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Post by bindiferret89 on Sept 1, 2009 8:58:56 GMT -5
Ooo! Sounds like things are going great for you! Congrats! Work's going well, but we have a month to boost business or they're shutting us down.
Anyway, the ferrets are great, except the older girls won't eat livers for me yet.
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Post by spiritualtramp on Sept 1, 2009 18:28:00 GMT -5
Liver takes a lot of time. Ranger and Pilot still won't eat it whole. I puree it up in the blender with some other things (sometimes just an egg yolk and some water) and then they'll eat it that way. Try blending it into a soupy for them. I think a lot of ferrets are freaked by the texture of organs at first (I can't say that I blame them!)
That totally stinks about your job! I hope that things pick up so you can keep your job!
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Post by spiritualtramp on Sept 5, 2009 9:10:36 GMT -5
Any news, Amber?
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Post by bindiferret89 on Sept 11, 2009 0:28:13 GMT -5
Sorry for the lack of update! With the holiday weekend and starting back to school this week, things have been a little hectic. The kids are all doing really well, although the older girls still won't take bone. I'm going to keep trying with them. They are eating all kinds of meat and larger chunks now though! And my mouse colony is thriving (just had 17 pinkies and another litter on the way) so Moki and Sully are really enjoying that.
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Post by spiritualtramp on Sept 11, 2009 19:23:26 GMT -5
Wow, sounds awesome! Keep at it with the girls, I know they'll get there eventually. Things are so busy for me too, so I hear you. Let me know if you have any hang ups, questions, or frustrations.
Have you talked to Mary recently? She just took in 30 ferrets and they need homes! I know you're at your limit but I told her I'd put the bug in your ear in case you know of anyone who can help.
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Post by bindiferret89 on Sept 15, 2009 13:01:28 GMT -5
The kids are still doing well, although I'm due to go grocery shopping for them again. They eat like little piggies.  I found out today I have two weeks to find a new job because they're shutting us down Sept. 29th. I hate job hunting, so I'm not looking forward to it. I did talk to Mary. I wish I could take some of them in! Poor babies! I will most definitely keep my ears open if anyone is looking to adopt ferrets. |
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Post by spiritualtramp on Sept 15, 2009 13:48:31 GMT -5
I have to go grocery shopping too. Bleh! I'm sorry to hear about your job, that completely stinks. I'm surprised they hired new staff if they were so obviously in trouble... but such is life. Hopefully you can find something again soon!
When you get a chance, could you post me a current weekly menu for all the kids, with what everyone specifically is eating? It'll help me gauge how much more time we have and we can think about getting you & the weez graduated.
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Post by bindiferret89 on Sept 16, 2009 1:59:34 GMT -5
Just got done with a 1AM Walmart run (busy day today!) to get food for the kids. I portioned everything and froze it and wrote up menus for the next two weeks, so I'll try to get that posted for you tomorrow. I'm sooo tired, lol.
Is it normal for them to weigh less the first winter on raw than they did during the winter they were on kibble? Lucinda was HUGE last year, so huge I actually checked to make sure she was female and I hadn't misread her parts when I bought her, lol. This year she's staying really thin like Ginny (who has always been a teeny thing) and Moki doesn't seem to be putting on a ton of weight either. They're not underweight or anything...they look very healthy. I just expected them to start packing it on for the winter about now.
Sully and Nuka are a totally different story, which I think comes from them starting raw so young. They never had time for the kibble to catch up with them and they are ALL muscle. Nuka's tiny, but she's really thick and Sully is just huge all around, haha.
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Post by spiritualtramp on Sept 16, 2009 16:42:31 GMT -5
It's still early, my kids haven't shed yet and haven't really started putting on weight, so I wouldn't really worry too much yet. In fact, with raw, it's typical for them to gain a bit more than usual and then even out as their bodies adjust. They tend to scarf more in the first few months of raw than they will usually because their bodies and metabolism are catching up with the new nutrition. But, also remember that the older ferrets don't put on as much winter weight as babies, so that might be playing a role in this too.
If you are worried about their weight, try offering some more bits of fat with their meals. The parson's nose (tail bit) of chickens/turkeys/etc is very fatty and it's easy to add to their meals when you feed those meats.
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Post by bindiferret89 on Sept 17, 2009 17:06:50 GMT -5
The older girls are eating bones! I didn't see who it was, so I'm not sure if it was all of them, but last night I gave them two chicken wingettes and chicken back and they had a thigh the other night. The only things I found today were itty bitty wing fragments and a 1" piece of thigh bone. My bet's on Moki for the thigh bone--she has some really strong jaws--but I'm optimistically thinking that the rest of those bone pieces were way too much for her to eat on her own and the other two had to have helped. Tomorrow night they get bones again, so I'm going to watch then and see if I can figure out who is eating them.
Anyway, here's the menu I'm using nowadays. It's REALLY limited because with my job situation being as it is, I haven't been able to afford Nature's Variety or a Hare Today order. I'm hoping that will be straightened out soon. They're still getting 4-5 protein sources per week, but I feel like they're getting way too much chicken, even though I am careful to give them a variety of parts from the chicken.
Monday:
AM-chicken backs
PM-chicken thighs
Tuesday:
AM-pork
PM-turkey
Wednesday:
AM-chicken wings
PM-chicken backs
Thursday:
AM-beef
PM-pork
Friday:
AM-chicken thighs
PM-chicken wings
Saturday:
AM-chicken backs
PM-chicken ribs (?--I read recently that chickens don't have ribs, but this is what Walmart labels them as)
Sunday:
AM-liver
PM-soup
The boneless meats get switched around, especially if lamb is on sale at the grocery store, and one week they'll get more pork, one week more beef, etc. based on what's available. I always make sure they get at least 3 kinds of boneless meats throughout the week.
I was giving CGH occasionally to Sully and Nuka because they were the only ones eating bones, but now that they're all eating them, I'm planning on adding CGH more often.
Mice are given to Sully, Moki, and sometimes Ginny if she'll take them as treats, but I haven't fed them as an entire meal at this point.
When I can afford the NV or Hare Today grinds, I'd like to go back to doing Frankenprey in the morning and a complete bone/meat/organ grind in the evening. What do you think?
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Post by spiritualtramp on Sept 18, 2009 17:50:53 GMT -5
That menu looks great, Amber. Seriously! I don't think you need to worry so much about having so much chicken - the great thing about raw diets is that you can switch it up when it suits your life. You've got a great balance so far and when you can afford some more exotic meals, they'll just be doing even better. I think when you can afford the grinds, it'll be fine and especially if your life picks up pace and you need the extra time that premade grinds offers. You already have a solid sense of proportion nutritionally and I trust that will carry with you into however you choose to tweak their diets.
I'm so happy the girls (whomever started it!) are picking up pace with the bones. It's only a matter of time now until everyone is on the same page and we can get them graduated.
When you figure out who is eating the bones for sure, let me know!! Give them all big kissies from me, they're doing fantastic!
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Post by bindiferret89 on Sept 18, 2009 18:47:48 GMT -5
Hey Erin! Thanks for the feedback. I appreciate your support and encouragement so much! Well, Moki's definitely eating bones...I caught her chomping on a chicken wing that was stashed UNDER MY DESK.  No idea how that got there without me seeing it. LOL. I'll let you know about the other two girls. |
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Post by spiritualtramp on Sept 20, 2009 8:43:28 GMT -5
Haha go Moki! What a champ I've got a boneyard behind my couch - seriously. I clean it out once or twice a week... and though I feed in a feeding den and generally remove as much of meals as I can after they've eaten, somehow there's always stuff in the boneyard...  |
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Post by bindiferret89 on Sept 23, 2009 9:11:33 GMT -5
Moki and Ginny are eating bones for sure. Not positive about Lucinda yet. I may have to separate her for a meal to see what she does.
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Post by spiritualtramp on Sept 23, 2009 12:08:40 GMT -5
Good good, I hope Lucinda proves to be a bone-eater too. Sometimes in the beginning people hammer the bones up and just mix it into cubed meat, so that everyone evenly gets some bones. Many ferrets are lazy eaters and if they fill up on meat before getting to the bone, they won't eat the bone. So do watch for those lazy ones...!
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