Kyra ate on her own this evening! I just called her to it and showed her and nom nom noms! She even chewed up her "slimies". Great! Keep it up. Give it a few more meals of her eating on her own and then feel free to remove the kibble entirely.
Also to report weights (I did do this after they ate... but I hope these are ok) Bear- Was 2.6oz Now 2.9 (almost 2.10) He has lots of energy Mika- Was 2.4 Now 2.7! Her energy isn't perfect, but i attribute that to the antibiotics (we are almost done the 2 weeks) she is fairly active though I Kind of thought Mika might lose weight. She is a little bit pudgy, although she doesn't look fatter to me, but she feels so solid! Kyra - Was 1.10oz and still is. Her energy level is good. Shes never too playful but she prefers to follow me around and lick my ankles! She is awake for as long as they are out (up to a few hours at a time) which is an improvement! All good. They'll be eating a LOT at first to make up for the nutrition they weren't getting from the kibble. This eventually slows down and they'll eat more normal amounts. During that stage though weight gain is pretty common, don't be *too* surprised if later they drop a little, but they shouldn't lose much and they will really begin to develop muscle. This is part of why weight is important, a ferret might look like it's slimming down, but actually staying good weight-wise as he puts on more muscle. Muscle weighs more than fat after all!
I have noticed one change in the litter box: Smaller poops and way more pee! Wow there is so much pee! That would be because they are hydrated! Their body is getting what it needs from the food and actually ABSORBING it. There's no excess fillers to just pass through. When there's no fillers, and what you eat is actually getting absorbed - tada! Smaller poops! Also, what goes in comes out. Ever put your nose in a bag of kibble and sniffed? Gross! Now put your nose in a package of (Fresh) meat and smell - if it's fresh there should be very little smell and what there is isn't particularly unpleasant. Toxins go in, toxins come out... Good stuff comes in...well, less bad stuff comes out. (Not sure you can really call poop "good" lol)
Last night and today I am trying to not give any kibbles. The 1/8th cup still wasn't gone yesterday afternoon after being a few days... so I figured I could probably pull it all together!
Kyra ate on her own last night when I put some fresh soupies in their cage and she also did this morning with no finger feeding at all. So she is really making progress!
Perfect! No more kibble! Just keep an eye on her and watch her weight.
They seemed to do fine last night with no kibbles so today I left them out as well. Kyra ate half an ounce this morning by herself, so I'm thinking she is getting enough food.
Perfect! Keep it up!
Sorry I was out yesterday. I had a bunch of stuff going on all night after work and when I got home I was exhausted and just crashed. Also, I am going to be out of town for the weekend to help Shane (my bf)'s family de-winterize their beach cabin. I only get limited reception at the beach house but I will try to check in if I can. I will have one of the other mentors peek in in case you have questions and to offer you pointers. I'll be back Sunday night/Monday.
For now your goal is to try one new meat, and to work on thickening the texture of the soupies. Gradually add a little less water to thicken up the soups. Since they are going to be eating commercial ground mixes, we want to work them up to the texture of just the ground meat. And of course we also want to work on chunks and such for the rest of their diet. Tomorrow through Sunday (keep me updated) work on thickening the soup a little bit with each meal. You might have to scruff n stuff a few tastes to get them into it. And go for the pork! Let me know how they like it.
Sorry for all of the posts! Don't be sorry! The more info I get the better I can help.
But i just wanted to let you know that I introduced small chicken chunks into their soupie today. The pieces are approx the size of raisins. (some slightly larger, some smaller) I gave a piece to Mika and she ate it.. and another and she chewed and let it drop to the floor lol. She did eat a few more though. Bear did not have much interest in food when I tried. He ate one sliver for me, but I don't think he would be too picky about them. I was really surprised with Kyra! She actually ate some of them! I fed them directly off my finger (which i do not do for soup anymore) and she ate them. It took a couple tries (she would chew then just drop it and look at me like "what else?" lol. Once she got a taste for them she even went and picked one off the plate herself! She ate a few small pieces (and then just wanted to horde them in her tunnels!) I really think that you will find that she prefers the texture of raw meat chunks to raw soupies and ground meat. That is good, go ahead and see if she;ll eat a bigger piece! I will continue to add slivers, and will increase the amount of them in their soup! Good. Increase the thickness of the soup a little bit too (see my last post).
All three of my fuzzies are eating the small meat chunks. Today I increased the amount in their soup and they still all ate like troopers! However, what I found really exciting was that I made another batch of soup tonight. I decided i would make it really thick and then add water if needed (you can add water, but you cant really take it away once it is processed!). So for a double batch (16 oz chicken, 4 hearts, 2 oz liver and i threw in 10z kidney, as well as egg shell grinds* I have a question about this see end post*) I only put in about half a cup of water (just so it would process). It is like a thick paste, and does have small chunks in it. When scooping, it falls in blobs, and if there isnt much on the spoon it just sticks, to give you and idea of how thick it is... and i thought I would see if any of the ferts would like a taste... I honestly figured i would have to start out with watering it down a bit.... Kyra ate it (off the spoon that I offered, the spoon I was using to scoop it into icecube trays) She licked and chewed, it was awesome! Bear made a face when he first tried but decided it was actually pretty good and also ate away. I found Mika (who was having a nap in a tunnel and she liked it as well!!!) I can't believe they all like the chicken paste, I thought this was a big step! Now, I will add some more chunks into the paste from the chicken thigh I had cut up. This weekend, I will try some pork chunks as well.
Egg shells: I had ground up some egg shells for their soupies, but i cannot get them into a find powder like I would like. I do not have a mortar and pestel or a coffee grinder! I was thinking I would buy some bone supplement meal. How much would I use in a batch of soupies? (8oz chicken) I do have calcium pills for me, but it has added vitamin d... can I use that? i didnt want to in case it isnt good for them.... If I can, how much of that would I use? (they are in pill form, but I can break and crush them (even dissolve them in a bit of water) Thanks for all the advice! I find this process so exciting! Especially now that I have more cooperation from the fuzzbutts! LoL ;D... Except Kyra with the duck! I will try mixing a bit into the chicken. She licked a little off my finger today and gagged! It wasnt the texture, because it was only the juice she tasted. Now, how hard do I try to get her to accept it? Is it possible for her to like it, or is she just not a duck ferret?
Enjoy your weekend away! I will keep you posted, and I totally understand if you are unable to reply, with bad reception!
Ps: I changed my display pic and signature Now you can see my 3 ferts!
I'm about to lose reception and I have to give Kpaz a quick reply too so I'll keep it short. Congrats on the two big steps! It's possible that she may never like duck but at this stage I would continue trying. It's not uncommon for some ferrets to view each new meat as an entirely new "switch." As for calcium, they can eat raw eggs shell and all so coarsely ground shells should t be too bad. Bone meal is probably the best calcium supplement though. I'd start with perhaps about 1/4 tsp per ferret per day.
This morning, I gave the ferrets the new soupie that I made (that is thick like paste) and put some chicken chunks into it. They never did eat it all... Kyra ate some, but in small portions at a time. Mika was the same. However, it was Bear that was the one that I couldn't get to eat very much. I finger fed to gain his interest but he didn't want to eat from the dish. So I waited, and waited.... I threw out about half of the dish. So this evening, I thought I would try again. I put soupie on the plate, and some pumpkin (I wanted this for Kyra and Mika mainly) and then I cut up PORK into the soup. Again, they all would taste but never ate much... When I put their soupies in their cage for the night I always add a little water (I find it keeps it from drying out as fast). I only put maybe 2 tbsp on top and mixed it into the "paste". I brought each ferret to it and guess what?! They ate! Especially Bear he ate alot! I guess the paste is a little too thick for his palate yet. So, i will continue to add a very small amount of water (the soupie was still much thicker than originally) and I will slowly decrease until they can eat just "paste" I am happy though because they all ate the pork! kyra muched it up, Mika took a couple times but then she decided she likes it too! Bear eats his by accident I think when he is lazily licking at his soup! ;D I will continue with pork chunks in the soup and perhaps in a few days try mixing a little duck in the chicken (without pork) to get Kyra used to the taste. ** I noticed Kyra is still prolapsing a little bit when she poops. I took her to her litter box when I noticed she needed to go and she took a little longer to poop than the others do. I checked her bum (prolapsing was new to her when we started evo, so now I have been checking it to make sure it looks ok) and her anus was sticking out a little bit. Not bloody or anything but it looks sore. It does go away fairly quickly. However, it never looks like it goes away 100%... its hard to explain but her bum always looks pushed out just a little. Mika had prolapses in the past and now she seems great. Kyra's prolapse is why I added pumpkin today. Any suggestions? Her poop was not runny, it was fairly small (regular size now they are on raw) and well formed. I feel bad for my little girl and wish I knew the cause of her prolapsing!
The ferrets continue to eat soupies with pork and chicken chunks in it. I have bought beef so I may try that tomorrow. I would have thought that they would eat more than they are, but they all are eating. Their eating seems to fluctuate from meal to meal. Updated weights (as of today) Bear - Start 2.6 (last weigh in 2.9-.10) NOW- 2.9-2.10 Mika Start 2.4 (last weigh in 2.7) NOW- 2.5-.6 Kyra steady at 1.10 NOW- 1.10 They all seem to be steady on their weights, so I am taking that as a good sign (even if they aren't eating as much as I would think!) However, I did weigh them in between last post and this one and they were down a little (still more than the original weights I provided) so I guess they fluctuate, just like people do. Their energy levels seem good. I bought a cat teaser toy today and wow they went crazy over it! I have never seen Bear move so fast! Poor toy died many times. lol. Mika had a weird poop today... it looked fairly normal but ended with some foamy stuff... it was strange! I will checking the poop chart on here to see if I can figure out what is going on there....
I have exciting news! When i was in an Asian market today I found some chicken feet (I read they can have chicken feet max one meal a week so I thought i would try them) I offered one today and Mika went crazy biting it! she only was able to eat a little off because the skin is sooo tough! Then I worked with Kyra. I enticed her with a tiny bit of ferretvite on it. Then wow! She was biting and shaking her head! lol! She ate some off but the poor toe she chewed on had no bone left! She chewed it so much the toe was floppy. She too didn`t eat much but again, the skin was very tough for her. Then I worked with Bear. It took him a little longer, because he wants to lick rather than bite. But, he caught on and also crunched away. I was super excited about that cause his teeth need cleaning! (I brush but I want him to self clean with bones!) No one ate much, not even one toe in total gone. But I was just so excited they would crunch away at the bones! I was surprised, there weren't many meats at the Asian market that I couldn't get at my superstore here. There were frog legs and chicken feet. I can get quail at either place and the liver and organs at either too. I haven't gotten quail because they are very pricey. I may buy them when I am sure the ferrets are ready, and use them as a special meal. Same with the frog legs. Overall, the ferrets seem to be doing well... minus kyra`s prolapsing...
Sounds like they are doing pretty good. Keep working on the chunks and slowly thickening the meat puree. As for Kyra, will she ea plain pumpkin? Can you get bone meal? Those two should help lot. The pumpkin provides fiver to help firm things up a bit and move things along - it is the great equalizer. The bone meal will provide them with needed calcium which will in turn help to firm things up. Usually (though not always) on raw diet soft stools are an indication of low calcium and can be remedied with more bones or more calcium supplement (bone meal is best, then powdered egg shell). The chicken feet are a very good source of bone. They are a great thing to have in their diet. If they will chew on them that is great! Give them more and let them keep practicing. It takes time to build up the jaw strength needed to eat bones. If you can, break one open using a hammer and knife/scissors to expose the marrow, and scruff N stuff some marrow. Once they realize it's not poison, it's like super nutritious candy. Let them chew on the cracked-open feet and see what they think. Even if they don't eat it yet it will be the first step towards getting them to eat bones later. It never really hurts to skip forward steps if they will tolerate it.
Kyra will not eat plain pumpkin yet. I will continue to try it with her, because I would like all of the ferts to eat pumpkin in case it is needed. However, Kyra doesn't have runny poops. I have not had a chance to check for bone meal supplement (I will hopefully get some today or tomorrow), but they do eat their eggshells. Im just not sure what is causing her prolapses, because it started before I switched to raw. Yesterday evening I gave then their meal of chicken soup with beef chunks. The beef was slightly larger than slivers. Big mistake! When I got up this morning all of the beef pieces had been spit out! There were little beef chunks on the plate and all around the plate! I gave more soup this morning with pork (which seems to be a hit) and very small beef chunks. Mika ate first. I sat at their cage to watch and see if I could see who was spitting out the beef! Mika ate everything and chewed up all the pieces she took in. Bear ate next. He ate a really good amount. He chewed up everything as well. Kyra ate last. She seems to not chew very often... because I think she manages to push most of the pieces around as she licks up the soup! I will work with her more and try to scruff and stuff some small pieces and will continue watching. Last night I let them chew on another chicken foot. I didn't split it open, but I will do that tonight. They all took turns chewing. Kyra and Mika really seem to enjoy it most (although Bear still chews voluntarily, just not for as long). Mika Especially likes it! She took and hit a toe under my couch! ;D Gross! I plan on trying the duck and chicken this evening. I would like Kyra to start eating the commercial duck. If it is a hit I will continue to alternate between commercial duck with chicken soup (I will slowly cut back on chicken soup as I go) and chicken soup with pork and beef (some days alternating pork and beef and some days using both). Does this sound OK so far? I wanted to try and introduce the beef asap so they are eating at least 3 different proteins. I really hope Kyra likes duck, so I will have 4. Other than the chicken feet (which are sooo tough they can't seen to break through the skin enough to eat any pieces) what kinds of bones can I be introducing? Is it possible to add small pieces to the soup? Or is that dangerous? I want them to have the benefits of bone, but if it is best to wait, I will.
I tried pumpkin with all three fuzzies tonight.... not a hit! I mixed some in with their evening meal. Their meal was a mix of 1oz commercial duck with 2.5 oz chicken soup. It was a nice thick mixture. Mika and Bear both ate very well. Kyra is a bit iffy about it. There is something about the duck that she doesn't like (texture and or taste?) I will continue to try it. That is what is in their cage for overnight. Kyra did eat some but I had to hold her up to it. I find rather than scruffing, if I just put my hand around their torso (right behind their front legs) and hold them to the food they will usually eventually try it. Kyra would eat a little and make such a face! What a stinker! But the texture is really different in the commercial raw so I think that may be it. Tomorrow morning I will feed chicken soup with pork and beef slivers in it, and then for tomorrow evening I will do the commercial duck and chicken soup. I want to do the commercial raw when I am home so I can get Kyra to eat it (evenings I have so much more time typically)
Also: I checked for bone meal supplement at an old fashioned foods. They carry it but they were all out I will try to go by another store when I can! Since all the soupies I made have some eggshell in them, how much bone meal would I add? I know the egg shell amount isnt quite as high as what I add, because some of them stick to the sides of the food processor! I try to scrape them all out but its impossible! (Keep in mind I have to crush my eggshells as I dont have a mortar and pestle (and cant find one!)) The shells end up pretty fine, and the kids eat them but I cant get them to a powder, so they don't mix perfectly.
Kyra will not eat plain pumpkin yet. I will continue to try it with her, because I would like all of the ferts to eat pumpkin in case it is needed. Why does she need to eat it plain? Mix some ferretone in it, or better yet just mix it into their soup.
However, Kyra doesn't have runny poops. I have not had a chance to check for bone meal supplement (I will hopefully get some today or tomorrow), but they do eat their eggshells. Im just not sure what is causing her prolapses, because it started before I switched to raw.
Hmmm, interesting. I'm not sure. Keep an eye on it though. Are her poops firmer than "normal?" Do you see her straining a lot, or running to and from the litter box? Maybe she is mildly constipated, in which case Pumpkin can also help...
Yesterday evening I gave then their meal of chicken soup with beef chunks. The beef was slightly larger than slivers. Big mistake! When I got up this morning all of the beef pieces had been spit out! There were little beef chunks on the plate and all around the plate! ;D Two steps forward, one step back! Welcome to ferrets!
I gave more soup this morning with pork (which seems to be a hit) and very small beef chunks. Mika ate first. I sat at their cage to watch and see if I could see who was spitting out the beef! Mika ate everything and chewed up all the pieces she took in. Bear ate next. He ate a really good amount. He chewed up everything as well. Kyra ate last. She seems to not chew very often... because I think she manages to push most of the pieces around as she licks up the soup! I will work with her more and try to scruff and stuff some small pieces and will continue watching. That's good that Mika and Bear are chewing, it's a start. Kyra just needs a little extra love and patience. She'll get there. Keep up what you are doing and definitely try hand feeding some soupie covered chunks if you can.
Last night I let them chew on another chicken foot. I didn't split it open, but I will do that tonight. They all took turns chewing. Kyra and Mika really seem to enjoy it most (although Bear still chews voluntarily, just not for as long). Mika Especially likes it! She took and hit a toe under my couch! ;D Gross! Haha She wanted to keep it safe for later!
I plan on trying the duck and chicken this evening. I would like Kyra to start eating the commercial duck. If it is a hit I will continue to alternate between commercial duck with chicken soup (I will slowly cut back on chicken soup as I go) and chicken soup with pork and beef (some days alternating pork and beef and some days using both). That's okay to start, but it can't be a long-term diet. I don't think that's what you meant, but just clarifying to be on the safe side. Duck is a GREAT meat source. What else do you have access to? What do you have access to organ wise?
Does this sound OK so far? I wanted to try and introduce the beef asap so they are eating at least 3 different proteins. I really hope Kyra likes duck, so I will have 4. Other than the chicken feet (which are sooo tough they can't seen to break through the skin enough to eat any pieces) what kinds of bones can I be introducing? Is it possible to add small pieces to the soup? Or is that dangerous? I want them to have the benefits of bone, but if it is best to wait, I will. It's not dangerous as long as the bones are raw. Not cooked, not dried, not microwaved. You can try adding some pulverized bone to their soupies, it certainly won't hurt. Not sure if they will take it at this point though. Usually bones come after chunks. There's nothing to say that things have to be done in order though really. What you are doing so far is perfect. (I'm really not sure I'm even needed! ;D) Keep it up!
I tried pumpkin with all three fuzzies tonight.... not a hit! I just usually mix a teaspoon or so into their food. You can also mix some ferretone or ferretvite in it. Offer the pumpkin/tone mix as an occasional treat (not too often though) and then if they ever get a blockage you can feed it that way.
I mixed some in with their evening meal. Their meal was a mix of 1oz commercial duck with 2.5 oz chicken soup. It was a nice thick mixture. Mika and Bear both ate very well. Kyra is a bit iffy about it. There is something about the duck that she doesn't like (texture and or taste?) I will continue to try it. That is what is in their cage for overnight. Kyra did eat some but I had to hold her up to it. I find rather than scruffing, if I just put my hand around their torso (right behind their front legs) and hold them to the food they will usually eventually try it. Keep it up, some ferrets are just more stubborn than others. When you think she just doesn't like something, keep in mind that each new meat can be viewed as an entirely different switch to them! Some ferrets take to new meats right away, some take days, some take several weeks! Some real toughies even take months before they warm up to a new meat. So don't give up on her just yet, esp because we already know she's the more stubborn one of your bunch.
Kyra would eat a little and make such a face! What a stinker! But the texture is really different in the commercial raw so I think that may be it. Tomorrow morning I will feed chicken soup with pork and beef slivers in it, and then for tomorrow evening I will do the commercial duck and chicken soup. I want to do the commercial raw when I am home so I can get Kyra to eat it (evenings I have so much more time typically) Was it a scrunched up face? Let me know how that goes! The duck is the NV raw correct?
Also: I checked for bone meal supplement at an old fashioned foods. They carry it but they were all out I will try to go by another store when I can! Since all the soupies I made have some eggshell in them, how much bone meal would I add? I know the egg shell amount isnt quite as high as what I add, because some of them stick to the sides of the food processor! I try to scrape them all out but its impossible! (Keep in mind I have to crush my eggshells as I dont have a mortar and pestle (and cant find one!)) The shells end up pretty fine, and the kids eat them but I cant get them to a powder, so they don't mix perfectly.
How much eggshell would you estimate that you have in the soup? I'd shoot for about 1/4-1/2 teaspoon calcium per ferret per day.
BTW - you are crushing egg shells, but have you tried feeding them raw eggs? Very healthy in moderation. Watch out for the inevitable egg poops though!
To answer some of your questions: How much egg shells... hmm I use 1/2 tsp per raw soup batch... So per day not that much Am I doing that wrong? I followed a recipe on here and I add a touch more (slight heaping) for my recipe because some get left behind. And yes, Kyra does go in and out of her litter box many times. But she doesn't strain when going in and out. Is that a sign of constipation? Her poops don't seem real hard, I would say quite normal. Ugh, I'm not sure what is going on there! Yes the duck is NV commercial raw. Don't worry, I know their "diet" right now can't be long term! I was just making sure it is "balanced enough" for now. For organ meats: I have pork liver which is what I am using for the soupies and I also have pork kidney in my freezer atm. I add 1 oz of kidney for a double batch of soupies. I hope that is ok! I can buy lung (I think it may be beef lung... or pork I can't remember, but I did see lung. I can also get spleen I beleive (I will have to double check that one but I think so.) I can easily get gizzards but those are part of the muscle meat right? Same as hearts? Is liver, kidney, lung and possibly spleen enough organ meats? Other commercial raws that I have access to (also NV) are the lamb, veal, and bison. I dont want to buy chicken or beef because I feed those on my own raw. I was thinking lamb might be a good other commercial. Then I would be feeding commercial lamb, commercial duck, rmb: chicken, beef, pork and occasional frog legs (when they are ready to eat the bones) and occasional quail (again, once they are ready, they are too pricey to waste!!!) I could also do turkey. (if you think it is a good idea) Ps: I will have to wait until I have room in my freezer for another commercial raw bag of food! I have only the freezer on top of my fridge for me (and bf) and them! Its a bit cramped... they are taking over ;D
Also, when I got up this morning the duck/ chicken soupie and pumpkin was all gone! yay! I think that is the most they have eaten at one meal (between the three of them). I just got home about 30 mins ago and there is a pretty big amount of waste of their soupie/pork and beef chunk mix... (maybe half gone) It seems they eat a really good amount at some meals, and less at others.) I will be serving duck and chicken tonight.
Also** I will be away this weekend. My bf will be taking care of the babies. I will leave him a menu and will be "teaching" him what he needs to know tonight I will likely be able to post tomorrow evening and then again on Sunday evening. I can check in on the weekend if you post anything for me, but I may not have much to report while I am away.
So I have another success! I decided before the evening meal, I would attempt the chicken foot again, to strengthen the jaws and provide some enrichment I had to take a video.... Notice that Kyra (brown nosed sable) was really loving it! She even ate a bone chunk!
Here is the video:
If that doesn't work, (sorry not sure if either will work, I haven't uploaded a video before) Also, sorry for poor quality, I was recording and holding the chicken foot! You will notice Kyra "coughs" the bone up to chew it again. That is normal right? (Normal as in they will do that if the piece they swallow is to large?) She did it like 2-3 times before she didn't do it again.
Ps. After the video, I gave the duck and chicken soup meal (with a little bit of small beef chunks) Mika goes for the chunks now! She is open mouthed biting into the food rather than lazily licking! Bear lazily licks... and Kyra tastes and gags/makes a face ;D Kyra did eat some off my finger.... like you said... one step forward two steps back... back to finger feeding... I just hope to ger her used to it. We will continue working at it!
How much egg shells... hmm I use 1/2 tsp per raw soup batch... So per day not that much Am I doing that wrong? I followed a recipe on here and I add a touch more (slight heaping) for my recipe because some get left behind. Per raw soup batch doesn't tell me much. Does each ferret eat an entire batch in one day? Or is one batch enough for 3 ferrets for one day? Or multiple days?
And yes, Kyra does go in and out of her litter box many times. But she doesn't strain when going in and out. Is that a sign of constipation? Her poops don't seem real hard, I would say quite normal. Ugh, I'm not sure what is going on there! If it continues it might be worth a vet visit since it seems to be causing her some level of discomfort.
Yes the duck is NV commercial raw. Don't worry, I know their "diet" right now can't be long term! I was just making sure it is "balanced enough" for now. Good
For organ meats: I have pork liver which is what I am using for the soupies and I also have pork kidney in my freezer atm. I add 1 oz of kidney for a double batch of soupies. I hope that is ok! I can buy lung (I think it may be beef lung... or pork I can't remember, but I did see lung. I can also get spleen I beleive (I will have to double check that one but I think so.) I can easily get gizzards but those are part of the muscle meat right? Same as hearts?
Correct, gizzards and hearts are considered muscle meats. Organ should be about 10% of the diet, at least half of which should be liver. So half liver half kidney, spleen, and lung to equal 10% of the total diet.
Is liver, kidney, lung and possibly spleen enough organ meats? Yes, that's actually a decent variety compared to what some other people can get. If you can get pork brains too that is very very nutritious.
Other commercial raws that I have access to (also NV) are the lamb, veal, and bison. I dont want to buy chicken or beef because I feed those on my own raw. I was thinking lamb might be a good other commercial. Then I would be feeding commercial lamb, commercial duck, rmb: chicken, beef, pork and occasional frog legs (when they are ready to eat the bones) and occasional quail (again, once they are ready, they are too pricey to waste!!!) I could also do turkey. (if you think it is a good idea) Lamb is very good. That list is a great variety. The more variety the better, with the absolute minimum being 3. So that is very good.
Also, when I got up this morning the duck/ chicken soupie and pumpkin was all gone! yay! I think that is the most they have eaten at one meal (between the three of them). I just got home about 30 mins ago and there is a pretty big amount of waste of their soupie/pork and beef chunk mix... [img src="http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h352/JW_2012/Emoticons/.png" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h352/JW_2012/Emoticons/.png"].png[/IMG] (maybe half gone) It seems they eat a really good amount at some meals, and less at others.) I will be serving duck and chicken tonight.[/b] I eat different amounts of some meals, don't you? And I also eat more of what I like the best... It takes time, they are doing very, very well. Also** I will be away this weekend. My bf will be taking care of the babies. I will leave him a menu and will be "teaching" him what he needs to know tonight I will likely be able to post tomorrow evening and then again on Sunday evening. I can check in on the weekend if you post anything for me, but I may not have much to report while I am away.