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Post by sherrylynne on Dec 10, 2009 22:03:07 GMT -5
I'd try giving them wings for 3 or 4 days, nothing else. It's amazing how quickly that teaches them to eat bone Segment the wings, divide the middle section between the bones, and maybe chop the drumette if you need to. I had mine one wings for a week before they willingly ate bone.
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nibblesandspazz
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Post by nibblesandspazz on Dec 13, 2009 16:58:22 GMT -5
last night i noticed them chewing on the bone from a drumstick like a dog. it was so cute. I'll try the wings next week when i buy them more food. in the mean time i will try cutting the drumsticks like you suggested
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Post by sherrylynne on Dec 14, 2009 10:36:22 GMT -5
Hey- cleaning the meat from the bone is really good for their teeth as well! If you can get them eating the marrow as well, that would be wonderful
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nibblesandspazz
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Post by nibblesandspazz on Dec 18, 2009 22:58:13 GMT -5
they been chomping into the bones and eating about 1/4 of them twice a day. spazz got a bone stuck on his top teeth earlier but he got it off by himself within a minute
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Post by sherrylynne on Dec 19, 2009 10:01:51 GMT -5
That's wonderful! I gather you're talking about the drumsticks? Ok, for variety, they've so far eaten chicken and turkey? Maybe time to introduce other meats, now, as well!
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Post by sherrylynne on Dec 28, 2009 13:57:26 GMT -5
Hi. Any updates?
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nibblesandspazz
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Post by nibblesandspazz on Jan 3, 2010 15:45:18 GMT -5
I'm so sorry its been so long since I last posted, my memory hasnt been the best lately. The furkids are doing good. i gave them some heart and gizzards last night with their chicken legs. they ate most of it. I need some ides of what else to give them. would ground beef be safe for them? I've also seen stuff like ground deer, lamb ect which is cheaper than cuts of it. would any of that be okay?
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Post by sherrylynne on Jan 3, 2010 21:18:27 GMT -5
How are they taking the chicken now? Intact, chunks? However they're taking the chicken, you can give them other meats the same way! Just mix a few pieces of the new meat in with the chicken if they won't take it plain, and make the pieces a bit smaller. Since ferrets are essentially lazy at heart, they'll normally eat the smaller chunks first For regular meats, I feed chicken, turkey, pork, lamb, beef, goat, and quail.
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nibblesandspazz
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Post by nibblesandspazz on Jan 10, 2010 14:23:54 GMT -5
Sorry its taken me so long to reply. My internet got turned off because the company was lazy so we changed companies.
Anyway the furkids are eating chicken pieces whole.Now that they've ate bone they love it. I have ran into the issue of them pushing the bone out of the cage and onto the floor underneath the cage so they can chew on it later, and by later I mean days later. I clear out their stash frequently but somehow they always manage to hide one without me finding it.
On the 3rd of next month i'll be able to pick up some different food to mix in with the chicken they already have. Is it ok for them to have the bone from other types of meat as well? I'm guessing it is but I want to check with you just in case.
Another thing i've noticed is that spazz has started coughing when he eats sometimes. I'm wondering if bone is getting stuck in his throat because he sounds like hes choking. Should I let them clean the meat off the bone then chop the bone into smaller pieces?
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Post by sherrylynne on Jan 10, 2010 20:40:37 GMT -5
Hi! I'd been starting to give up on you . That's wonderful they are now tackling bone and large chunks! Are they eating liver yet? Yes, they can have any bone from an animal chicken sized or smaller(rabbit, duck-not leg/thigh bones, cornish hen, whole prey), and some other non weight bearing bones. Turkey necks, although you may really have to cleaver the segments. Tail bones from pig, lamb, etc. It's possible he's coughing/choking if he's eating too fast. Does it only happen when he eats? I wouldn't chop them smaller. They need to learn not only to clean the meat, but develop the jaw strength to crunch through the bones as well. Also, with something like a drumstick, they also need to learn how to eat at least the end pieces, and the intact bone gives them something to hold onto. And that's great you can pick up other meats then, because you don't want them imprinting on chicken like they did kibble! They also need the nutrients other meats will give them. I gather since your internet is more regular, I'll be hearing from you more often now???
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nibblesandspazz
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Post by nibblesandspazz on Jan 13, 2010 1:13:24 GMT -5
yes you wil see me much more often. sorry for all the hassle. they have been eating hearts and gizzards for quite some time. I'm not sure exactly what gizzards are. as far as liver goes, I'm not sure where to find any.
Spazz's coughing only happens when he eats. Other than spazz's coughing they are eating bone pretty well.
how many hours should i leave the meat/bones in their cage? I dont want them to get sick from it being out to long
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Post by sherrylynne on Jan 13, 2010 20:51:19 GMT -5
As far as how long you can leave it? Meat chunks, and meat on the bone, I'll leave in for up to 24 hours. I figure if the wild weasels can chow down on a rabbit over the course of a week, a day won't hurt ours! After all- the digestive system is the same. And if it's actually bad, they won't usually touch it anyway. Unless, of course, they've stashed it a week before, and now it's a dried up bit of homemade jerky As for the liver, they really do need it. Beef liver, pork liver, chicken, turkey, whatever you can find in your grocery store. Ask at the meat department, they'll be able to direct you to the right area. I'd ask about chicken livers first, and if they don't have those, then any other kind. I say chicken liver, simply because it's the mildest, and that one mine are more likely to eat without making a soup of it. It does sound like Spazz may be eating to quickly. Once he gets used to it, the coughing should slow down. Almost forgot something! Gizzards are muscle meat, as well as the heart, and should be fed as such.
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nibblesandspazz
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Post by nibblesandspazz on Jan 21, 2010 19:58:57 GMT -5
hey sorry its been so long. I've been in and out of the hospital this past week. It will be a while before i buy them more food. it turns out we had more than we thought in the freezer. about 2 weeks worth. I've been leaving the food in their cage for about 24 hrs. if it ends up being stqashed dried up homemade jerky, is it safe for them or should i pry from their jaws and toss it? they keep finding new places to stash stuff so i usually dont find out about it until they are running across the room with it in their mouth
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Post by sherrylynne on Jan 22, 2010 19:51:13 GMT -5
I'm so sorry to hear you've been in hospital!! I hope you're going to be ok! I usually leave it for 24 hours with no ill effects. If it's bad, they won't touch it anyway. And mine stash meat to become jerky as well, and have eaten it with no problems . Brats! I figure if a wild weasel can eat off something like a rabbit in it's den for a week or more, our more domesticated version will be fine, since their digestive system is the same!
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nibblesandspazz
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Post by nibblesandspazz on Jan 24, 2010 22:05:12 GMT -5
thanks so much. Its pretty gross seeing them run with jerky chicken, but as long as it wont hurt them its fine by me. Could you give me suggestions on making them a feeding den? anything with corners they tend to poo in. I'd prefer not to put blankets in it because I dont want extra stuff to wash.
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