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Post by sassygirl on Jan 15, 2009 1:34:49 GMT -5
my two ferrets babies are all accept to eat raw meat, I usually feed them chicken meat or other part (ex:chicken liver ,chicken heart..) they can eat them all. now I try to feed them bones, but they didn't eat at all what can I do??they didn't eat the bones even I ripped the bones into small tiny pieces. any good advices?? thanks a lot!!!
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Post by sherrylynne on Jan 15, 2009 9:26:25 GMT -5
What worked for me was to give them only chicken wings for 2-3 days. I segmented them, and cut the middle part between the bones, as well as cutting lengthwise through both middle bones and the drumette. That way, if they wanted to meat, they had to try some of the bone with it! I gave one wing per ferret 2X a day. By the end of it, they were doing quite well.
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Post by spiritualtramp on Jan 16, 2009 21:12:11 GMT -5
Sherry's trick is a good one. I used wingtips for my 'bones' intros - they worked well because they are small and easily crunched. Working up to chewing large bones takes time; most ferrets' jaws aren't strong enough right away!
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Post by sassygirl on Jan 21, 2009 13:44:04 GMT -5
Thanks a lot, one my hod eat the bones quickly ,maybe perhaps he is young(about 7month old), but the other one jil didn't try much... working on it! thx again
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Post by sassygirl on Jan 21, 2009 14:22:02 GMT -5
I want to know that do we need to give them other supplyment beside the raw meat? such as fish oil etc....?
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Post by sherrylynne on Jan 21, 2009 19:18:41 GMT -5
If they are eating meat, bone, organ, they really don't need any other supplements. Some people give fish body oil sometimes in place of ferretone for a treat, or for their fur, but it's not essential! That's the beauty of imitating a whole prey diet, even if it is with other meats, etc.- it's got everything they need to thrive!
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Post by sassygirl on Feb 8, 2009 18:48:18 GMT -5
I tried very hard to get her to eat bones,I give her only the bones 2-3 days,still doesn't work..she didn't eat at all.
Is that because she doesn't have two fang on the chin?Is that the reason she won't eat the bones?
and my other baby hob lose weight about 200g.is that normal?
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Post by sherrylynne on Feb 8, 2009 21:46:50 GMT -5
From reading your other post, you probably won't be able to get your jill to eat any bones until she's actually eating chunks of meat. The fact that she doesn't have lower fangs shouldn't matter. They jut use those to grab/hold/kill prey. For eating they use their carnasial, or side, teeth. When they chew/crunch, they shift the meat/bone to the sides of their mouths to do it.
As far as your hob goes, mine all lost some weight when they came off the kibbles, because they were no longer getting the carbohydrates that kibble has. As long as he is eating/drinking/playing/pooping normally, he should be good! If he starts to get lethargic, though, he needs to go to a vet for a checkup.
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Post by Heather on Feb 9, 2009 0:14:53 GMT -5
Have you tried some egg shell powder to get your guys calcium. That way you won't be starving your little ones to try and get them to eat bone. Can you get hold of some premade ground meats, the ones with the bone ground right into it? I believe Hare today is a reliable provider. Some of my guys (I presently have a little girl who falls into this catagory) wouldn't eat whole meats or bone when I first started them eating a raw diet. All my guys start with a ground meat and bone mix. That way I know that all my bases are covered and then I can get the little sods to switch whenever. I know that they're eating a balanced diet and it's better than kibbles. I did this with Babushka (my 10 yr old girl). She's now eating whole mice and rats, but to start I had her switch on to ground raw. I quite often suggest this to my starter people too. If you feed ground meat and bone the pressure is off both you and your ferret. Sometimes, you being stressed is just enough to prevent your furbaby from eating the whole diet. Just don't get lazy, and stop there ciao
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Post by sassygirl on Feb 13, 2009 14:56:05 GMT -5
""premade ground meats"" what kind of animal??I don't understand what's that meaning. you mean that rabbit bone ?? Yes,I tried feed them eggshell powder,some time she eats but sometime doesn't.she just hate the bone so much. :DI think she like the kibble better what kind of animal's bones better for them?I always fed my hob baby chicken wings,i will cut into small pieces,make he easy to chew,any other bones suggesting? I feed them chicken breast meat,beef,pork,chicken liver,chicken heart,sometime fish oil,the broth I made,chicken gravy,any other kind of meat should I give them?? my jill is 1.2lb(SHE IS VERY SMALL ONE) hob is 3.7lb someone told me that I can feed my babies this:http://www.inpetsupplements.com/default.aspx IN Diet supplement for cat,Is that OK??the only reason I bought this yesterday just because it's content taurine in it. more Question do I need give them petromalt keeping from hairball? what kind of food have vitamin?? (1 week food) meat 4 days meat+bones 2 days organ 1 day Is that ok??or should I change the food schedule?
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Post by Heather on Feb 14, 2009 0:20:19 GMT -5
Sorry, premade foods=manufactured raw foods. These are mixes of raw food that contain all the essential nutrients and components. Some are very easy to feed (they come in patties) others require you to thaw and then separate into easier serving sizes. I buy a premix for rabbit. It contains ground meat, ground bone, organs. I don't have to add anything except maybe the veggies. I also my a fish mix. The whole fish is ground up (bones, skin, organs and some trace veggies). You have to be very careful about the content and make sure that all the components are good for your furchildren. You have a very good mix of meats The only thing I think I can add is what ever meats you have or can get access are good for you furbaby. Your little one must be like my little girl (Calypso is actually under a pound) but I'm hoping that she will start to put on weight now that she's eating a diet heavier in fats. I keep a hairball remedy on hand for emergencies. I've found that when feeding whole prey the hair from the prey helps clean them out. I also feed squash and slippery elm (I have some ferrets with sensitive tummies, one with IBD and another lymphomas and being treated with prednisone). If you feed a good variety of meats and organs you shouldn't have to supplement or give them extra vitamins. I would add another bone day, personally. My guys get bone and organ meat daily but that's just how I've set up my schedule. If I was to break it down, it would probably be that my guys get bone 3 out of 4 days. I find that if I feed less bone than I get really sloppy poopies. Just my experience and my batch of fuzzies. Others may have varying results as to how much bone and meat that they feed. I have a tendency to feed a little higher bone ratio. You will find that there are as many ways to feed raw as there are fuzzies. Part is knowing what is needed to make a healthy meal, the next part is knowing (and one usually has to experiment here) what your fuzzy needs. I hope that I was able to answer some of your questions ciao
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