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Post by Deleted on Dec 6, 2011 21:32:41 GMT -5
That's great that she's eating whole chunks. Maybe you could get some pictures of her dinner if possible How many pieces is she eating each meal?
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Post by lumene on Dec 6, 2011 21:52:48 GMT -5
I'll see if I can find my camera batteries! They'll be in a charger... somewhere... lol.
Tonight because things were hectic I just left one chunk about 2.5oz and I heard her plowing through it. She'll eat it thawed now too which is a blessing, up until two days ago if it was thawed she wouldn't touch it so I scruff and stuffed her and left her to think about it and then an hour later it was suddenly gone!
This switch has been much easier than I anticipated. Also, I have already ordered pork for her in the new year (see Bacon Treats?). About 35lbs at last count for Penne and Braz, not including chopped and ground bone saparated from meat. I'm allowed any leftovers as well to make use of.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 8, 2011 20:45:33 GMT -5
That's wonderful! If she's accepting the chunks, I think trying some chicken wing tips would be the best step And that is great about the pork. Pork side (uncooked, unseasoned, unsmoked bacon) is just fine to feed. Mine enjoy pork a lot
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Post by lumene on Dec 9, 2011 18:17:39 GMT -5
Hi Jackie,
So I have pictures. I took some and then misplaced the sd card... -.-' But when I find it it will have a picture of the amount she's eating.
Also, I have weighed her again and... I can't say what happened other than the weigh in tub must have interfered with things. I used a lighter tub the second time.
Recent weigh in 1lb 13oz
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Post by lumene on Dec 11, 2011 18:23:02 GMT -5
1. Ferret's name: Penelope 2. Ferret's weight: 1lb 13oz 3. Ferret has eaten "X" amount on average per meal. 3 oz of chopped chicken drumsticks or breast supplemented with small chunks of beef heart and/or liver. Crushed eggshells added on top. 4. Stools on various proteins. Too much heart leaves stool black and shiny. Have been finding eggshell in stool on these occasions. 5. Activity levels: Activity levels rising from last week. Temperment is changing. 6. Weekly menu: Monday to Thursday- Chopped chicken drumstick (no bones) mixed with finely chopped beef heart and liver. Crushed eggshells on top. Usually given in frozen slices or cubes. Friday- One half chicken breast with one very small chunk of beef heart. Saturday- One whole uncooked egg. One half chicken breast with one slice beef liver. Sunday- Boneless chicken thighs today. I have been very careful to make sure that the beef and liver intake does not exceed 2oz. Penelope has been displaying some tempermental differences this past week, constant hissing upon being approached or picked up during playtime. Read more: holisticferret60.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=switch&action=display&thread=4393&page=2#ixzz1gGXlE1ud
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Post by Deleted on Dec 13, 2011 9:41:33 GMT -5
On the heart and liver amount, are you feeding 2 oz of each, or 2 oz combined?
Has anything besides her diet changed in the last week that might cause tempermental issues?
I think you can also start adding additional proteins. I like cornish game hens (because of the similarity to chicken) but any other protein would due. Preferably one with edible bones (small fowl and prey).
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Post by lumene on Dec 13, 2011 16:45:29 GMT -5
Heart and Liver - 2oz combined.
Temperment, I don't think so, she still spends obscene amounts of time in her teeny tiny cage despite me leaving the door open. She'd rather sleep. Maybe she's grumpy because I wake her up to play? If I don't wake her up every few hours I get worried.
Can I try mice? I have some developed fuzzies and small adults I can slice open. She takes an interest when I am feeding the snakes.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 13, 2011 17:09:46 GMT -5
Mice would be awesome! You can do both live, dead, or frozen/thawed. Whatever works. Definitely try to see if she will take it whole or sliced (you can pour a tasty treat inside the mouse too). If not, you could slice the mouse up into slices like her meat and try it that way. Mice are awesome food for ferrets (lots of taurine and nutrients).
As for the heart + liver, you should probably feed about 2oz of liver by itself a week, along with 2-4 oz of heart. I try to split this up over the week to prevent icky stools. I also feed bone meals before and after to help firm everything up.
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Post by lumene on Dec 14, 2011 2:37:19 GMT -5
Alrighty, upping the liver and heart, as soon as I get some calcium in her cause her stool has turned to jelly again... I sliced open a fuzzy mouse and dipped it on her nose. I'll let her think it over. F/T is easiest for me, every three months I buy one hundred mice in four different sizes, if she eats a couple fuzzies I'll switch her onto 50g jumbos and frozen rats. Winter is an inpredictable time for snakes, I usually have at least one skip out on dinner and I can't exactly put them back in the freezer... so if Penne eats them they won't be wasted.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 15, 2011 12:00:59 GMT -5
Alrighty, upping the liver and heart, as soon as I get some calcium in her cause her stool has turned to jelly again... Sounds like a plain Winter is an inpredictable time for snakes, I usually have at least one skip out on dinner and I can't exactly put them back in the freezer... so if Penne eats them they won't be wasted. Haha, that is a great way to handle waste ;D My younger sister Julie has a red corn snake. He eats rats now, but she choses to feed live (which I'm against). So when HE doesn't eat his dinner, my youngest sister Jessi gets a new pet
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Post by lumene on Dec 15, 2011 17:10:23 GMT -5
Penne... she didn't eat the fuzzy, but I will work with her on that today. I want her to get calcium before giving her more liver, the crushed eggshells she either avoids or they seem to pass right through her stool. I think I need to get her excersizing today... maybe I'll sneak into the stairway and lunge her a little.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 18, 2011 13:07:21 GMT -5
Oh, that sucks. Also know that you can leave whole prey in the cage for about 24-48 hours depending on the temperature of the room and whether the mouse was frozen or thawed. Was the mouse fuzzy? She might take a pinky better than a fuzzy (the fur can be a challenge to overcome).
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Post by lumene on Dec 24, 2011 5:12:38 GMT -5
1. Ferret's name: Penelope
2. Ferret's weight: Will get tomorrow, promise.
3. Ferret has eaten "X" amount on average per meal. Penelope has had either one whole chicken thigh or drumstick supplemented with beef and/or liver. Also working with eating mice now.
4. Stools on various proteins. With the introduction of drumsticks stools have firmed and finally look normal.
5. Activity levels: Increased activity! I have found her fix. It involoves galloping up and down four flights of stairs!
6. Weekly menu: Monday- Chicken thigh. Tuesday- Chicken thighl. Wednesday- Chicken drumstick with cracked bone. Thursday- Chicken drumstick with cracked bone. Friday and Saturday- Liver Sunday- Beef heart with thigh.
I have pretty much been cycling like this at random since sunday. New activity is playtime in my apartment stairwells. Lower temperature, lots of bouncing and happy time. She's been less aggressive since we worked out her energy. I think it was her rediculously tiny cage and being cooped up.
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Post by lumene on Jan 1, 2012 17:57:26 GMT -5
Hi Jackie, So lately Penne has been getting beef liver/ heart, pork meat and a side of Basa fillets. I was surprised to find she likes white fish, but it has been nice to have such variety on her plate. It usually takes her the whole night to eat it all.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 1, 2012 22:42:30 GMT -5
That is great that she is eating the liver/heart. And that she likes fish!
I would keep the fish to about once a week - it can cause their stools to be quite smelly.
As for the biting - it could just be restlessness.
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