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Post by aikidokim2 on Mar 17, 2009 15:37:20 GMT -5
Thanks for the advice, I'll have to go buy some other meat, that's NOT ground! In regards to the beef and pork, is any particular "cut" of meat better to use?
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Post by sherrylynne on Mar 17, 2009 19:35:38 GMT -5
I like to mix and match . I basically buy whatever is on sale. Most grocery stores will have a clearance section in with the meats, or you'll just see some meat marked down by quite a bit, because it's due date is very close. Those are the ones I buy! I bring whatever home, chop, weigh, bag, and freeze. They get whatever comes to hand for meats. So no- no cut is better than the other. In fact, the more you can mix up the cuts, the better. One section will be higher in, say, taurine, one higher in a different mineral/vitamin, etc. So I try to get maybe flank steak, heart, outside round(all for beef), or what is cheapest I do the same with all the meats I get. I also get all the freezer burned meats when my friends and my clients go through their freezers . Hey- it saves money!
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Post by aikidokim2 on Mar 17, 2009 22:17:21 GMT -5
Thanks, I am off tomorrow and have a lot of errands to do anyways, I'll have to run in the grocery store and see what I can find!! Also, what would be the best way to feed beef heart and liver or any other beef organs? My mother told me she has some beef organs in her freezer that she offered me for my dogs, but if its safe to give to the furry ones, I'll spread it out for everyone to get some!!
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Post by sherrylynne on Mar 18, 2009 11:49:43 GMT -5
The heart is considered a muscle meat, so just feed that as you would any other meats. Liver, kidney, spleen, thymus, pancreas, lung(I believe), etc., are fed in smaller amounts. They should get no more than a chicken liver sized piece (approx. 2 oz) of liver and the same of any other organ weekly. That can be fed in one shot, or split up over the week however you like. Since mine won't eat the liver/kidney plain, I mix up a soup once a week and give it to them. Since they are so spoiled, they usually get fed from a spoon on my lap
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Post by aikidokim2 on Mar 18, 2009 12:04:21 GMT -5
Ok thanks. It's weird, now they won't eat the chicken wingettes!! They, well especially Star, was going CRAZY for the chicken, no matter what form, now they aren't touching the wingettes!! The wingettes were moved to the bottom of the cage as usual, but then they never ate them! The kibble has been eaten, so I know they are eating. Today I gave them a little soupie, which Star was eating.
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Post by sherrylynne on Mar 19, 2009 8:51:10 GMT -5
Try taking the kibble out tonight, and just leave the wingettes in. That's actually what I had to do with the fosters. They were both turning back to the kibble, so at night, I remove it and leave in the raw. In the morning, I give them fresh raw, give them about 30 minutes to eat, bring them out for playtime, and when they go back in, I put in the kibble for the day. Not that they eat much of it anymore!
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Post by aikidokim2 on Mar 19, 2009 19:36:41 GMT -5
Thanks, I'll give it a try and let you know how it works out!!
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Post by aikidokim2 on Mar 24, 2009 13:23:58 GMT -5
I have been taking the kibble out at night and leaving the wingette in for them, but they still aren't touching the wingette! I even did the same with the chicken chunks, and it took them a while to eat it all! I did not change the amount of chicken chunks, which before they would devour it! Do they sometimes lose interest in it? I haven't tried any other meats only because when they were eating the chicken consistently, they weren't as interested in the other meats; they would eat them, but not as well as the chicken!
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Post by sherrylynne on Mar 24, 2009 21:49:04 GMT -5
I think it may be time to try some variety. They could simply be tired of having the same thing all the time. Let's face it- ferrets get bored VERY quickly I have three who've recently decided they no longer want turkey, or turkey necks , even though they loved them last week! Gave them duck instead, and they dove right in! I think I'd try some pork, duck or lamb. They seem to be really popular with most fuzzies.
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Post by aikidokim2 on Mar 27, 2009 20:32:57 GMT -5
Ok, thanks, I will pick up something else and try it. I did cut up a chicken thigh for them and they ate it all up the other day, but now they only ate a little, about half, and then didn't touch the rest! I will try the other meats and see what happens and let you know! Crazy little ferts!!
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Post by sherrylynne on Apr 3, 2009 22:44:10 GMT -5
Any updates?
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Post by aikidokim2 on Apr 6, 2009 16:15:41 GMT -5
I tried the pork, which they did eventually eat, hesitantly! I did try taking out the kibble and leaving the raw, which, if they don't want/like the raw, they will just wait til the kibble comes back!! I did try a whole prey mouse, which they didn't try to eat, just hid it in the cage with the rest of their "stashed" food! Sorry about the delay, I was checking the forum, but there wasn't any new postings and I was hoping they would go back to eating the raw as well as they did in the beginning! They seem to be "hooked" on the mixture of higher quality kibble I've been also giving them!
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Post by sherrylynne on Apr 6, 2009 19:00:23 GMT -5
Generally, they don't recognize a mouse as food at first. With mine, I had to start with chopped up pinkies, mixed in with their other meat, and a bit of blood poured on . And definitely- if you give them kibbles, even higher quality, they will prefer it. At least until they've been on raw for several months. Even now, if mine are offered kibble, they'll eat it , the brats! Are you still taking the kibble out at bedtime? By the morning, they should be a bit hungrier, and more likely to accept the meat. Also, if the meat pieces are larger than they are comfortable with, they'll simply stash instead of eating. With new meats, even if they are tired of chicken, it will take a bit for them to accept it as food. Boris(my stubborn one!) still won't willingly accept new meat that he hasn't had before. If they are still being stubborn about it(ie. refusing it) after the kibble has been removed for the night, you could try making a "gravy" of the ground and some water pureed, and mixing it in with the chunks. Right now, it's simply a matter of trying a few different methods to see which one works the best, but we'll get them there yet
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Post by aikidokim2 on Apr 7, 2009 17:34:28 GMT -5
Yes, I have been either taking the kibble dish out of the cage or if it is empty, I leave it empty and give them the raw; but at times they will just NOT EAT until I put the kibble in! And I don't give them kibble until the next feeding, which could be half of the day! I will check their dishes in the a.m. and give them either raw or kibble and then check their dishes at night and if they are empty then I give them the opposite of what I fed them in the a.m. I will try cutting up the pork smaller, the first time I cut it up into fairly small chunks and they eventually ate it, but the last time, I gave it to them in larger chunks and they seem to be stashing most of it! As far as cutting up the whole prey, I don't think I can handle that!! YUCK!! (LOL) I do have to make them some more of their soupie, which I usually make up a batch and freeze and then thaw it as I need it. Thanks for your help so far!!
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Post by sherrylynne on Apr 7, 2009 20:30:57 GMT -5
Not a problem! If I'm understanding what you're saying- if they eat all their raw in the morning, you give them kibble at night, and vice-versa? If this is right, I'd like you to try giving them raw in the evening/morning, even if they've had it for their previous meal. Let me know, number one- if I've read you right , and number two- how it goes if I did!
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