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Post by Forum Administrator on Sept 22, 2008 18:15:57 GMT -5
Cross Posted (with permission) from the "dogster raw" forum. Original thread can be viewed at: www.dogster.com/forums/Raw_Food_Diet/thread/560042/1 . The "catster" version of this thread can be viewed here: www.catster.com/forums/Raw_Food_Diet/thread/560455I think one of the big reasons that people state for not wanting to feed raw is the time it takes to feed it. For the most part, I believe this is a common misconception about the raw diet, that you have to dedicate a lot of time to doing it properly. So just to demonstrate that raw really doesn't take up all your time, I'd as you raw feeders to answer a couple of questions. Maybe this will help some raw-curious folks to give it a shot 1) How much time, in the average month, do you spend shopping for raw (or whole prey) ferret food? 2) How much time, in the average month, do you spend preparing raw (or whole prey) meals? 3) How much time, in the average day, do you spend feeding your ferret? This includes prep time, feeding, and cleaning up afterwards. |
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Post by Forum Administrator on Sept 22, 2008 18:19:40 GMT -5
1) How much time, in the average month, do you spend shopping for raw (or whole prey) ferret food? My ferrets eat a whole prey diet (occasionally we'll feed raw). I shop online for whole prey about once every four months. It takes me about 15 minutes to place an order. I pick up raw food when I am at the grocery store doing my own shopping and I happen to see something on sale or something they'd like. It usually only takes an extra 5 minutes or so (if even that) to find them some raw foods when I'm already at the store. 2) How much time, in the average month, do you spend preparing raw (or whole prey) meals? With whole prey all I do is take out mice (or whatever prey) out of the freezer and thaw. Once its thawed I just feed. I doesnt take any time at all, certainly not any more then pouring kibble into a bowl  With raw food if I buy a bunch I need to portion it into serving sizes. Depending on the haul it can take between 15-45 minutes and I do that about 1-2x per month. 3) How much time, in the average day, do you spend feeding your ferret? This includes prep time, feeding, and cleaning up afterwards.About 10-15 minutes. I feed the thawed prey. They eat it in about 5-10 minutes. Sometimes they won't eat it all and I"ll put it back in the fridge (for later). After they eat I wipe up their feeding area with vinegar and hydrogen peroxide. It doesnt take much time at all. Your turn! 
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Post by razzlette on Sept 22, 2008 20:03:44 GMT -5
1) How much time, in the average month, do you spend shopping for raw (or whole prey) ferret food?
I do it as I shop for our food (half the time it is OUR food)
2) How much time, in the average month, do you spend preparing raw (or whole prey) meals?
Raw: I buy most of it at the same time and take about an hour to cut it up in to 1 oz servings. I put them in the freezer and take them out each night for the next day.
3) How much time, in the average day, do you spend feeding your ferret? This includes prep time, feeding, and cleaning up afterwards. 10min avrage. Clean from the day before about 5min. Toss some food in the den in the morning. Clean up at lunch if needed about (2 min) and toss more food in. Clean up at supper if needed (2min). Clean up consist of vinigar and water in the afternoon and evening. Clorox wipes then vinigar and water.
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Post by tss on Sept 22, 2008 20:56:21 GMT -5
1) How much time, in the average month, do you spend shopping for raw (or whole prey) ferret food? None, really... Sometimes just a minute or two
2) How much time, in the average month, do you spend preparing raw (or whole prey) meals? A hour at the most
3) How much time, in the average day, do you spend feeding your ferret? This includes prep time, feeding, and cleaning up afterwards. I'm currently feeding three ferrets who are kept in two rooms. If I feed Ravi first I've got to bleach my hands before I can feed the others but it only takes maybe 10 minutes to feed them each day.
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Post by ferretpalooza on Sept 25, 2008 11:23:23 GMT -5
Well, mine are in the beginning stage so I spend a lot of time trying new things, and sometimes sitting with them spoon feeding them. I think people need to understand that if you are switching a ferret over from kibble, and in my case.....7 ferrets from ages 3 1/2 yrs to 8 months, you are going to have a job on your hands. In the end, it will be a lot healthier for them, and maybe I wont be spending thousands on unecessary health problems at the vet and the time it takes going back and forth (my exotic vet is an hour away!!). So I think there is more time and expense to think about past just the food issue, not to mention, I may be able to enjoy my ferrets for longer if they are healthier during their lives due to my being willing to put out the time, effort and $$ to do the best I can for them.
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Post by sherrylynne on Sept 25, 2008 20:59:37 GMT -5
1) How much time, in the average month, do you spend shopping for raw (or whole prey) ferret food?
Since I have to pick up some of the food from a local pet store(quail, etc.), I'd say 30 min.
2) How much time, in the average month, do you spend preparing raw (or whole prey) meals?
Now, approx. 30-45 minutes.
3) How much time, in the average day, do you spend feeding your ferret? This includes prep time, feeding, and cleaning up afterwards.
Since my kids have just graduated, and still give me some problems, about 20 minutes twice a day
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Post by jennifer5799 on Sept 25, 2008 21:30:54 GMT -5
1) How much time, in the average month, do you spend shopping for raw (or whole prey) ferret food?
Right now I'm feeding raw, I just pick up whatever they're going to eat at the grocery store when I pick up my food, so no extra shopping time necessary. When I switch back to whole prey, I'll have to order off the internet, but I can't imagine it would take more than a few minutes!
2) How much time, in the average month, do you spend preparing raw (or whole prey) meals?
hmmm, I'm cutting up cornish games hens and such now, so it probably takes me maybe an hour a month if I add it all up. Feeding whole prey there will be no prep time, just pull it out of the freezer and stick it into the cage.
3) How much time, in the average day, do you spend feeding your ferret? This includes prep time, feeding, and cleaning up afterwards.
I throw in a couple small cgh pieces in the morning, then later in the day if it's gone I'll toss more in. If there's pieces that get left in there for an extended period of time without being eaten (a day-ish) I'll feed it to a dog. I change out the bedding and wipe down the trays with a vinegar/water solution about once a week, maybe a little more if there's any "accidents" anywhere.
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Post by buzzonesbirdie on Oct 6, 2008 6:29:35 GMT -5
1) How much time, in the average month, do you spend shopping for raw (or whole prey) ferret food? Once a month we go on a ferret shopping trip so maybe 2-3 hours since the one store we only go for ferret food. That includes the 20 mins on rodentpro for our orders twice a year.
2) How much time, in the average month, do you spend preparing raw (or whole prey) meals? When we get back from our shopping trip we useally spend about an hour wraping up meals and re-oraganzing the freezer.
3) How much time, in the average day, do you spend feeding your ferret? This includes prep time, feeding, and cleaning up afterwards. Because everything is wrapped in individual meals each meal takes about 5 min--just long enough to cut up the food and put it in the cage. And about 5-10 mins more cleaning the cage once a day of day old bones and whatnot.
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Post by amyandfuzzies6 on Oct 24, 2008 13:52:57 GMT -5
1) How much time, in the average month, do you spend shopping for raw (or whole prey) ferret food?
Maybe 1-2 hours - could be less but I like to buy their food weekly as I don't have a freezer to stock up. If I had a freezer, it would only take me a 1/2 hour to place an online order and have it delivered.
2) How much time, in the average month, do you spend preparing raw (or whole prey) meals?
10 minutes daily and that's only because we feed Frankenprey - it it was whole prey, there wouldn't be any prep time.
3) How much time, in the average day, do you spend feeding your ferret? This includes prep time, feeding, and cleaning up afterwards.
About 15 minutes.
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Post by cloudtickler on Nov 19, 2008 18:32:24 GMT -5
1) How much time, in the average month, do you spend shopping for raw (or whole prey) ferret food? About 10 minutes. (I just grab a second of whatever I grab for me and Z to eat.. example: last week we went to the store and bought a pork roast for us, and one for them. And a whole chicken for us, and a whole chicken for them ) 2) How much time, in the average month, do you spend preparing raw (or whole prey) meals? About 20 minutes per week, but that's because we're doing soup for 2 ferts, and chunkier soup/strips of meat for the other 4. And I'm a slow meat slicer hahaa 3) How much time, in the average day, do you spend feeding your ferret? This includes prep time, feeding, and cleaning up afterwards. 5-10 minutes. Quick and easy! |
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Post by bigsis7 on Nov 19, 2008 18:48:58 GMT -5
1) How much time, in the average month, do you spend shopping for raw (or whole prey) ferret food?
Maybe about 5-10 mintues
2) How much time, in the average month, do you spend preparing raw (or whole prey) meals?
About and hour bagging serving sizes into sandwhich bags.
3) How much time, in the average day, do you spend feeding your ferret? This includes prep time, feeding, and cleaning up afterwards.
Well that really depends...Prep takes about 3 minutes to mostly thaw it, feeding take about 10 minutes, and clean up is about 2 minutes, so total 15 minutes.
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Post by suds on Nov 27, 2008 13:20:14 GMT -5
1) How much time, in the average month, do you spend shopping for raw (or whole prey) ferret food?
2 to 3 hours I get alot of scraps from differnt butchers free or very reduced price and always shopping in many differnt places looking for diffent meats and organs for them and our dog.
2) How much time, in the average month, do you spend preparing raw (or whole prey) meals?
about a hour a week separating the scraps and cutting up the meat and bigger fowl into meal size portions.
3) How much time, in the average day, do you spend feeding your ferret? This includes prep time, feeding, and cleaning up afterwards.
half hour to a hour I hide the liver in the meats chunks or they wont eat it so it takes a little longer to prepare.( on whole prey days 10mins) clean up is a snap remove any left over food and give it to the garbage disposal named Berckley (dog) and I just replace there dens a couple times a week (12 pack soda box)
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horseyliz
Going Natural
Raw and Whole Prey Feeder
Posts: 144
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Post by horseyliz on Aug 24, 2009 9:50:06 GMT -5
I spend 15 to 20 minutes picking out their food for the whole month. I buy all their meat at once.
When i get home i break up their meat in to meal sized potions for the month. last month this took me 3 to 4 hours. I bought a whole chicken and had to break it apart. Them i put all the peices in the frezzer.
Each day it takes me 15 minutes to feed them. I let their food thaw out over night. I dump the food in their dish and throw out the baggie or wash the contaner.
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Post by ccretarolo on Aug 24, 2009 11:47:34 GMT -5
1) Depending on where I go to get meat, I'll spend as little as 5 minutes or as much as 20 minutes a month.
2) Including breaking down large parts, up to 45 minutes a month. It would take less time if I didn't have to break down necks and backs. But it's really no big deal.
3) To be honest, only about 3-4 minutes a day. Sometimes it takes longer if I put the food down a little early. At the very most it takes an hour for them to finish any meal.
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Post by mamapanda20 on Jul 9, 2010 20:20:22 GMT -5
1) How much time, in the average month, do you spend shopping for raw (or whole prey) ferret food?
no extra time just pick up meat for them at the store when I'm shopping for the family
2) How much time, in the average month, do you spend preparing raw (or whole prey) meals?
This is really the only place I spend extra time. when I bring stuff home it probably takes me an hour or maybe 2 at the most to cut and package the food into portions then throw it in the freezer
3) How much time, in the average day, do you spend feeding your ferret? This includes prep time, feeding, and cleaning up afterward
daily feeding takes no more time than feeding kibble did just pour the meat out of the baggie into the dish and remember to get another package out of the freezer to thaw.
as for cleaning up there usually isn't much to do most of the time they eat it all but I take what they leave out ever evening and squirt the box they eat in down with vinegar water and wipe it with a paper towel takes maybe 30 seconds
there was a bigger time commitment involved in the initial switch to raw but now that they are used to it the only extra time spent is in the portioning of the meats
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