thinking about adding whole prey

[Deleted]

Hi all!

Lately, I've been rearranging my ferret's diet to include some commercial grinds (the basic grinds from Bravo) in order to incorporate more bone in variety. My local mega grocery store has really reduced its supply of ferret edible bone in, to the point where all I am able to buy at the store is chicken and turkey bone in. I can still get all of the muscle meats and organs(lamb, beef, brain, chicken etc etc) but my bone in options have become a bit limited.

Weasel has taken to the bravo like a fish to water, and the product seems to be of good and reliable quality. Most of the grinds are meat and bone, so I've been treating them like any other bone in meal. I space them out enough so that there are a few days of real bone in chewing between mush gobbling, so he hasn't put up any resistance to eating real bone in.

That being said, I'd really like to get him eating whole prey, starting with mice. I see the benefits of eating whole prey, and i'd love to hop on the bandwagon with my little guy. I havent tried him with pinkies yet, but everyone seems to be of the opinion that they are pretty readily received. I was thinking of picking up a few frozen pinkies to see if he's okay with mouse flavor, and then moving up to fuzzies ASAP to get him accustomed to eating fur. At this point i should probably menton that I'm a bit squeamish when it comes to whole dead animals. Not in a feeling bad for the animal kind of way, more in a "wow thats pretty gross and i'd rather not touch it" kind of way. Anyone have any tips for overcoming or experience with this kind of squeamishness ? I really want to do what's best for my little guy, and hate that my own hang up is getting in the way.

Thanks in advance for all of your help!

[Heather]

You can always do what my son does....he uses tongs He won't handle anything dead and mice are just out of the question.
ciao

[Sherry]

Been there! The first pinkies I gave my guys they refused to even touch. So. Took them to the cutting board, put the knife in the middle, looked away, and cut it in half. I picked them up very gingerly and combined the two halfs with their meat and stirred with a spoon ;D Once they got a taste, it was no problem giving them whole. They did well right up to fur.
By then, I was used to picking them up, so that no longer bothered me. Problem was cutting them open to squirt in some oil to attract them . I did it though. Now, I just have to toss in the whole mouse and they're on them with no hesitation.
You do get used to it with time, and overcome any squeamishness about it.

[Deleted]

Its funny how some take to them faster than others. With some of mine i actually had to cut a frozen one in tiny bits and mix it with thair other meat. Its not to bad if u cut them when they are frozen. Then my last ferret i got, actually stole a whole frozen rat out of my hand as soon as he got the smell. He was kibble fed when i got him. Frozen rat was actually his first meal with me. He would not let anybody else have any.

[Deleted]

My guys regularly get a couple minced, whole mice in their mix. I tried starting with whole pinkies and adults but the only way I can get them to eat it is minced. I usually close my eyes or ask someone who is less squeamish to help me

[Deleted]

Thanks everyone for all of the suggestions. I'm currently in LA on holiday, but I'll have a go with the frozen pinkies once i return

[tress29]

I cut up small pinkies for my garter snakes. If you do it when they're frozen, it's like cutting a jelly bean! I imagine larger mice might not be so simple!

[Heather]

I chop up rats and rabbits frozen. It's so much easier and a lot less messy
ciao

[katt]

I have been feeding whole prey for over 3 years (I have a snake and then the ferrets) and have yet to touch a dead rodent with my bare hands. I have fed them live (ferrets only I am strongly against feeding live prey to snakes) f/t, whole, frozen, and even cut them into pieces. And never have I touched one. It is more than doable. lol I use plastic bags and tongs. The rodent is in the bag, it's thawed in the bag. For my snake I use tongs to feed it, for the ferrets I dump it out of the bag and into their feeding den. Uneaten ones I use a bag to pick up and flip it inside out over my hand, pick it up, then flip it right side out, seal and discard. Same for handling them to chop them up - plastic bags on my hands (gloves would work too lol). For live ones I put them in (either tub or outdoors) and let the boys do their job. Then I make the boys pick them up while I hold them, and they hold the mouse as I carry them back to the cage. (I have them well trained! ;D ) For the few cases that a hunt does not go well (has only happened about 2-3 time in over 2 years) and I must intervene I use tissue (I have never had a hunt go poorly outdoors, only in the tub). I would and will step in using bare hands if a hunt is not going well and there's no immediately ready bag or tissue, but I try to avoid not having something on hand and ready. lol I am not a squeamish person. I handle raw meat and clean up poop and plan to go into medicine. I have chopped
Whole prey into smaller pieces and I keep dead rodents in my freezer. ;D However, I just prefer not to touch a dead rodent with my bare hands if possible. Or beetles and roaches for that matter too. ;D I highly reccomend feeding a whole prey diet if you can, even if it is just to supplement their regular diet.