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Post by Deleted on Sept 7, 2012 10:41:43 GMT -5
So I'm trying to form a budget for the future based on what we are eating now for food. I am hoping that things are at their worst and will get better as the ferrets get older and stop trying to fatten up for winter. (Oh yes, I'm looking at you ladies, Glados and Chell!  ) Right now for 9 ferrets I am going through three 8 oz patties of commercial grind in a 24 hours period. This means we go through a 6lb bag in 4 days. This means we use almost 2 bags a week, and at $26-30 a bag, I have told the boyfriend he needs to help pay for either people food or ferret food for a few weeks, because I really can't afford to do both until I stabilize a few things. Also need to factor in that they get some bone in meat every day to every other day to gnaw on for their teeth, that's probably another $4 a week. This seems excessively high to be paying on average $60/wk to feed these guys. I know buying meat at the super market myself would be cheaper, but it would be impossible to get pickier ferrets like Mayhem eating bone or organ without the grind soupies. Anyone want to compare costs/offer tips for saving some $$$ ? |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 7, 2012 11:05:26 GMT -5
It is definitely cheaper to make your own, if I were in your situation I would use the commercial grind and feed Mayhem separately, while the others eat the whole bone meals.
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Post by Heather on Sept 7, 2012 11:14:04 GMT -5
Feeding commercial grinds, though convenient and allows to add proteins that they wouldn't normally get is very expensive  . I know as I buy commercial grinds occasionally for the guys but buy as a total diet for the cats (my MIL switched her cats over to raw but did commercial grind for simplicity). It normally costs me about $400 every 3 months for the cat's food. I bought chicks at the beginning of the summer...cost me $200 but I got 1000 chicks. My guys still have quite a few meals of those. I probably would only have to buy maybe 2 or 3 times a year. Ground chicken bone I buy by the case for $60 but that's 50lbs, turkey hearts I buy by the case for about 45$. Buying seasonal also helps. Right now you can buy pumpkins for cheaper than canned. Buying grocery sales helps keep prices down on the frankenprey. All things being equal, I think between the grinds, commercial, frankenprey and prey that I feed my 13 wee ones it probably costs me about $100 to $150 a month. I've never tracked it to be honest  ciao |
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Post by Sherry on Sept 7, 2012 11:14:26 GMT -5
You may be surprised. We've gotten ferrets who have refused anything but a puree soup on whole wings, etc  it does take a lot of determination though. |
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Post by bitbyter on Sept 7, 2012 11:40:47 GMT -5
Heather, you might want to check out the prices here: www.k9cuisineraw.ca/index.php?cPath=1 . I just put in an order with them. Their price for 5 lbs of turkey hearts is $ 11.25 not sure what the wieght of the case you order is however. |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 7, 2012 12:04:43 GMT -5
Dont give up on her. My oldest was giving me a hard time with bones and I had to buy her primal feline and feed her seperate for about a year. Then one day she randomly started eating on a whole chicken leg bone included. We never looked back.
Sent from my SCH-M828C using proboards
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Post by Deleted on Sept 7, 2012 12:13:50 GMT -5
I'd say if it's getting to pricey, I would work on getting them switched to frankenprey. It is difficult but you can always apply for a mentor  |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 7, 2012 12:27:12 GMT -5
Well, buying a grinder and making our own grinds is not going to fly in this house I think. Matt continually makes looks and marks of disgust about the chunks of meat sitting in the cage or tossed out of it by the ferrets and the smell. He acts like a little girl when he sees a chicken foot lying in the cage. This from a grown man who grew up on a farm, raising goats and all manner of creatures and having to do all manner of things to them. /sigh. Men are such crybabies!  Now, if I make him start paying for all of the food he might eventually change his mind when he realizes how expensive it is. I think he likes how "clean" and "easy" the commercial grinds are compared to gobs of meat I toss in a bowl for them that they drag all over the cage. Bitbyter, thanks for the link! I am going to look at how much their shipping is, their costs look decent and they have lots of things we can't easily or cheaply get around here. |
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Post by Sherry on Sept 7, 2012 12:37:04 GMT -5
That's EXACTLY what it is Yurei ;D He doesn't have to pay for it so prefers the convenience!
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Post by sherik on Sept 7, 2012 14:08:22 GMT -5
I do the commercial grinds. And it is EXPENSIVE. It costs me between $200-$300/month to feed 9. But I do like the convenience. I've tried the frankenprey but where I live good luck, it still cost me the same. Without the great variety. Plus can't get the little buggars to eat their bone without it being mixed in. I also have one who has no teeth, well no meat ripping teeth left anyway. I don't know what his old owners fed him for them to get so bad. He had them pulled 3 weeks ago. He's only 2.
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Post by Heather on Sept 7, 2012 15:46:43 GMT -5
Heather, you might want to check out the prices here: www.k9cuisineraw.ca/index.php?cPath=1 . I just put in an order with them. Their price for 5 lbs of turkey hearts is $ 11.25 not sure what the wieght of the case you order is however. A case of chicken hearts is 55lbs. for $45 and it's a 20 min drive to pick up. I will check out the thread though I"m always interested in other suppliers as it's not uncommon for a supplier to just pick up and leave. My present supplier though is the key player in the coop I belong to. ciao |
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Post by bitbyter on Sept 7, 2012 16:25:33 GMT -5
Yurei Avalon - that supplier is local in Ontario. I don't know if they ship across the boarder.
Heather - WOW!! That's far cheaper than K9Cuisine but 55lbs!! That must take up quite a bit of room, even in a chest freezer.
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Post by katt on Sept 7, 2012 16:37:10 GMT -5
Saving money tips? Do you smoke or drink coffee? Those are two D*** spendy habits right there. Coffee can cost $60-150+/mo. Smoking is even worse (by a Lot). I recommend signing up for a mentor to help get you switched to frankenprey. Much cheaper. Though I will say that in the last 3 years, the costs of meats have more than doubled.  |
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Post by Sherry on Sept 7, 2012 17:40:10 GMT -5
Hey katt- don't diss smoking and coffee. If it wasn't for BOTH of those bad habits I'd likely have been in prison long ago for multiple murders |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 7, 2012 18:10:37 GMT -5
personally, if you have a food warehouse near you like, Costco or SAMs club, I have found that to be the cheapest way to go for raw meat. I can go shopping at Costco for $430 which will last 4 months for 10 ferrets, 3 cats, 1 large breed dog and 2 small breed dogs. my ferrets go through 1 1/2-2 pounds of meat a day. I buy the meat by the case and get chicken legs, thighs, pork loin and beef chuck roast. then I go to walmarts for the hearts and gizzards. once a month I get them a 2 pound pre killed rabbit. and when I can, I get mice/rats from a friend who breeds them, and during chick season, I go to the farm store for baby chicks.
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