lots of newbie questions, kinda long (sorry)

[duncandino]

Hello, I’m new here, been reading all sorts of threads for a number of days now. I think I have about a zillion questions already!! I’m not new to ferrets, just new to natural feeding. I am still debating at the moment but may be getting a ferret from a breeder this summer. They feed natural already, so the ferret will already be all set. I am the newbie to the natural diets here so I want to learn all I can before I make my definite decision (but I already know if I get one, it will be fed a natural diet, that is for certain, just not sure if timing will be right for me). Now if I do decide to go forward, I will need some help stocking up before then. I will need some help figuring out what to order at first before the baby even comes home! Once I know for sure, then maybe I would request a mentor, but right now it is still up in the air for me due to my current ferret's situation.

Let’s assume hypothetically that this is for one male ferret, approx 3 lbs.

Step 1 – get a freezer chest!!

Prey – I do plan to feed prey and have been looking at some of the sites you folks have mentioned here, rodentpro etc. I’ll need to find someone locally to go in on orders with me, but I plan on this being a staple in his diet (if it’s even remotely cost efficient??)
What size prey, what frequency? I know you should mix different kinds of prey for different proteins, but pinkies are not good meals, just snacks…. What sizes are good meals for this hypothetical 3 lb male ferret? I believe I read here that you need to have age variations too, different age mice etc. Is one meal 2 mice? And feed twice a day? Please elaborate here, and please give me an example using prey quantities, since I'm still learning things like 1 mouse = ?? oz?

Raw – So there’s true raw (is this wet raw?), like you’d get at the grocery store or butcher, and then there’s commercial raw, which is frozen, correct? Is commercial raw already mixed, where they put it all together, mix it up, and it comes as a big block or cubes/patties? And then you split it up into servings? But each serving is a ready made balanced meal, where you don’t have to worry about organs, bones etc, its all in there?? But is it more expensive I’m guessing?
Now for true raw meat, I know something like a chicken wing you would give whole, but do you ever make it into a soupy type meal, or just give the hunks of meat? I am concerned here that I won’t do well at feeding a balanced diet, with the right types of muscle, bone, etc. I’m kinda clueless here, plus raw meat kinda grosses me out (I eat it just don’t like to touch it raw lol).

And then there’s freeze dried which is just chunks of raw meat that were freeze dried – how do these fit in with the balance – are they mixes including bones or anything, or is it just muscle meat or what? I’ve seen where you can get patties or medallions, so I am guessing they are mixed and balanced meals already?
I’d like to have my ferret adapted to this for times when I need to go away and have someone babysit. In addition I live in the southeast, and it’s hurricane season. My area (knock on wood) is generally not severely affected, we just get lots of rain but at times do lose power, sometimes for a couple of days– this is a concern for me, I do not want to lose a month’s worth of food if we lose power for a few days!! I would like to have freeze dried as a backup in this situation, but not sure what the best approach would be here this time of year. Suggestions? Is there some kind of good quality natural canned food that could supplement this?

I was originally thinking maybe having kibble in the mix as a back up, but it sounds like that is not the best idea as it can mess up their digestion. Freeze dried could completely take the place of what I would use kibble for, right? (babysitters, hurricanes, etc.)

What else am I forgetting?

Sorry this is kinda long… I have so many ideas swimming around in my head after I have been reading so much different information and I’m trying to sort it all out. I can see how kind and helpful everyone is here from what I’ve read over the past few days, so thank you in advance!

whoops I put this in the wrong section too, sorry! silly noob!

[sherrylynne]

Prey –Someone else will have to get this one, as I only feed prey weekly as a compliment to the organ meal!

Raw – normal meat that you would eat, just some of it includes the bone. Chicken, duck, cornish hen, rabbit, etc. Muscle meats can include pork, beef, goat, lamb, etc.

Commercial comes in a premixed ground, and includes all meat/bone/organ.

I make a raw soup mix with muscle meat, blood, egg, organ meats, and warm water if needed.
The balance isn't difficult. It's bone in 4 days a week, muscle meats 2 days a week, organ 1 meal a week. The other meal that day can be anything you like.

And then there’s freeze dried- You can use ones like Stella and Chewy's Feline, which is mainly meat, bone, and organ. The veg. content is minimal(not sure why they even put it in there!). Same goes for Wysong's Archetypal 1 Ferret. AFS is another good one. Check out Casey's Hidden Pantry. www.caseyshiddenpantry.com/ It's run by jojodancer, a member on here. I use it for mine if they have to spend the day at the vet's, or if I've forgotten to take something from the freezer

Is there some kind of good quality natural canned food that could supplement this? Unfortunately, all canned, by it's nature, has to be cooked. If you were going to go this route, I guess Evo 95% would be the best.

I was originally thinking maybe having kibble in the mix as a back up, but it sounds like that is not the best idea as it can mess up their digestion. Freeze dried could completely take the place of what I would use kibble for, right? (babysitters, hurricanes, etc.)

Yes it would. On both counts!

What else am I forgetting? When you think about it, ask away! That's what we're here for

[Heather]

Let’s assume hypothetically that this is for one male ferret, approx 3 lbs.

Step 1 – get a freezer chest!!
**Excellent idea **

Prey –
What size prey, what frequency?
**I feed a mixture (most cost effective when feeding 15 fuzzbutts) of commercial, ground, frankenprey and prey. My guys have food available throughout the day, with their prey and frankenprey food given at night when they're put to bed. This minimizes (doesn't stop by any means) but minimizes stashing.**

What sizes are good meals for this hypothetical 3 lb male ferret? I believe I read here that you need to have age variations too, different age mice etc. Is one meal 2 mice? And feed twice a day? Please elaborate here, and please give me an example using prey quantities, since I'm still learning things like 1 mouse = ?? oz?
**I raise my own mice and buy ratcicles from a friend (who raises rats for her snakes...this was the most economical way for me do feed prey). Amounts fed will depend on the size, age and season. You're using a hypothetical 3 lbs ferret. So I will use Napoleon (3.5 lbs age 4), Squiggly (3 lbs age 2 yrs) and Loki (3.5 lbs age 8 yrs)....Napoleon will eat 2 mice in a sitting, Squiggly will eat 3 and Loki will eat 3 mice and chances are the heads off Thor or Odin's mice too (delicacy ) if they let him. I don't feed pinkies or fuzzies, rarely hoppers. Most of mine are juvenile to adult size (at least that is the size that I'm using in my examples.) The ultimate idea is to feed varying ages of prey to cover all the mineral necessities. This also covers why we suggest a minimum of 3 types of protein sources. Feeding prey can be quite costly which is why so many of us feed prey plus frankenprey or commercial**

Raw – So there’s true raw (is this wet raw?), like you’d get at the grocery store or butcher, and then there’s commercial raw, which is frozen, correct?
**Yes**
Is commercial raw already mixed, where they put it all together, mix it up, and it comes as a big block or cubes/patties?
**Yes and no. You have to read the ingredient lists very carefully. Commercial raw varies greatly in what goes into it. It can be anything from just the meat, to meat/bone/offal, to meat/bone/offal/veggies, to meat/bone/offal/plus skin, fur. You will pay a very wide range in prices depending on how it's prepared and if it's organic or not.**

And then you split it up into servings? But each serving is a ready made balanced meal, where you don’t have to worry about organs, bones etc, its all in there?? But is it more expensive I’m guessing?
**Yes, but at times well worth the price in time savings. If you're only feeding 1 ferret this can be very affordable. It also allows one to buy meats that may not be available locally**

Now for true raw meat, I know something like a chicken wing you would give whole, but do you ever make it into a soupy type meal, or just give the hunks of meat?
**Yes**

I am concerned here that I won’t do well at feeding a balanced diet, with the right types of muscle, bone, etc. I’m kinda clueless here, plus raw meat kinda grosses me out (I eat it just don’t like to touch it raw lol).
**That's one of the reasons why many resort to getting the assistance of a mentor when they first start We have several vegans and vegetarians who would be more than happy to help you with ideas on handling meat I even have a couple available within the ranks of the mentors....if you decide to go with a mentor, mention in your application that you might like to have vegan mentor (if we have one available then we will try and set you up with one )**

And then there’s freeze dried which is just chunks of raw meat that were freeze dried – how do these fit in with the balance – are they mixes including bones or anything, or is it just muscle meat or what? I’ve seen where you can get patties or medallions, so I am guessing they are mixed and balanced meals already?
**This I will have to let someone else answer as the freeze dried meats that my guys get don't include bone and I use only as treats. **

I’d like to have my ferret adapted to this for times when I need to go away and have someone babysit.
**You can prepare pkgs for your fertsitters so that all they have to do is place the food in the bowl. It's really simple )**

In addition I live in the southeast, and it’s hurricane season. My area (knock on wood) is generally not severely affected, we just get lots of rain but at times do lose power, sometimes for a couple of days– this is a concern for me, I do not want to lose a month’s worth of food if we lose power for a few days!! I would like to have freeze dried as a backup in this situation, but not sure what the best approach would be here this time of year.
**Perhaps someone else can jump in on this one. I've never been in the position where I have to worry about this problem. Even when we lost power for a week the food remained frozen in the freezer (Ice storm) I guess it would depend on availability of meats in your area. I had one student that I mentored that found herself having to do an emergency evacuation. She just bought chicken legs and wings for her guys while they were refugees.**

I was originally thinking maybe having kibble in the mix as a back up, but it sounds like that is not the best idea as it can mess up their digestion. Freeze dried could completely take the place of what I would use kibble for, right? (babysitters, hurricanes, etc.)
**Some people continue to feed kibbles so that their ferrets will have something to eat in case of emergency. My guys won't touch it. That is one of the reasons why I also feed frankenprey, so that they will eat any meats that I can buy at the local grocery store or where ever I am.**

What else am I forgetting?

**You can just keep asking as you think of questions. We're more than happy to try an help you out.**
ciao

[duncandino]

Heather, what exactly do you feed for frankenprey? Another new term for me!

For ground, do you buy ground, or do you buy whole meat and grind it yourself?

[Heather]

Frankenprey, is raw whole meats fed together to create a whole animal Hence, Frankenprey This can be anything that you get at the supermarket or butcher that is whole meats. Chicken parts, turkey wings or necks, pork riblets, cornish hens, beef liver, kidneys, heart....all that kind of good meaty stuff that fuzzbutts love
For ground, I usually buy a premix if I want to feed exotic meats...bison, elk, venison, rabbit (though I usually prefer to feed the whole animal if I can get it) I get my lamb this way too. I feed a ground chicken rmb mix that I make up myself that has chicken, the bones, offal (liver and heart), whole raw eggs, and some squash or pumpkin. I can and do on occasion grind my own meat, but I have a hand grinder. It does a wonderful job and it worked very well when I had 3 to 6 ferrets on board, but with 15 of the little sods....it takes too much time and I can buy ground by the 50 lbs case for cheaper than the cost of my time to hand grind it all.
ciao