how do i switch from raw to whole prey ?

[optimo]

I just got Swisher and wo on a raw diet but all I have got Swisher to eat is the chicken wings and Wo is eating wings and gizzards and some mealworms but this is not enough viriaty and i dont want them to be malnusished sooo i want to feed them whoe prey also and i baught a frozen pinky once but they didnt want it .. i guess my question is what are the best methods of switching..

[theslave]

The best I have found is:

Get a mouse, put a small cut in the abdomen, get out some blood and lightly cover the mouse in it (or rats can be used, but they sometimes are too big) then hold it by the tail and start playing tug of war.
Or cover the prey in cod liver oil or something alike.
I found for picky ferrets also that small birds are good to start with whole prey (budgie size-ish, so maybe a starling or something)

[Forum Administrator]

Here are my tips for starting your ferret on whole prey from raw:

1. Get your ferret used to a wide variety of raw foods FIRST, before offering whole prey. This will "broaden their horizons" and get your ferret to be less critical of this new food.

2. You can try putting a small, live mouse in with your ferrets. Your ferret's predatory instinct may/may not kick in. Sometimes seeing the mouse alive and moving around FIRST before eating it, can get your ferret to understand "oh...this is food.". Be prepared though, if your ferrets severly injure the mouse, but dont kill it you need to be ready to quickly and humanely dispatch the mouse. The mouse humane way (i have found) is to quickly snap its neck with your thumb and index finger.

3. If trying live appauls you, you can take a frozen mouse and (like mentioned above) cut its belly open and let your ferrets see the guts inside. Before playing tug of war though, put your ferret's favorite treat on or in the mouse (yay pinata! lol) so that your ferret is more inclined to actually rip at the prey.

4. Start out with pinkies. Chop them up (I know its nasty, but do it when they are frozen so that its not TOO gross) and add them to your ferret's raw food (or cover them in ferretone and hand them out as treats). Gradually increase the size of the "pinky chunks" until your ferret is eating whole pinkies. Then feed the next age group of mouse (fuzzies) then the next age group (hoppers/weaned) then small mice, then large mice (get the idea?)

These are just a few ways (there are bound to be more) I hope this helps!

[buzzonesbirdie]

Wow i guess i was really lucky the first time we gave our bunch whole prey they ate it no problems---but i have known people who did the whole tug of war thing and that seemed to work out for them