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Post by Forum Administrator on Oct 23, 2009 10:53:31 GMT -5
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Post by weloveourweasels on Oct 25, 2009 0:14:23 GMT -5
I am so loving the results!.
I didn't post on here about this but one of my babies (Loki or Edgar the hair was white) passed a blockage for 2 days after the switch. I believe that the kibble was the cause of them not being able to pass it even with regular laxing. Once the raw was started hair started coming out. Thankfully it was only a partial blockage and no symptoms were exhibited. I think because of the raw it made the intestines properly able to expel the blockage. There is no more hair.
They are almost of just ground, they have only 1 cup of water added to 12 oz of meat. It is very thick, no longer a soup but a mush. Next batch I will add only 1/2 cup water and then after that I will be getting them on ground with no water. This batch was all beef.
I don't have a scale like I wanted to get but for now I have been using the measuring cup. I have been watching how much they eat and how much is or isn't left in the bowl and adjusting from there. Usually if there is anything left one will be a piggy (usually a boy) and eat the rest an hour or so later. When I'm preparing meals I spoon it into the bowl to make sure it isn't too much or too little then I put it into a pan and heat it over medium heat for just a minute or 2 to warm it because who likes ice cold food? It is just enough to bring it to room temp.
My mom bought me some El Cheapo ice cube trays from the grocery store; a three pack for 75 cents. I'm not sure how I'm going to go about thawing them. I was thinking I might take out however many I need and place in the fridge to thaw each time I feed. I'm not sure though. Maybe I will buy sandwich baggies and put them in there and thaw in the sink in cold water.
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Post by sherrylynne on Oct 25, 2009 10:08:41 GMT -5
Sounds like everything is coming along nicely! If you are doing the icecube route, try to figure how many cubes each ferret will eat(approx.), and baggie them up according to meal size for all of them. That way, you'll have a meal per bag for the four of them, and just toss a couple days worth in the fridge. I can't wait to hear how they like it when it's just the ground!  |
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Post by weloveourweasels on Oct 28, 2009 0:12:17 GMT -5
I do not like the ice cube method. These are smaller ice cubes than the trays we had when I was a kid way before we have a fridge with a built in icemaker. So my kids have been eating 12 plus cubes in one meal. I only have 2 1/4 trays because they are cheap and nearly unusuale after just a few days. If anyone wants to make meat cubes go for the more expensive flexible trays.
I'm making a new batch of food tomorrow. I think I might make it meatloaf style and mix it all with my hands since I will be adding in just a tad of liquid and I don't think my blender will like it.
I certainly see why everyone says feed different proteins. Since the start of the switch they have only had the turkey and beef. First just turkey then a mix of both turkey and beef and then just beef. Right now Edgar and Rolo are friggin HUUUUGE and certainly looking like their winter bulldog selves. Mr. Bean and Loki are maintaining a nice trim slightly padded whippet figure looking just right with extra fluffy coats.
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Post by weloveourweasels on Oct 30, 2009 17:55:00 GMT -5
Argggg backtracking these past couple days. They REALLY prefer beef over turkey. They do not like the idea of plain turkey right now. I started them with turkey and they had that for a bit then they had the turkey/beef mix and then just beef. Well I had gotten them to eat really thick beef mush. So when I made this recent batch of turkey mush I made it just a tad thicker than the beef mush and EVERYONE turned their noses up. Then I made it thinner and they still don't want to eat it on their own except for Loki and kind of Mr. Bean. Rolo and Edgar had to be scruff -n- stuffed with the spoon. I have another meal or 2 worth of turkey mush in the fridge and some chicken tenders thawing. I'm curious what they would do if anything with the chicken tenders. I think it will be a stashfest.
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Post by weloveourweasels on Oct 31, 2009 11:44:05 GMT -5
More updates:
I hope they get over themselves because I hate wasting things. I might as well be throwing money down the drain.
Tonight they will be eating the chicken. I'm going to try a few peices chunked and see what they do if anything. My guess is everyone will ignore it but Mr. Bean who will stash it.
After about an hour or that experiment I'll give them mush (unless by some miracle they eat it chunked ha thats a joke) which they will probably ignore like the turkey. Don't they know they can't live off of just beef....
I bet if I would offer them beef now they would turn their noses at that too.
I'm so frustrated I'm at the point where I am considering going back to kibble again just because i don't think they are getting the proper nutrients. They have barely eaten in 3 days. They used to lick the bowls clean and they were filled to the top. Now due to waste I have been filling the bowls halfway and they barely eat half of that. I am thinking they might have an infection or something to explain why they aren't eating.
Like I said I'm going to try the chicken and see if there is a difference but if there isn't then back to kibble it is. I can't just feed them ground beef and they can't just not eat
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Post by Heather on Oct 31, 2009 11:58:24 GMT -5
Do you have a mentor?? I think you need one...even if it's to bounce ideas off of. Very often these little ones back track and this is when people get discouraged and quit. Don't quit now, backtrack. Go back to what they were eating and sit on is for a bit. Balance is achieved over time, you can feed the same thing for about 6 months without causing damage. You were progressing very quickly....there's nothing like a ferret or two to take the wind out of your sails  I personally would go back to whatever they were eating without question, even if you have to spoon feed a little. You may have moved too quickly, digging in their heels and refusing to eat is their way of saying .....slow down  ciao |
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Post by weloveourweasels on Oct 31, 2009 12:34:51 GMT -5
Thanks for the encouragment Heather. I'll get them some more ground beef if that is what they want. It just frustrates me that they liked the turkey to begin with, loved the beef and now hate turkey. I did not know they can eat one source of food for that long.
Edit: Jennifer was my mentor during the switch last year.
I think I might need one too though. I was sure I could do this on my own since I got Mr. Bean on bone last time. The only thing I didn't know how to do was get him to eat organ.
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Post by weloveourweasels on Oct 31, 2009 20:24:24 GMT -5
Mr. Bean surprised the crap out of me today. I cut up half of a chicken tender (they are like paper thin) into kibble size chunks. I thought he would gag but not only did he take it and run off with it but he ate it. I would say he ate about 6 pieces maybe more by himself and some more while I scruff-n-stuffed him. He didn't even try to spit them out really/ He just pretended like he hated it a little. No one else willingly ate any. I scruff-n-stuffed Edgar and Rolo who didn't protest much and Loki was asleep. After that I made them mush. I am out of eggs so it is just chicken, goats milk, water, superjuice olive and salmon oil. Darnit I forgot their nanogreens. Well I started them out with half a bowl and everyone but Edgar willingly licked it clean. I got them another half a bowl full and Loki ate some more. Edgar is sleeping on my lap which doesn't happen often since hes still a really young boy and is always awake and exploring. After I do my rounds on the forums I will spoon feed him and I hope he will eat on his own. So I will be buying just chicken and beef next month. I got two $3 off coupons from Halo so i might buy them some Liv-a-Littles and see what they do with them shop.halopets.com/Natural-Treats/liv-a-littles-beef-protreats |
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Post by weloveourweasels on Oct 31, 2009 20:49:22 GMT -5
Edgar is eating now after I let him lick the spoon for a few seconds along with Mr. Bean who is going in for seconds Edgar just didn't want to share the bowl with everyone else. He gets crowded. But he IS a big boy so that is understandle. They have been eating out of out soup bowls which look like this www.oneida.com/resources/oneidaConsumer/images/products/processed/ZR422740.zoom.1.jpg There is plenty of room for everyone to eat but he is picky. He is almost finished with the bowl. If he licks it clean I'll have to put some more in there. Goodness weasels are such drama queens.  |
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Post by Heather on Oct 31, 2009 23:37:39 GMT -5
Drama queens...I like that   You said it. You're doing great. You just have to be prepared for the little cusses putting on the act to try and get their own way It sounds to me like you had a very successful day. congratulations ciao |
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Post by Forum Administrator on Nov 1, 2009 2:52:21 GMT -5
You are always more then welcome to request a mentor should you need one. We don't bite lol |
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Post by weloveourweasels on Nov 3, 2009 9:04:22 GMT -5
:oWhen I feel like filling out the form I might lol Since the backtrack they are on more of a thick soup than a thin mush like they were on. Chicken breasts were on sale for 1.99 per lb (mom told me they were 99 cents per lb at Kroger  ) still a pretty good deal. I'm going to give her my money from now on to buy them food. She is good at getting cheap meat. They are all being pretty picky about eating. Edgar mostly but they are all eating by themselves except him. I learned they do not like eggs in their soup. When I made that one batch without eggs that one time they friggin LOVED it. So I'm not putting in eggs next batch. I bought some freeze dried beef liver treats called Prime Bites from petsmart less than $4 for 2 oz which I think was a great deal. I crumbled some up and added it to their soup. Their poops have been slowly getting less liquidy since the addition of the liver and Pet SUPERJUICE for FERRETS. It isn't seedy anymore which I attribute to the superjuice. On a random side note I finally have the spare cash to send in so I can start work as a Home Assembly worker. I can make up to as much as $1000 PER WEEK and as little as $300 per week. either way it will be more than I made PER MONTH at either or my 2 real jobs I had. Either way I'm going to start a savings collection so Jay and I can get our own place. So heres to nearly stress free soon!!! |
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Post by weloveourweasels on Nov 8, 2009 17:36:46 GMT -5
well like everyone told me, the home assembly thing was a scam. They didn't get any money from me though. Oh well, anything too good to be true always is. I know there ARE some home assembly jobs out there that aren't scams because Jay's mom used to do it. But I won't get lucky enough to find one.
So on with the fuzzies update
Sooo I think I'm going to try to skip the ground meat stage. they pretty much just HATE it. I added in some chunked meat into this batch and they are eating it! There is only 3 small chunks when I just checked their stash. The fact it is being stashed instead of left and ignored is wonderful I know. So I'm going to be slowly adding in more and more chunks and keep the soup at the texture they like it but just add less and less.
Tonight for thier dinner before mush I'm going to put out some plain chunks since Mr. Bean ate some willingly the other day. I will also scruff n stuff the others. Maybe I should try to speed it up with Mr. Bean that way the others get more interested in what he is eating.
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Post by weloveourweasels on Nov 11, 2009 23:24:52 GMT -5
My little loves are doing better than ever. Everyone except for Loki is on 1 inch chicken chunks drizzled with a couple drops olive oil and sprayed with Pet Superjuice for ferrets. Loki on the other hand is still resisting but that is to be expected she is 4+ years old and her jaws are nowhere near as strong as the others. She does have a really nice appetite though. She wasn't resisting being fed kibble size chunks too much. She did eat about 1 1/2 tablespoons though. I am still giving hers with a little gravy on top. After she decided she had enough of the chunks and was stashing them I let her have to tablespoons of gravy I set aside in case I needed it to coax Edgar or Rolo but they dug right in. Edgar of course being the biggest has the most appetite. He ate a whopping 5 oz in one meal  . Mr. Bean ate either 2 or 4 oz I can't remember but he ate enough. Rolo ate about 3 oz maybe more. I need to write it down next time. I fed them all separately and measured what I gave them before and after to get an idea of how much they are ingesting. I can just stick the plate down for everyone but Loki (unless with her it is just soup she eats that willingly)and they chow down without help. I'm probably going to be getting some wings next week and I'm fairly certain that they will be good to go. |
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