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Post by bitbyter on Sept 26, 2012 8:29:46 GMT -5
1 Gizzards, 1 heart, 1.5 oz of Ground Turkey / Chicken / Sardines, 1/4 of a chopped retail quail (no feathers or organs) & 1 tsp of Pumpkin
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Post by Sherry on Sept 26, 2012 8:36:06 GMT -5
Fantastic!!! The goal now is to get them eating larger and larger chunks of muscle and bone. Also to get them eating the liver/organ meals as well as a meal of straight hearts. If you can't get them eating the liver/organ by itself, you can always puree it and add 1/2 tsp heavy cream per ferret as a lure.
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Post by bitbyter on Sept 26, 2012 23:45:13 GMT -5
Larger chunks tonight and they have absolutely no problems with the quail in it either. I am also almost totally convinced that my girls are opposite time eaters. That video was from this morning and Wilma did most of the eating, Socks ate a tiny amount. Tonight Socks is doing all the eating and Wilma was totally ignoring the food. They have also increased the amounts they are consuming again. I have increased the amounts to 3 / 3.5 oz and they are cleaning the plates each time with nothing left (hopefully they aren't stashing it somewhere I haven't discovered). Tomorrow I am going to include some liver to see if they'll have any problems with it.
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Post by Sherry on Sept 27, 2012 8:34:31 GMT -5
Since winter is coming on it's not too suprising appetites are increasing. Mine will eat almost double for about a month. They are doing fantastically well! Let me know how they do with the liver
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Post by bitbyter on Sept 27, 2012 18:43:17 GMT -5
I did pretty large chunks this evening. I cut the gizzards (2) into maybe 4 pieces and the half quail into about 6 pieces. Added 1 tbsp of ground chicken / turkey and called it a meal. Results? Wilma is a lazy eater She'll take a large chunk off the plate, look at it for a second and go back for something smaller. Socks on the other hand will work at whatever she takes until it's gone (such a good raw eater!!).
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Post by Sherry on Sept 27, 2012 21:09:53 GMT -5
;D okay- keep them where they are at for a couple of days. That should help Wilma get a handle on things. Also, if the chunks are large enough you can try hanging them to see if it helps any. How did they do with the taste of liver?
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Post by bitbyter on Sept 27, 2012 21:35:02 GMT -5
I didn't have any liver pieces in this meal, trying to find some in the freezer. I know it's in there, I just have to find it. ;D
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Post by Sherry on Sept 27, 2012 23:42:52 GMT -5
Ah, ok! Let me know how they take to it. Just so you don't feel too bad if they don't- all my new guys STILL want it pureed with a bit of cream to flavour it
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Post by bitbyter on Sept 29, 2012 9:07:28 GMT -5
Well liver wasn't a huge hit as you predicted. Some pieces got eaten but not many. Yesterday morning's meal consisted of:
2 Gizzards, 2 C.Hearts, 1 Chicken Wing (chopped into about 8 pieces) and one C.Liver. There were some pieces of heart, liver and the larger pieces of the wing left over and one or two pieces of the wing stashed in the feeding den. I don't think Wilma is comfortable with the larger bones and meat chunks for some reason. Socks will take whatever she can grab and work at it until it's gone.
I think for the liver and heart I'm just going to rely on them getting the organ content in the ground / soup mixes I have made up. Will once or twice weekly meals of ground / soup incorporating organs be enough for them nutritionally? Also, I still have quite a bit of ground and soup mix left to use up. Once I get them interested in whole prey they will also be getting organ content from those meals as well. Thoughts?
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Post by Sherry on Sept 29, 2012 9:17:13 GMT -5
Frankly, I think I'd make one meal of soup a week, or every second week, a permanent part of their diet. That way you've got a fall back for when they get sick. As for heart- they need a minimum of one full meal a week for the taurine. With liver and other organ, as long as they are getting approximately 2oz each a week, doesn't matter HOW they get it. Same with the heart. It can be all at once, or spread out. Now, we've got to start getting Wilma comfortable with larger chunks and bone in pieces. Try segmenting the wing, cut the middle in two between the bones, and smash up the drumette(chop if you like). Give her that for the next 3-4 meals. A fresh one each time. You can also try hanging it so that she has something to tear against.
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Post by bitbyter on Sept 29, 2012 11:25:22 GMT -5
Wilma seems to be fine with the Quail as the bones are smaller. It's just the larger bones and chunks she seems to be avoiding.
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Post by Sherry on Sept 29, 2012 12:37:55 GMT -5
Ah- she's being lazy then ;D
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Post by bitbyter on Sept 29, 2012 20:47:17 GMT -5
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Post by Sherry on Sept 29, 2012 21:27:51 GMT -5
Oh my! Start sprinkling eggshell powder on all her meals, and if possible mix some pumpkin in with it as well. She's going to need the mince with the bonemeal or eggshell powder once a day until she starts to actually eat the bone. As for the purse string suture, all they do is a quick stitch to keep the rectum inside the anus. Quick simple procedure. But she needs some calcium and bulk in her diet ASAP. She's eating around the bone.
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Post by bitbyter on Sept 29, 2012 21:54:26 GMT -5
Actually she is not. She is eating the bone in quail. It's just the larger chicken bones she is avoiding and the other day was the first time I gave that to them. Today was soup mixed with ground and I did sprinkle eggshell powder on it (3 pinches + plus the eggshell that was in the ground). There was a tsp of pumpkin in it as well. It was the first soup they have had in a while but I did make it a bit watery. She has always had a loose bum, even when she was on kibble. I am starting to think a purse string maybe necessary just to prevent it from getting worse. Every time it happens it seems to be a bit larger. My vet said he will always recommend medication over surgery unless absolutely necessary (he's my uncle so I got him on the phone right away). He's going to take a look at the pictures in the morning an let me know if he thinks surgery is warranted. I think from this point out I'm going to be adding very little, if any water to their soup / ground meals.
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