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Post by sherrylynne on Sept 11, 2008 7:41:15 GMT -5
Still having a problem getting them to eat any organ besides heart, or dried liver treats. When I scruff, and put some in their mouths, they leave, like they are going to eat it, and then spit it out! They ALL do this now, whether it's liver, kidney, or tripe! And it doesn't matter if it's beef or chicken livers. Also, pureeing and putting with other meats doesn't work, because then they won't eat what it's on. I've also tried slivering it, and mixing with meats, and nothing. I am not going to stop trying to get them to eat it, and I think with patience and persistence, I will win them over to it, but in the interim, I am worried about them not getting the vitamins they need. Will the heart and dried liver treats meet this need in the short term, or should I look at adding a liquid vitamin to their weekly schedule?
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Post by Forum Administrator on Sept 11, 2008 19:14:27 GMT -5
What I would do is this, let them have the heart, let them have the free dried liver. What you can do is take the kidney and the liver and the tripe (btw is this bleached tripe or green tripe?) blend it up and mix with 1/2 tbsp of heavy whipping cream. Warm slightly and put into a syringe. Syringe feed them this 1x per week. They probably will LOVE the addition of the warm cream and might just willingly lap up the organ mix if you try putting it in a bowl.
Then what you would do is each week on organ meat day you would puree the organs and add the cream, then each week you would gradually make the mix chunkier and chunkier until they are eating whole organs with cream on top. Then you wean them off the cream. This process will take several weeks (since you'd only feed organs 1 day a week).
My 8 year old ferret has never had cream before, but she LOVED it. Goes NUTS for it, most ferrets do. Give that a whirl.
I wouldnt bother with a liquid vitamin supplement. No one truely knows the nutritional needs of ferrets and most ferret vitamin supplements dont even have all the nutrients they need.
As long as they eat the liver treats and the heart, and you work with them on getting this organ/cream blend, they should be just fine.
Let us know how this goes. How are they doing with the bones now? Other then the organ meat issue how is the rest of the diet going?
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Post by sherrylynne on Sept 11, 2008 21:24:02 GMT -5
Actually, as long as I don't try to add a minced meat, it goes fine  . They seem to enjoy the bones from wings, quail, and cornish hen! Once they get used to this, I'll try adding some larger bones, cut in half, like with the wings. I'll pick up the cream for their next organ day, and let you know what happens. Today was organ day, so it'll be a week. Just to let you know, someone ate some organ meat today, not sure who, as it was in the cage for the day. And the tripe is white, so I'll assume bleached. I've never seen green tripe here, just the white. |
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Post by Forum Administrator on Sept 12, 2008 0:29:06 GMT -5
Don't bother with the white tripe. I found out (much to my dissapointment) that the bleached tripe (the white tripe that you bought) it pretty "empty" and devoid of nutrients. Tripe is cow stomach. GREEN tripe still has some of the yummy pre-digested grass in it. Tripe is an interesting food because you can feed it as a RMB meal because it has a high amount of calcium. However, green tripe literally smells like a cow puked up its own s**t  No, I am NOT exagerating lol. Green tripe can be purchased online in frozen form or in canned form (Green Trippett). Honestly I cant feed tripe because it smells SOOOOO bad, and Im really not sure about how important its nutrient value is to ferrets (I know that tripe is an essential part of a DOGS diet, though). |
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Post by sherrylynne on Sept 12, 2008 7:34:17 GMT -5
I think I'll avoid the tripe altoghether then ! Since I've already got a bunch cut up and mixed in with the organ meats, I'll see that through, then leave it out next time. I do believe you on the smell of the green, but I love your description ! |
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Post by mustelidmusk on Sept 12, 2008 9:32:35 GMT -5
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Post by mustelidmusk on Sept 12, 2008 9:35:20 GMT -5
I'm betting Lucrezia ate the organ meat. You may have to lett our kids get a little hungry on the eve of the organ meat day!
-jennifer
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Post by sherrylynne on Sept 13, 2008 8:23:57 GMT -5
Well, kids are still doing well with everything. What they don't eat when out playing, they finish in the cage now. Doing well with all wing bones, and chicken ribs. I'll find out how they do with the turkey necks tonight, and let you know tomorrow morning!
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Post by mustelidmusk on Sept 13, 2008 11:33:49 GMT -5
This is SO COOL!!! I know this is corny, but I'm so proud of you and your little fuzzbutts that I get "goose bumps" when I review your thread and all the ups and downs you've been through When you graduate, I'll be celebrating with a huge glass of good wine!!! (well, maybe the whole bottle ) -jennifer |
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Post by sherrylynne on Sept 13, 2008 20:52:24 GMT -5
Make that two of us  . By then, I'll not only need it, I'll have earned every drop |
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Post by Forum Administrator on Sept 14, 2008 0:06:23 GMT -5
Let us know once you make it through one completely successful week on the feeding schedule and you'll be ready to graduate  I am so very proud, this is awesome! |
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Post by sherrylynne on Sept 14, 2008 9:07:14 GMT -5
T'ankee, ladies, couldn't o' done it wi'out ye!
Unless something comes up, you'll here from me here in a week! In the meantime, I'm working on my kitty!
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Post by mustelidmusk on Sept 14, 2008 9:42:21 GMT -5
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Post by sherrylynne on Sept 14, 2008 18:17:46 GMT -5
Well, in lieu of that, here's a virtual toast(Yellow Rabbit Reserve, shiraz, wonderful wine!) to two wonderful mentors, and to all our fuzzies  !!! |
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Post by Forum Administrator on Sept 14, 2008 21:42:58 GMT -5
Whoo hoo party! |
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