Want to give them turkey organs

[squishy506]

I want to give my kids the turkey organs and neck we saved, but they have never really eaten raw, and I don't know how to go about doing it without wasting.

I have fed them chicken as a treat, and a couple of them nibble on it. None of them ever eat enough for a meal, so I don't know how to give them the turkey bits as a meal. My boyfriend will be mad at me if I take their food bowls away to get them hungry. Is there any other way to do it? Right now when they eat chicken & the little bit of turkey heart I tried today, they lick the ferretone off, some stash, and a couple will take about three bites.

[Forum Administrator]

Chop the turkey into VERY fine bits (almost mush). Mix into their duck soup (if they eat it), mix with some babyfood and/or heavy whipping cream. You can "bread" tiny pieces of turkey in kibble dust, using ferretone as the "binder" that keeps the dust on the meat. You can try hand feeding the bits of turkey meat.

They probably wont touch a turkey neck. Its a pretty "advanced" raw meaty bone. Ferrets have to "work up" to a RMB of that complexity. but the gizzards and heart are worth a shot.

[squishy506]

The turkey neck is rather huge, but we have some meat on it I think we can slice off. I guess my problem is the pieces I give them are too big, so I will try some tiny pieces tonight.

And they do eat soup, but in the past when I've added chicken raw to it, they eat around it with the exception of a couple.

[spiritualtramp]

Hey Natalie

Try throwing the organs into a blender to puree it and mix that into soup. That helped me a lot when switching my kids!

Coating the meat in kibble dust like Giuli said also can help. I've used egg yolk as a binder instead of 'tone before, and that was well-received.

[sherrylynne]

For me, absolute puree was the only thing that worked! Boris got so used to being on my lap while I smeared it on his nose at the beginning, that he now refuses to eat his raw soupies unless he IS on my lap, with a bowl, and eating it out of a spoon

[squishy506]

Well, our blender is used to torture. I gave Agador some turkey heart and a little liver today. I actually did take away their food this afternoon without Dave knowing, so I am about to wake them up and see if they want more raw.

When we hook up our big freezer in the garage, Dave is going to buy a lot of chicken. Does that smoosh well in a blender? I'm used to the cooked stuff for their soupies.

[suds]

raw blends better then cooked meat in most cases and takes less water to thin out.
since you have a good size busness and will be making lots of soupie for them maybe a good ideal to get a cheap foodproccer while they are on sale for the holidays
goodluck!

[squishy506]

They ate most of the raw mush last night. There were a few large pieces that didn't get chopped up, and the ferrets avoided those, thinking, "Ha, you can't fool us, Mommy."

I should clarify. I put about a spoonful in their regular soup, and that is what they ate most of. Even after fasting them, they weren't too interested in the little cut-up pieces I had on a plate. I think I have enough mush to last a week with their soup. OOh, and I am getting a new kit this week, so hopefully she will be easy to switch.

[suds]

congrats !! I know eating only a little dont seem like much but in fact it is a big deal great job ! keep feeding them the mush soon they will begin to enjoy the taste and want more and more

And congrats on your new Kit . I would not even give him the option of eating kibble start him on raw food the day you get him/her . The other mite even switch over faster after seeing the kit eating raw !

[sherrylynne]

Congrats on the new kit! He/she should be an easy switch, even with chunks!

[squishy506]

Nov 30, 2008 13:16:39 GMT -5 @suds said:

And congrats on your new Kit . I would not even give him the option of eating kibble start him on raw food the day you get him/her . The other mite even switch over faster after seeing the kit eating raw !

Well, kibble is going to be part of their diet anyway. I need them to eat in case some emergency happens and no one can feed them for a day or two. I just want to add raw because it's so healthy.

I'll post a thread with pics when we get our new kit. She is a girl about 9 months old and she is white with some sable coloring. She's to die for! She was rescued on the CA border and is living nearby at the rescuer's home.

[hopi]

My babies were always fed raw food from the start...although i had one lil girl that had a prob with it...solution?....kibble dust and mash it up as fine as u can....

...my ferts are such greedy monkies that as long as they are kept together they will always eat whatever i give em...

..single ferts then that is usually a diff story

[spiritualtramp]

Aw congrats on the kit, Natalie I'm glad everyone drank up that raw soupies, too.