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Post by Deleted on Mar 24, 2012 22:22:58 GMT -5
Have you had a chance to try the beef and/or hearts?
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Post by cierva4 on Mar 25, 2012 21:24:03 GMT -5
Hey sorry for the radio silence. I tried the beef and heart Saturday night (had overtime in the morning) and this morning. Nate of course ate everything fine. Last night it went pretty much ignored by the older babies. After putting a decent amount of Tone on it, Wheatley ate a little bit of both this morning. Charlotte had a little heart and ate some beef when I hand fed it to her. Her poop suggests she had more heart in the cage. I'll give them a bit more in the morning. Finally finally finally I'm back to a 40 hour work week. Mandatory overtime is finally over. wooooooot! More time with the fuzzies!
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Post by Deleted on Mar 25, 2012 22:39:59 GMT -5
No worries If you wouldn't mind posting your weekly menu/update tomorrow night that would be great! That is good news all around! They should eat more this next time around I'm thinking you can re- try pork later this week. Did you have any left? You should also see if you can get them eating a bigger variety of bone. They have the chicken wings and Cornish hen bones which is great. See if you can't find some chicken necks when you get a chance. As well you can get something called pork button bones, they are pork with these little discs of bones in them that look like buttons. They are sometimes called side bones too ( just not the super thick ribs ). Keep a look-out for those, as they will be great to add if you can get them eating pork. Pick up some organ during your next shopping trip too. Some liver and some kidney for sure and then anything else you can find. As well as some heavy cream (whipping cream). I'd like to try them on some organ fairly soon too and the best way to start is with an organ soup with some heavy cream ( just a touch ) to make it tastier
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Post by cierva4 on Mar 26, 2012 16:07:54 GMT -5
I'll post the menu and weights and such tonight. :-)
I've still got some pork frozen, I'll take that out to thaw tonight and try tomorrow morning?
I couldn't find chicken necks in the stores we frequent, I suppose another trip to the asian market is next. They're eating the liver in the soup now. Are we making a separate soup with liver and kidney and cream? Also haven't seen chicken kidney at all, is beef kidney ok? I think I saw that at one of the stores.
Should I still be giving some heart and beef every day until Charlotte and Wheatley are really eating it? And Nate's eating it fine, should he still be getting it daily too? I've been giving each ferret a little bit of heart and beef, and then giving the full meal after they've tasted the beef and heart a bit.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 26, 2012 16:33:57 GMT -5
Sure give the pork the try do the exact same thing you did with the beef and hearts. You can definitely offer them a bit before each meal to get them eating it more consistently Nate can have it too. Hearts are very good for them at this point in the switch, I'm not overly concerned with balance, just that we get them eating all the new foods consistently. Just make sure they are getting the 8 bone in meals per week as beef and heart can make their poops pretty nasty (dark and runny) and I don't want them getting too icky. Beef kidney is just fine with organ, variety is great. Beef liver is absolutely gross smelling and mine won't touch it but they seem to like the kidney. Pork kidney seems to be pretty easy to find too, at least around here. I want you to make a separate organ soup. Use 6oz liver and 6oz kidney and 1.5 tsp heavy cream (1/2 tsp per ferret). Blend it well and let it sit. The heavy cream works on the organs to make it taste better. Try offering it to them by finger feeding. If they all eat it great! This is their weekly organ amount they need and can be fed either in 1 meal or spread out over the week (freeze in ice cubes and give them each a cube or two per day). If they like it, you no longer need to give them liver in their regular soup. If they hate it, then you will have to disguise it better. Mix some chicken in to hide the organ taste. Let me know when you make the trip to the Asian market and what you find if you can't find chicken necks that is fine, they are just a handy boney meal to have.
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Post by cierva4 on Mar 26, 2012 20:53:48 GMT -5
Charlotte Weight: 1lb 13oz? She was wiggly tonight. Activity Level: Happy and hoppy. Stool size and consistency: finally getting some bone poops this week. Lately she's had the dark icky heart poos a few times. She's had a few days where she'll go a little, wait about 15 minutes and then go again. The poo is about what I've come to expect from her, but is she just getting distracted or is this an irregularity?
Wheatley Weight: 2lbs 9.5oz Activity Level: Similarly high Stool size and consistency: bone-y on bone days, darker and ickier on days without bone and more organ.
Nate Weight: 1lb 12 oz Activity Level: I knew kits had plenty of energy, but sometimes I swear he's slipped some RedBull. It's crazy. Stool size and consistency: Much firmer. Sometimes they're a little thin, but they're definitely looking good. His butt is just the tiniest bit pokey still, I wouldn't know if I wasn't looking for it. I'm still using the Vaseline and he's enjoying the squash.
Menu: (they had a little soup and squash every day) Mon: chicken thigh Tues: Hen bones (rib and wing mostly) and some chicken wing bones over night. Wed: Hen and chicken thigh meat Thurs: Hen spine/wing, and then some hen meat (boneless) in the evening. Fri: Chicken thigh Sat: Chicken wing, started some beef/heart at night. Sun: beef/heart in the morning and some in the evening, and wings all day
Also, Nate's been getting an afternoon snack, since he eats like a monster. Most days it's been just a few small chunks of thigh (4-5ish) or a slightly larger bone or two to gnaw on.
As you see, some days I gave something different in the evening, but those meals are always a bit smaller than the morning meals. Should I try to keep to 1 meal served 2x/day, or try to really get them on 2 separate meals?
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Post by Deleted on Mar 27, 2012 0:52:04 GMT -5
Charlotte Weight: 1lb 13oz? She was wiggly tonight. Activity Level: Happy and hoppy. Stool size and consistency: finally getting some bone poops this week. Lately she's had the dark icky heart poos a few times. She's had a few days where she'll go a little, wait about 15 minutes and then go again. The poo is about what I've come to expect from her, but is she just getting distracted or is this an irregularity?Are you watching her poop before taking her out to play? Mine sometimes half go or even "fake it" cause they know it means they get to come out of their cage. Or sometimes they just get distracted, half go, change their mind and go again later. That being said, if it is shedding season where you are (it is here) or you think she could have gotten into anything, give her some extra squash for a few days. Once you see nice formed orange poops with no hairballs in them (they look like slugs when they come out) or no foreign objects, then you will be in the clear and know it's just her getting distracted. Wheatley Weight: 2lbs 9.5oz Activity Level: Similarly high Stool size and consistency: bone-y on bone days, darker and ickier on days without bone and more organ.
Nate Weight: 1lb 12 oz Activity Level: I knew kits had plenty of energy, but sometimes I swear he's slipped some RedBull. It's crazy. Stool size and consistency: Much firmer. Sometimes they're a little thin, but they're definitely looking good. His butt is just the tiniest bit pokey still, I wouldn't know if I wasn't looking for it. I'm still using the Vaseline and he's enjoying the squash. Wheatley looks good. Is nate's bum protruding, as in red is poking out, or is it just sticking out but looks normal. Ferret bums are kind of like belly buttons, some stick out more than others ;D As long as there are no insides sticking out (these will look red) and the bum is skin-coloured and closed (this will look like the end of a hot dog, as gross as that sounds ;D), then it might just be the way his bum is. If it looks red though, continue with vaseline and hopefully it will clear up now that his poop is firming up Menu: (they had a little soup and squash every day) Mon: chicken thigh Tues: Hen bones (rib and wing mostly) and some chicken wing bones over night. Wed: Hen and chicken thigh meat Thurs: Hen spine/wing, and then some hen meat (boneless) in the evening. Fri: Chicken thigh Sat: Chicken wing, started some beef/heart at night. Sun: beef/heart in the morning and some in the evening, and wings all day
Also, Nate's been getting an afternoon snack, since he eats like a monster. Most days it's been just a few small chunks of thigh (4-5ish) or a slightly larger bone or two to gnaw on.
As you see, some days I gave something different in the evening, but those meals are always a bit smaller than the morning meals. Should I try to keep to 1 meal served 2x/day, or try to really get them on 2 separate meals? The menu looks good, just aim for a tiny bit more bone. Nate is a baby and will eat like a monster so it is actually better for him to have that extra meal in there so that's a good idea As for the meals, your call. You should have "two meals" in the sense that they should get fresh food at least every 12 hours, but whether you do them as separate meals or as the same is totally up to you. just aim for 8-9 of those meals to be the "bone-in" ones and the rest will be heart/muscle meat/ organ once we start that.
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Post by cierva4 on Mar 27, 2012 10:02:34 GMT -5
I feel better about Nate's butt. It's not red at all. I guess he's just got an out-y. I'll give Charlotte more squash and keep a close eye on her leavings. Do you think it would be better for them if I gave 2 different meals (ie, wing in the morning, hen meat at night) each day or does it not really matter to them as long as they're getting the right variety and proportions over the week? They are starting to eat a bit more over night, from what I can tell, so I think I could get them on the more regular schedule. This is Charlotte and Wheatley btw, Nate never stops eating (this includes our feet).
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Post by Deleted on Mar 27, 2012 14:01:33 GMT -5
Again, the meal thing totally depends on your time/preference/how many different kinds of meals you have available. As long as there are at least 3 protein sources, 8-9 bone-in meals, 3-4 muscle meat meals, 1 heart meal (plus some heart snacks given throughout the week) and 2oz liver/2oz other organ PER Ferret (either given as one meal or spread out throughout the week) then how you organize that is up to you. I used to do different food for each meal and had something like 8 proteins going but I found that was way too hard to keep up with and am now giving the same thing both meals most days, and different meals some days so kind of a mix and match. So one day I might give chicken wings for both meals. But another day I'll give chicken necks for one meal and chicken wings for the second one. That is good that your ferrets are starting to eat 2 complete meals though, that will make things easier on you. Before you graduate (still a little ways to go) you will be required to submit a weekly meal plan for approval. You don't have to stick to this meal plan every week, and you can mix it up as long as you have the basic requirements. Its up to you to decide what works best for you The only other thing I would recommend is to try alternate the bone-in and muscle meat meals (be it meals or days) so that they don't get bone for 4 days straight and then muscle meat/heart/organ for 3 days straight. The other thing I find to be useful is that If you know you are feeding a meal that causes icky poops (organ, heart, beef, lamb, other rich meats) then give a nice boney meal for the next meal/day. This helps their poops recover quicker Other than that, you are in charge so feel free to play around and see what works best and each week when your post your weekly menu, I will give you tips/any changes that need to be made
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Post by cierva4 on Mar 27, 2012 20:55:26 GMT -5
Thanks again for the menu-planning tips. I always get a little confused when I don't have a strict guide to go off, but that helped a lot. Soooo tonight, Nate ate a bunch of pork. Charlotte ate a few tiny slivers too! Wheatley's unhappy about their presence, but I think he might've had a piece or two as well. I'll try again in the morning, I wasn't really expecting them to even try it tonight.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 27, 2012 22:48:28 GMT -5
Not a problem I was the same way when I was mentee ;D Fantastic! That went much better than the first time they tried it! Let me know how they do in the morning
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Post by cierva4 on Mar 28, 2012 9:32:04 GMT -5
Tried a little bit of the pork again. Nate ate it, of course, without problem. Charlotte and Wheatley weren't interested at first, then I put a few drops of EVOO on it and they both licked and ate about 3 pieces each. Slow start, but at least they're eating it.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 28, 2012 14:34:08 GMT -5
That is definitely a start! Are they eating the beef and heart now consistently? If they are you can try offering a bit of pork before each meal instead of the beef / hearts until they are eating that consistently. But you've now got 4 proteins (chicken, cornish hen, beef and pork) which is great and heart so the next thing to focus on would be getting them eating the organ, and a bit more bone variety.
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Post by cierva4 on Mar 28, 2012 17:06:10 GMT -5
They're definitely all eating the heart consistently. Of course Nate eats anything I give him. Charlotte I know eats some of the beef each time, and Wheatley will eat a few bites, but they clearly don't like it as much. I was giving them a small mix of heart and beef with some soup and/or tone/EVOO before giving breakfast/dinner, so they were hungry and would eat a few bites and then ignore it. Should I still be giving beef/heart along with the pork? Or should I try a full meal of beef and give the pork appetizer? Also I won't be able to get to the asian market until this weekend, so we'll do that Saturday and make organ cream soup to try then. .. ew.
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Post by cierva4 on Mar 29, 2012 9:34:10 GMT -5
Last night I gave small chunks of pork as the main course. They only sniffed and licked a little at first, but later on they went back and they both ate a fairly good amount! I added a little thigh meat over night just to be sure they got enough, and this morning the plate was completely clean! That said, Charlotte is still having some issues going. Last night she left a very small, very seedy gift. But this morning I found a decent-sized poo with only a tiny bit of the seediness, after she left a small trail of mini-plops. They're wet and a little orangey (I've been giving her a little extra squash hoping she'll pass anything that might be catching her up). I'm really not sure what to make of this. Also my boyfriend thinks I'm becoming obsessed with ferret poo. This might be true.
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