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Post by jccretarolo on Sept 7, 2009 20:52:24 GMT -5
OK so I went to the Asian market and I got duck heart for $.98/ lb, pork liver, kidney, and spleen for $.98/ lb, and also I found duck wings for $.98/ lb. There was also a few other odds and ends like duck heads, uteri, pizzle (it won't let me spell it), feet of all kinds, and stomach & intestines. Next tine I go I might pick up some of that other stuff but I'm not sure.
My 5 are also liking this mix that has the not so chopped pieces of heart so I'm going to go ahead and start adding some more pieces and see how it goes tonight.
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Post by Heather on Sept 7, 2009 23:41:57 GMT -5
Great stuff....fantastic prices. No the sensor in the forum program won't allow us to use certain "restricted" words  We noticed that when we went to discuss a certain male ferret's rash...we couldn't use the proper words...go figure You will have to let me know how your new foods go over. That's great that your guys are eating up the lumpy soupies....great stuff. You're doing great. I will check in on you tomorrow  ciao |
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Post by jccretarolo on Sept 7, 2009 23:50:02 GMT -5
So I went ahead and tried a couple of the wing tips from the duck wings and Oliver is the only one who tried them. I'm a little surprised because he has been the one who doesn't like the new stuff most of the time.
Well I'm off to bed and I'll let you know how they like their new organ soup I'm making tomorrow.
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Post by Heather on Sept 8, 2009 0:05:27 GMT -5
Isn't always the one that's the stand off or doesn't want to try something that moves in and walks away with the spoils I will talk at you tomorrow ciao |
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Post by jccretarolo on Sept 16, 2009 18:13:59 GMT -5
Sorry for not getting back to you sooner.
My 5 are still doing really good, I'm working on getting them to eat pieces of meat but I'm working on it. They also are really liking their organ soup when I give it to them.
I'm hoping to be able to start giving them some small pieces of bone in the coming week. When I do I plan on using a hammer to beak it up before giving it to them.
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Post by Heather on Sept 17, 2009 0:21:23 GMT -5
Excellent idea. Smashing bone with a hammer, especially if the bones are large or the ferrets aren't used to eating bone in meats. Sounds to me like you're guys are moving along really well. Great stuff.
I will check in with you tomorrow to see how the bone in crushed meats worked
ciao
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Post by jccretarolo on Sept 18, 2009 4:34:08 GMT -5
I haven't gotten to giving them bone yet but I did start giving them bigger pieces of meat in their soup. Last night and this morning was pork and they are all the soup before eating the meat but they did eat all of it. Tonight I gave them duck hearts cut in half and they seem to be eating it but I'll have to see what is left when I get up in the morning.
On a side note I have started having problems with flies in my apartment even though they aren't stashing. My cats are also getting better about eating everything I give them within about 3-4 hours and the ferrets finish their food in about 5 hours. Any tips to get rid of the flies? It hasn't even been that hot here and for the last week or two I have made sure to clean their cage daily and wash all the dishes (or at least rinse them well) when they are put in the kitchen.
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Post by Heather on Sept 18, 2009 23:46:22 GMT -5
I sometimes wonder if the flies are a seasonal thing. I had problems with them a week ago but since it's got colder in the evenings the fly problem has diminished considerably. These were little fruit type flies. I've not had problems with the larger flies. Is there some meat stashed somewhere that you haven't found? I know that flies seem to almost swarm when the weather starts getting cooler, they almost seem to get rather stupid. Great work, sounds like your furbabies are moving along nicely . You will have to let me know how the hear chunks went over. Now we have to move toward getting your guys to eat bone chunked meats. Keep up the great work. ciao |
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Post by jccretarolo on Sept 19, 2009 2:52:56 GMT -5
They did good with the heart. This morning there was maybe half left of the 6oz I gave them and by noon they had eaten all but about 3 of the hearts. I then went ahead and gave them a little less than half their regular amount of soup and for dinner they got 2 chicken necks (sectioned and hammered) along with 1 chicken liver (cut in pieces) and a few chicken hearts. Oliver, Pukka, and Kasparov liked the necks and the girls weren't so sure until I sprayed a little olive oil on it. I figure in the morning I will take out anything that is left and give them their soup when I let them out and clean their cage. So it looks like I need to go get more necks in the next couple days Also what other bones are good to start with? I have some chicken legs but will the bone be too hard even if I take the hammer to them? I'll check in tomorrow. |
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Post by Heather on Sept 19, 2009 9:05:49 GMT -5
Wings are good, so is the rib cage, the attached backs aren't bad if you give them a happy smack or two with the hammer. Quail, any part, would also do them well. I did find something called pork riblets that the guys also seemed to handle well. You're right the legs aren't great but they do eat the little knubbies on either end which is really filled with calcium. Some people also feed chicken's feet (available at ethnic markets). The easiest thing to remember is that ferrets are lazy eaters...(which isn't really true, like cats you eat what you can in a hurry because someone else might steal your dinner) but larger bones are often left. I found that my guys would also eat chunked up rabbit with bone in. Obviously, the leg bones were out but the ribs and the spine worked well.
Just a few ideas, look at the food that's available in your local market and look at it from a bone and chew for your furbabies...if the bone has good spring then chances are your little ones will be able to eat it.
Talk at you later
ciao
ciao
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Post by jccretarolo on Sept 20, 2009 16:48:24 GMT -5
Thanks. I know a couple of the local stores have chicken feet so I'll give that a try. They are by far the least expensive (I think I saw them for $0.89/lb). I think I'm also going to keep giving them more chuncks of meat because the older guys I was worried about are eating it just fine. Also on a side note now that I'm getting a little bone in them their poop looks a lot better.
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Post by Heather on Sept 20, 2009 23:58:50 GMT -5
Bone will help firm up their stools. All your guys sound like they're eating their food well. Is everyone eating bone in or just some of them? How about preparing a weeks menu to see where we're at and where we need to go to . ciao |
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Post by jccretarolo on Sept 21, 2009 21:26:57 GMT -5
OK so I went and got some duck heads, wings, and feet. I broke up the heads (with the help of my 8 year old and her friend) and I gave them one that I also cut in half. They like it! I offered a foot but there are no takers on that yet. and before I go to bed I will give them one of the wings that I smashed up.
How often can I give them the duck heads? They are whole with everything except the feathers.
So for a weeks menu I will be giving them the following:
Monday- 1 Duck head, 3oz of turkey soup, 1 duck wing
Tuesday- 4oz of pork soup, 3-5 oz cut up chicken (thigh or breast)
Wednesday- 2oz organ soup, 2oz turkey soup, 3oz chicken neck
Thursday- 1 duck wing, 3oz turkey soup, 2oz cut up pork
Friday- 1 duck head, 3oz pork soup
Saturday- 3oz chicken neck, 4oz cut up beef, 2oz turkey soup
Sunday- 1 duck wing, 2oz organ soup, 3oz cut up chicken (breast)
I will also be giving them 1 duck foot a day, 1-4oz of heart, and of course if they act like this isn't enough I will give them more soup or cut up meat.
I think everyone is now at least trying the bone but with 3 kids I can't watch them all the time and Rouge and Olivia don't like when you watch them eat.
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Post by Heather on Sept 22, 2009 1:28:20 GMT -5
It sounds really good...the heads will be big time bone amounts. I'm guessing that your soupy is raw meat based? chunks or ground?...what goes into your soupy? I think if you're guys are eating all this that you're ready to graduate. Let me know what your soupy is made up of but from what I can see, you've got your bases covered. Excellent. Let me know ciao |
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Post by jccretarolo on Sept 22, 2009 1:45:41 GMT -5
For each batch of soup I use 1lb ground meat, 4oz of liver, 6oz of heart, and 1 raw egg with the shell. I then add up to about 4oz of water just so the food possessor will work.
Not all of them will eat the chunks yet. Oliver, Olivia, and Pukka are the holdouts for chunks. For the bone Rouge, Pukka, and Kasparov are the holdouts. Though all are eating only raw.
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