Alitasha, BillyBob, TrichBezoar, Unagi's Switch

[cristina]

Yea thats understandable, still thats good you can set your mind in the right frame to see the good that comes out of it!

I dont know about goldfish, I will ask about that with the other mentors and Ill get back to you on that one...I feed my guys smelt, they love it! but thats really one of the 3 fish I know they can eat (other than sardines and anchovies)

[ferretfreke]

Well I want to feed them some kind of small fish that I can offer live so that it will flop around and maybe it will get them to eat it. It seems to work well with everything else with my group.

[cristina]

Ok here is what another mentor commented about feeding goldfish..."the problem with feeder fish such as goldfish is you dont know what chemicals they been exposed to like tank chemicals and such , they also can carry parrasites and other tummy bugs . Its not worth the risk IMO.
can try putting a few live crickets in shallow water they will swim and give them a little chase." (Suds)

I agree with him because now that I think of it (I have a fish tank) and there are alot of chemicals in the water no matter if you put them in or when they grow naturally (i.e. types of algae and such). But if you can find live smelt or another small fish (thats human grade for eating) that would be good, although Im not quite sure how hard/easy that might be where you live (I live by a large lake so there are many little fish stores around me...)

I hope this helps!

[ferretfreke]

Thanks for asking that for me. I doubt I will be able to get live fish like that in my area as I'm in the desert.

My kids are doing great. Eating mice, quail, chicks like crazy. BillyBob did vomit after eating a mouse the other night, but not like it was before. It was just a little vomit and he still will eat mice. Alitasha got nauseous from a mouse one time last week also, but has been fine since. So for the most part, things are going well.

[cristina]

Im glad things are going well....everyone still on track? They vomiting issues here and there tend to look like a richness upset, which Im thinking should go away after repeat exposure to rich good food!

[ferretfreke]

Nothing to report today.

[cristina]

Ill take that as a good thing!

Im glad everything is working out for you and your ferrets.....do you think your ready to graduate from the program? Let me know if you are

[ferretfreke]

Yes it's a very good thing. They are just doing great!

I fed them their first bunny and they did very well with it! So yea I think I'm ready to graduate cus I haven't had anything really to report and if I have questions in the future I can still ask them.

Thanks for all your help and for being my mentor.

[cristina]

Thats great! Isnt it a great feeling!!

I had so much fun with you, and learned a great deal as well!!! I will talk to Giuli about graduating, although I do know you will need to post a "diet" menu on your thread to complete the program, so if you want to get started on that I can have her look at it and "ok" it! yahh this is exciting!

(the sched. should include just what you feed daily, make sure to have at least 3 different types of meat a week....and you should have at least 3-4 bone in meat days (Im sure you know all this, Im just throwing them out there for an idea) include also a day you would normally feed liver and such, like organ meats.)

[ferretfreke]

Diet Menu

There are only a few foods I have certain days I feed them. For example, on Mondays I feed them each their own D.O. chick. Tuesday they all share a chicken egg or get their own quail egg. Wednesday I give them 2-3 three week old quail. I've been mainly feeding whole prey now so I don't feel it necessary to do an organ day. Besides, Bezoar is the only one who will eat them. I still give him cow heart, kidney, and ckn liver occasionally. I fill in the gaps of the above with adult mice, fuzzies, pinkies, ckn breast, chicken wings, thighs, ckn necks, ckn backs, gizzards, ckn hearts, CGHs, sardine grind, NV rabbit or venison raw medallions, beef cuts, occasional lamb rib lets and I just added whole small rabbits. BillyBob, Alitasha and Unagi eat a few meal worms as a snack occasionally. They don't all eat the above meats (For example only Bezoar will eat beef)but they all eat over three different types of animals. I generally feed them twice a day with occasional mid-day snacks. If I'm going to feed them something they don't generally eat well, like CGH, I will skip their breakfast and then feed that item for dinner.

Here's an example of what I may feed for the week.

Monday
AM - 1 adult mouse each, 1 fuzzy each, 1 pinkie each
PM - 1 D.O. chick each

Tuesday
AM - 1 adult mouse each
Mid-day snack- egg
PM - 1 chunk of chicken breast with fat and bone, 1 ckn wing, 1 gizzard each, 1 chunk of beef heart for Bezoar.

Wednesday
AM - 1 adult mouse, fuzzy, pinkie each
PM - 3 three wk old quail
Midnight snack - 1/2 c sardine grind

Thursday
AM - ckn neck, ckn thigh, 1 gizzard each, 1 beef kidney chunk for Bezoar
PM - 1 adult mouse each, 2 NV rabbit medallions

Sat
one small rabbit for all day

Sun
A 1/2 CGH for all day

They usually don't seem full after only getting 1 adult mouse each and that is why I either give them other things with them or I give them a snack. Next time I order from rodentpro I'm going to get the really big mice and I think I've learned to separate myself enough to add rats. I'm also going to be feeding the occasional duckling from the asian market. They LOVE duckling. It's like their chocolate.

[ferretfreke]

It is a GREAT feeling!!! I beam with pride over my babies everyday. I am so proud of them. I feel so good giving them the nutrition they deserve. I think this has bonded us even more. The last few days I've been having them chase their thawed prey, a pseudo hunt, and they really like it.

Alitasha came from horrible conditions and has been a chronic bad biter. Her biting has calmed down even more since the switch. BillyBob has been a chronic bedding and toy eater. I've had to use only denim bedding. He even would chew and eat through that, but he's not able to eat as much. He also suckles on the other ferrets. Since the switch his chewing on bedding has calmed down. I've been testing him with putting "real" blankies and hammocks in the cage and so far he's not chewing them! I think there will always be materials he can't resist eating, like polar fleece, but at least I can probably put certain types of soft bedding in the cage. The others were pretty ticked when all their soft bedding was taken away because of him. He still suckles and he may never get over that. It cracks me up that he does cus he acts so tough all the time then he needs a pacifier to go to bed

Thank you so much for your help in our journey.

[cristina]

It was my pleasure! I love helping people through this program, I find it so rewarding! You may want to inquire to be a mentor....its alot of fun and feels great helping others to get to where you are! (not to mention you know a great deal about ferrets to begin with! )

I just need a monday-sunday sched. to send to Guili so she can approve it and then your golden! It can be pretty simple like this:
mon: chicken (bone in)
tues: beef
wed: cornish hen (bone in), and organs
thurs: gizzards and hearts

and so on......

[ferretfreke]

The ferrets diet menu is posted above. You must've just passed over it.

[cristina]

I did pass over it, sorry! That looks great...I sent it to Giuli and I am just waiting for her to review it, shes always so busy so dont think I forgot about you!

[cristina]

I havent heard from her yet, but I do know that shes always very busy....so I am going to talk to Heather and see if she can review it