Post by Deleted on May 25, 2012 21:59:48 GMT -5
So I've been feeding raw for 12 months, converted quite a few ferrets already (original 3, 3 surrenders, plus a few boarders who's owners wanted a more natural diet), plus raised 3 litters on raw.
At current, I now have 15 ferrets, I've been working hard on a suitable diet set up for them & have been convincing more people to choose raw over kibble.
Their base is a pet quality chicken mince, lots of bones, fat, meat, plus all the really fun stuff ferrets enjoy, two days of heart & organ (one is heart & liver, other is heart & kidney), lamb meat & small lamb bones, ox tail, turkey necks, chicken drumb sticks or marylands, plus they regularly get meals of fish chunks (mullet, salmon, catfish, flathead, mostly the skeletons & heads).
Sometimes, they will get mice or rats, but not often, & baby chickens & quails are a odd treat, but I wouldn't really count them in the diet.
Recently though, I've started giving them wild rabbits, they are frozen for 6 weeks & then when I open them up, I inspect for anything that looks off. They enjoy it, they will eat most of the rabbit, leaving the guts & skin behind, though they will eat the toes, ears & head with the fur on. I sometimes get wild birds, same deal, I skin them because they tend to play with the feathers more than eat the bird. With these both, I typically cut them into large chunks to prevent squabbling, & so Lucien & Aydin don't steal the bulk of food off the rest of the business. Seems to go well.
In Australia, what other foods could be used to feed them?
If I can get one, I'd like to get a kangaroo carcass to butcher, as the meat is good & I've been given possums which friends have shot thinking they are feral cats & the ferrets don't mind the meat from those (skins are pretty nice too). I was thinking shooting the feral Indian Mynah birds to feed them also, but would need to work some real magic with the counsel to let me shoot them near homes.
Also, I've read people feeding guinea pigs. Are these really suitable? Do people raise them or order them online, pre killed & packaged? I'm thinking to simply raise my own, because I dislike the idea of using someones pets to feed my own fuzzies.
Just looking for more feeding ideas, they are all pretty healthy & current feeding does well for them, but just want to spice it up some more for off days.
At current, I now have 15 ferrets, I've been working hard on a suitable diet set up for them & have been convincing more people to choose raw over kibble.
Their base is a pet quality chicken mince, lots of bones, fat, meat, plus all the really fun stuff ferrets enjoy, two days of heart & organ (one is heart & liver, other is heart & kidney), lamb meat & small lamb bones, ox tail, turkey necks, chicken drumb sticks or marylands, plus they regularly get meals of fish chunks (mullet, salmon, catfish, flathead, mostly the skeletons & heads).
Sometimes, they will get mice or rats, but not often, & baby chickens & quails are a odd treat, but I wouldn't really count them in the diet.
Recently though, I've started giving them wild rabbits, they are frozen for 6 weeks & then when I open them up, I inspect for anything that looks off. They enjoy it, they will eat most of the rabbit, leaving the guts & skin behind, though they will eat the toes, ears & head with the fur on. I sometimes get wild birds, same deal, I skin them because they tend to play with the feathers more than eat the bird. With these both, I typically cut them into large chunks to prevent squabbling, & so Lucien & Aydin don't steal the bulk of food off the rest of the business. Seems to go well.
In Australia, what other foods could be used to feed them?
If I can get one, I'd like to get a kangaroo carcass to butcher, as the meat is good & I've been given possums which friends have shot thinking they are feral cats & the ferrets don't mind the meat from those (skins are pretty nice too). I was thinking shooting the feral Indian Mynah birds to feed them also, but would need to work some real magic with the counsel to let me shoot them near homes.
Also, I've read people feeding guinea pigs. Are these really suitable? Do people raise them or order them online, pre killed & packaged? I'm thinking to simply raise my own, because I dislike the idea of using someones pets to feed my own fuzzies.
Just looking for more feeding ideas, they are all pretty healthy & current feeding does well for them, but just want to spice it up some more for off days.
I'm no good at killing things 
and I don't know of any place to order them here
