef, lamb and duck/goose mostly, the beef they won't touch raw and the other two I can't really buy anywhere raw so the freeze dried is nice to add those proteins in anyways.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 21, 2011 15:30:52 GMT -5
And they like the beef? Lyla loves the freeze dried beef liver I get sometimes as a treat, but Meeko won't touch it... I hope they'd make the freeze dried rabbit, but no.... is that a taste most ferrets usually like? Or no?  Thank for the input!  Sandra, Lyla & Meeko |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 21, 2011 17:45:01 GMT -5
I also leave food out for quite some time (8-12 hours depending on what it is), my girls won't touch it after it's gone bad either (yet they will eat a jerkied chicken toe they find stashed days later, eww!) so I usually don't worry too much about things going bad, they seem to know what's safe and what isn't I find personally that both beef and rabbit are hit-and-miss proteins. My girls are not a fan of rabbit at all, and will only eat beef if it's veal or high quality sirloin steak (brats!) #lol# Generally 3 proteins is the minimum variety so I think you'd be fine if you fed a mix of the foods you listed above The only other protein source I can think of is Stella and Cheweys duck duck goose freeze dried steaks - which all ferrets love! But have to be ordered off the internet (Caseys hidden pantry - $20 flat rate shipping to Canada - so it's pricey  ) unless you can find somewhere that will order it in for you. The other thing you could do if you wanted rabbit in the diet is try some commercial frozen raw rabbit steaks. My ferrets weren't a huge fan but did eat them. They might like it better than the canned? |
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Post by Sherry on Oct 21, 2011 19:25:06 GMT -5
Stella and Cheweys duck duck goose freeze dried steaks - which all ferrets love! Unless you are Prince Boris   |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 21, 2011 22:14:26 GMT -5
Hi Steph! I would love to try the Stella's, but I'm too scared to spend approx 35$ to have a bag shipped and my girls don't like. But hey, if it's a complete flat rate, let me know if you ever want to get some! We could combine our orders, then next time Phil and I make a trip to Calgary (or you to Edmonton) we could stop by to pick it up! In that event, we'd share the shipping of course!  If this interests you, let me know! Boris is a little picky boy, is he? haha Sandra, Lyla & Meeko |
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Post by Sherry on Oct 22, 2011 0:35:25 GMT -5
Just a wee bit ;D |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 22, 2011 0:42:49 GMT -5
Please stop feeding them the natures variety freeze dried it is dangerous and can cause a blockage due to the pumpkin seeds. The frozen variety is ok to feed tho. It is opposite with Stella and Chewy's the freeze dried is safe but the frozen is not. I don't know how much it is but maybe you could look into the urban carnivore Sherry feeds her crew.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 22, 2011 0:50:15 GMT -5
Haha oh Boris way to prove me wrong! And I was totally going to suggest that Sandra! Im going to just be testing out what the girls like with my first order as well as stocking up on wysong which is $5 cheaper on their site than I pay here, so this time will be worth the shipping cost for me, but in the future that would be awesome. I think I'm gonna place an order pretty quick here actually so if you like I could even mail you a sample of the duck duck goose? I'm sure it would keep in the mail just fine And you are picking out the pumpkin seeds from the freeze dried aren't you? I'd be extra careful with those, especially if Meeko starts to develop tumors in her intestine that mimic a blockage like the initial one did, she would be at a higher risk for pumpkin seeds to get caught |
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Post by Sherry on Oct 22, 2011 1:06:01 GMT -5
Yeah- we discussed the pumpkin seeds earlier in the thread.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 22, 2011 1:10:39 GMT -5
That's what I thought Sherry, good good |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 22, 2011 1:21:13 GMT -5
Sorry I didn't see any mention of the seeds in this thread.
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Post by Sherry on Oct 22, 2011 10:37:44 GMT -5
You are quite right, Jessica. We'd dealt with that in a different thread, which you'd have no knowledge of without having read it.
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