Animalfarm2006's Switching Thread

[Heather]

Hi there....you're mentor has had to sign off for awhile her ferret is very sick and requires a lot of care. So for now I'm going to try and help you get your furbabies on to a more natural diet.
I've just been reading through your posts (this page mostly). Congratulations, on getting your little ones to eat prey food...fantastic Now, you will have to work at getting them to eat bigger mice
Now, we're going to have to discuss your soupy mix though...No ham ..... there are all sorts of nitrates and other nasty things for ferrets in cured meats. Maybe as a treat once in awhile but ham, bacon and other cured meats are definitely an no no I would like to see you add either raw chicken, or pork or something like that instead of the ham. If you want to make some stock for them cook up a little bit of chicken or beef. I'm guessing the rest of your soupy is raw??
Anyway, I will be checking in with you tomorrow to see how things are going. I would like to discuss with you what you've been feeding....like a weeks menu perhaps....if you would put together what you fed this week or what you plan to feed then we can sit down and discuss where we need to work with your little furbabies.
Talk at you later
ciao

[AnimalFarm2006]

Howdy,

At the moment my soup mix is boiled ham, chicken, steak bones for broth, and than the chicken meet ground up all nice and thick. I also put their favorite chicken broth baby food inside of it for them. Spoiled huh? It's not realy "fancy" because I don't have job money = moms money, so .. realy anything fancy will have to wait.

I did how ever get a job started, thursday, but my parents want me to get a shock collar for my loud mouth dog. Can anyone help me with that one? He likes to run after people, bark, and than run up the road. One thing I am going to do is get a long leash thing to let him out on. 5.00 at the dollor store. Still doesn't help with the barking issue though.

My kids are eating pretty big mice? They are on the stage between hoppers and the eyes open. I just put a mouse in the cage, and they usualy fight/share/eat it etc. I only realy do hands on time when i see monster not getting any, or if they don't eat all the mouse.

[Heather]

Hmmmm. You're mentor has had to pull out as her little one passed on and she really doesn't feel up to mentoring right now. For now anyway, we're going to be working together. Your soupy mix....I'm guessing that everything in it is cooked? Please for the health of your furbaby don't add ham to your cooked mix. This is very bad for your little ones. The rest of the stuff is ok, but the ham is good for you but very bad for your furbabies . Have you tried to add some raw meat (very small amounts) to your soupy so that they can start working on eating raw meats?
So your little ones are eating baby mice, that's awesome.....have they tried anything bigger? When feeding prey we have to mix ages so that we can get all the minerals and vitamins that are in the preys. The really young mice don't have enough calcium in their bones yet to really pass it on to your furbabies.
That's great that you've started a new job, congratulation I'm sorry, I really don't know what to do about a dog that barks alot. I trained mine from puppy that they weren't to bark, once the habit is set it's much more difficult to break. A shock collar might work, but I'm not fond of them myself, that being said, it's better than debarking surgery. I've never used them, but I do understand the concept and how it all works. It seems to me that you have 2 problems with the dog. One is the barking but the other is chasing people. You will probably have to break down the training and use certain methods to teach him not to chase and another training method not to bark. Can he be confined to an enclosed area?
I will check in with you tomorrow. Please get back to me regarding the soupy and where your guys are at in regards to eating raw meat. Talk at you later
ciao

[AnimalFarm2006]

Hey heather,

I think I need to change my tittles name because ever since i got my ferrets back in 9/21/09, I've ended up adopting more ferrets, or just them finding me.

Jack and lelloo have officially been the masters of small mice. They eat from pinkies to the haft sized adults. They can kill an adult, but have no idea how to really eat them. They love it. It sounds a bit morbid, but sometimes I'll hold onto the mouse, and lelloo, jack, sometimes monster will tug until a chunk comes off. That really makes them into a feeding frenzy.

Monster is still working on mice. I didn't start him slow like lelloo and jack. I basically just threw him in with the others and lelloo and jack taught him some things. Soon he was eating little baby's, than bigger baby's, etc etc.

Ripley, my newest little girl, is interested, bits the mouse for a second, tried a few pieces, but hasn't gotten the hang of it just yet.

My soup is almost done. Next time I'll use the frozen chicken I have still in the freezer. My only issue is that my blender got killed and so I have really no way to make a mush soup unless i cook the meat and than mash it to death.

Any ideas?

Simba has been doing better, but only barely. I'm thinking that he has some kind of fighting bred dog temperament or something of the lines of a head strong dog mixed into him. He listens to me, and submits when you tell him to go somewhere else, or tell him to get in his bed. He is put into a hallway when we leave because he likes to get into things, and chew things that are mine, or...the sofa. I really don't want a shock collar, but we've tried things from the dog whisper, INTERNET resources, etc, and they really didn't work. It's a pain.


Okay so the newest little fun fact that happened here is that I had two ferret escapes in one day. The first was when i let them out into both room to explore, and my door came open. I was chassing ferrets all day. Lelloo thought It was a game, and jack jack was just trying to get in bed with my dad.
The second was that i was in the shower, and mom yells at me that a ferret got loose. I idenified the little fuzzbut as lelloo and put her back over the board. We watched her get onto of the feed bin and jump over two feet untill she just barely touched the rim and pulled herself over. Me and mom both where cracking up.

[AnimalFarm2006]

oh and do you have any idea where a realy cheap and small freezer might be? I was going to look into getting one for froozen mice, but i don't need a realy big one.

[Heather]

Try Craigslist or something like that. I got a huge used one for next to nothing (I feed 17 ferrets, two cats and an Irish wolfhound puppy all raw diets). I can't really help you as to cost because I live up in Canada and prices and costs are so much different. Look for a small apartment freezer, or something like that.
ciao

[AnimalFarm2006]

just wanted to let you know that I ordered a Fn 142. Hopeing it will be here tomorow :stalks the ferret.com ups tracker: I also got a bedding set for my cage. ^.^ Though that will come latter.

Since your on here more often, Can you pm me the warning of the cage and what i should do since i won't get my set just yet?

Thanks, or just email them to me at [e-mail].

Riply ate part of a mouse! ^.^ Monster gobbled one down, jack ate one, and lelloo like chewed this two week old mouse to peices. Females are so....evil.

[Heather]

I'm not sure what the warning was, but it was discussed in the general discussion area if you want to go prowling through there. It was something to do with the flooring, I don't remember the particulars...I'm a little tight for time right now.
Congratulations on the mousy feast....hmmm, mouse jerky
Looks like your guys are doing very well. How about putting together a weeks menu and lets see what's what. Maybe, you and your little ones are ready to graduate?? When you post your menu...state the approx age of the prey you feed...mature, pinky...you know what I mean
I will check in with you later. I've got a little one with a broken leg that I have to tend.
ciao

[AnimalFarm2006]

The menu might not come around for a while because the last batch of mice where realy weak so I fed them off and now I am just waiting, and letting them rest a little between litters.

My guys love the ferret nation, and while I took pictures, Me and mum aren't in speaking terms. She got mad at me because I didn't work for someone that called on one of my days off.

[AnimalFarm2006]

Okay so I have a question.

For the longest time, I've used baby formula in different things for the animals here. When my dogs were born and needed extra bottle feeds, We made bottle with baby formula, and doggie to make the doggie formula last longer. All six puppys survived, and as of yet, The two we kept havn't had any birth issues even if they where backyard breeders. ( We did it, but afterward we regretted it and now we rescue )

I even mixed green bean, and other veggie baby foods, pellets, and a scoop of baby formula on my guinea pigs when they would get ill or when jiggy split open his lip and had issues with hard pellet foods.

Now my question is, Is it okay on ferrets? I mixed the ferrets a milky treat which is just four scoops of formula, water, and than three jars of meat baby food. Its good for a couple feedings. They love it, and It's whats plumped up lelloo and jack jack when i first got them. Now both of them have realy thick furr, lelloos always skinny, and jack jack has a nice plump belly. I am hoping it helps riply get some ounces and monsters coat to get softer.

[Heather]

Is this human formula supplement? I know of people adding creme as a special treat to fatten up ferrets but I would have to wonder if you're having to do that what's being left out of your regular meals that they're getting skinny. I'm thinking that maybe you need to up the fat content of your diet. Ferrets require a lot of fat in their diet (it's turned into quickly burned calories, unlike us who just turn into flub ) As long as your not using it to substitute for a meal but supplementing I can't see that it would hurt. Just be careful as ferrets cannot process soya products and it can harm their kidneys in the long run. I would be tempted to see about kitten supplement rather than human. Just a thought
ciao

[AnimalFarm2006]

In the long run...Jack has the runs. So..no more soupie with human formula for him atleast.

My guys have fattened up a lot. You know how a ferret is supose to have a stream line form at a ferret show? My guys have like...between a small bump, to a fatty belly like my boys.

I am going to do a seven day deal with the ferrets. I have to wait for the ages of the mice get older, but so far I got like fatty pinkie size down. Next is fur babys right?

Day 1- Everyone ate fatty pinkie but rippy who is still being anti-mousie.

Day 2- When they get to the size...

Will this be okay if i just log the size they eat?

ps- My new male mouse produced darkie babys with my albinos! :hops: plus he's so cute.

[Heather]

Let's have you write out a menu for me...a one week menu of what your guys are eating. Doing this will allow me to take a broad look at your diet and that way we can discuss making adjustments or changes if needed. Let's have a look at what you're guys are eating.
Looking forward to seeing your menu
ciao

[AnimalFarm2006]

Week Long Menu!

Day one- Mice had babbys. I had tiny just getting furr babys, fully furred and running but blind babys, and pinkies.

So I let lelloo have a smaller furr baby. Monster and Jack got the bigger more fiestier babys. One each.

Jack Jack killed the mouse haft way. It was strugling to breath so I held onto it and he finished it off.

Lelloo killed hers, but they all still like me to hold it while they tear off chunks.

Monster realy isn't good at the killing, but he killed his mouse after a little strugle, and than layed down and started chewing it's face off.


Day Two- Today was basicaly the same prey wise. They are getting bigger each day and such. The bigger kids are almost to the point of having the eyes open. I did open a jar of chicken broth type baby food and gave them it.

I am kind of stuck on the new soups. I have always cooked the chicken, beef, etc into a broth to make a thick paste like soup. How would you make a raw soup? I have tried raw before without very good results but than that was a whileee ago, so maybe they might take to raw better.

Day Three- Too come. I just wanted to up date you on the size and prey status. Would you like picture or something to help?

[Heather]

No, I raise my own mice so I know where you're at with that. What else are you feeding? Do they get adult mice at all?
Here's the raw soupy that a lot of people use, I've used something similar to switch over 30 ferrets of my own and helped switch a good number of them here. It says use chicken but you can exchange it for any protein source that you choose:
**You can try to get them to eat a raw soup immediately. You will need a blender/food processor, and the following raw items:

8 oz raw chicken thigh meat (including skin and fat)
1 tsp of crushed eggshell powder (take a raw eggshell. Rinse it out. Let it dry. Crush to powder)
1 raw chicken heart
1/2 raw chicken liver
Water (use more to make it soupier, less to make it thicker)

Blend ingredients together. Some prefer it at room temp. Try putting a dollop of "soup" onto your ferret's nose and they probably will lick it off. I use my finger. Sometimes this takes a little bit trying to convince them that you're not trying to poison them I find within a very short time they're licking this off my finger. When I see that they're willing to eat freely off my finger then I use a small spoon to try and get them to eat from that. Try to get them eating the soupy on their own. It might pique their interest. If they absolutely refuse to try the soupy, suck some of it up into the syringe. Use the guide below to get them eating the soup from the syringe:

forum.ferret.com/tm.asp?m=27179

I'm not a big fan of syringe feeding and don't use it, but I feel that you should be aware of all your options. My biggest fear when feeding through a syringe is aspiration.

Most ferrets will willingly eat the food once they actually TASTE it, so the only struggle you *should* encounter is them not wanting to taste it. Don't be surprised if your furbabies' initial reaction is to gag, spit and look at you like, what are you trying to poison me with But don't let them get away with it The hardest part is to insist and be consistent. Please also be aware that after years of kibbles they aren't aware that what you're offering them is indeed food. Once they willingly eat from the syringe, or your finger and spoon, work to try and get them eating this out of a dish or plate.

Each time you make your soupy, use a little less water to make it thicker/chunkier. Replace soup with fresh soup every 4-6 hours. You can make a large batch if you like and freeze into ice cubes or cupcake trays. Then you just thaw a portion and serve. OR you can put a frozen "cube" into their bowl and let it slowly thaw.**
Good luck, I will be talking at you later.
ciao