Post by Sherry on Nov 29, 2011 23:16:44 GMT -5
Jennifer(mustelidmusk) has written out a theory of why ferrets feed the way they do, with a good bit of validation via observation of both ferrets and other carnivores.
*************************************************
I certainly do not know everything, but I will provide some history.
I was the one who ntroduced the concept of a feeding den a long tme ago on the old natural ferret feeding forum, which existed long before this site (and the original one) was even a concept.
i was involved with wildlife rehabilitation for years, and my specialty was working with the mammals. I noticed that the carnivores (mostly foxes and coyotes, but weasels as well) scattered when eating - they were VERY competitive with their feeding habits. That being said, there are a few key observations regarding wildlife that MAY hold true for many ferrets. I can at least tell you that these theories held true for MY 4 brats as babies....
When my kids were youngsters, they did NOT like the following:
1. eating out in the open (vulnerable to predators)
2. eating together (competition)
3. eating near a big stash of food (attracks predators)
The preferred eating scenario was as follows:
* food located outside the den.
* each ferret has his/her/own den
* feeding den offer a safe/concealed location (trash can on its side with a towel draped over the entrance for privacy)
I later learned that these observaritions and practices reflected thef eeding practices of the black-footed ferrets - the BFF's will typically drag prey to a den (often, they take over a prairie dog den ---> kill the pririe dog, feed on it in the den over the course of several days, and simply take over the den thereafter. (well, heck, they ARE member of the WEASEL family )
Another thing......When I had time to mentor forum members, I was called in specifically for the toughest switches - LIKE SHERRYLYNNE'S BORIS!!!! (Actually, Boris was not all that tough to switch...he just required special attention ) Anway, one of the things that also seems to hold true is that ferrets are more likely to grab a smaller bit a food from a smaller sourcethat from a big pile.
If you go back to the old forum, you'll see that I recommend that small bits of food bel layed out on a flat small plate so a ferret can grab a small tidbit rather than havig to push their faces into a big bowl of food. Here's some wildlife background on this....
1. Most carnivores SHUT their eyes when they eat to protect them from bones, prey that may still be alive, etc.
2. Most carnivores do not stick their heads deeply into a carcass
3. Most carnivores prefer to tear a piece off the prey and eat away from the carcass. Hanging onto a carcass is dangerous for numerous reasons
Part of his is for safety from competition and predators....part of this is for hygienic reasons ---- blood and guts stick to fur like GLUE, and infection sets into the skin. Notice that the predators that DO stick their heads into the carcass are the vultures, which have NO feathers on the head and neck...they evolved this way to keep the bacterial problem under natural control.
SO once you start to understand some natural carnivore behaviors, you may see why some ferrets do not like walking into a meat locker to dine. Many ferrets will learn to accept such a feeding arrangement, but its not necessarily a preferred scenario.
You can probably train your ferrets to eat from a "meat locker" by starting with small bit of food anchored in the feeding den. You'll probably need a couple of feeding dens to do this. Use the den more like foraging cup, which is another technique I introduced for ferret years ago....small bits of food hidden around the environment may be much more readily accepted than larger amounts. Small tidbits are generally consumed on the spot - they can be quickly consumed without all the "risk" associated with eating/approaching large food sources.
Does this make sense?
*************************************************
I certainly do not know everything, but I will provide some history.
I was the one who ntroduced the concept of a feeding den a long tme ago on the old natural ferret feeding forum, which existed long before this site (and the original one) was even a concept.
i was involved with wildlife rehabilitation for years, and my specialty was working with the mammals. I noticed that the carnivores (mostly foxes and coyotes, but weasels as well) scattered when eating - they were VERY competitive with their feeding habits. That being said, there are a few key observations regarding wildlife that MAY hold true for many ferrets. I can at least tell you that these theories held true for MY 4 brats as babies....
When my kids were youngsters, they did NOT like the following:
1. eating out in the open (vulnerable to predators)
2. eating together (competition)
3. eating near a big stash of food (attracks predators)
The preferred eating scenario was as follows:
* food located outside the den.
* each ferret has his/her/own den
* feeding den offer a safe/concealed location (trash can on its side with a towel draped over the entrance for privacy)
I later learned that these observaritions and practices reflected thef eeding practices of the black-footed ferrets - the BFF's will typically drag prey to a den (often, they take over a prairie dog den ---> kill the pririe dog, feed on it in the den over the course of several days, and simply take over the den thereafter. (well, heck, they ARE member of the WEASEL family )
Another thing......When I had time to mentor forum members, I was called in specifically for the toughest switches - LIKE SHERRYLYNNE'S BORIS!!!! (Actually, Boris was not all that tough to switch...he just required special attention ) Anway, one of the things that also seems to hold true is that ferrets are more likely to grab a smaller bit a food from a smaller sourcethat from a big pile.
If you go back to the old forum, you'll see that I recommend that small bits of food bel layed out on a flat small plate so a ferret can grab a small tidbit rather than havig to push their faces into a big bowl of food. Here's some wildlife background on this....
1. Most carnivores SHUT their eyes when they eat to protect them from bones, prey that may still be alive, etc.
2. Most carnivores do not stick their heads deeply into a carcass
3. Most carnivores prefer to tear a piece off the prey and eat away from the carcass. Hanging onto a carcass is dangerous for numerous reasons
Part of his is for safety from competition and predators....part of this is for hygienic reasons ---- blood and guts stick to fur like GLUE, and infection sets into the skin. Notice that the predators that DO stick their heads into the carcass are the vultures, which have NO feathers on the head and neck...they evolved this way to keep the bacterial problem under natural control.
SO once you start to understand some natural carnivore behaviors, you may see why some ferrets do not like walking into a meat locker to dine. Many ferrets will learn to accept such a feeding arrangement, but its not necessarily a preferred scenario.
You can probably train your ferrets to eat from a "meat locker" by starting with small bit of food anchored in the feeding den. You'll probably need a couple of feeding dens to do this. Use the den more like foraging cup, which is another technique I introduced for ferret years ago....small bits of food hidden around the environment may be much more readily accepted than larger amounts. Small tidbits are generally consumed on the spot - they can be quickly consumed without all the "risk" associated with eating/approaching large food sources.
Does this make sense?
.