Jakk
Going Natural
Raw Feeder[/color]
Posts: 160
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Post by Jakk on Oct 29, 2009 20:39:41 GMT -5
We are not giving kibble while they are in their cage. The three get about 1 cup while out for play time since playtime lasts between 6-9 hours but they never eat all of it (Cooper stashes most of it). Between the three of them they can finish off all of the meat/skin/fat on a chicken leg, When given more (leg+thigh) they wouldn't finish fast enough for the meat not to spoil.
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Post by sherrylynne on Oct 30, 2009 10:18:33 GMT -5
The great thing about meat chunks? They'll last a good 24 hours I feed mine 2X a day. How much they get at each meal depends on how much is left of the one before. Since I feed mainly in the cage, when they come out, the meat left from the previous meal is taken out, and I use that as treats while they are out and about. Works like a charm! Uses up the older meat, and they love the hand feeding of smaller pieces
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Jakk
Going Natural
Raw Feeder[/color]
Posts: 160
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Post by Jakk on Oct 30, 2009 22:45:15 GMT -5
AWESOME! I was so worried that it would spoil faster than that! I am going to set up a hard core schedule with portion measurements tomorrow so I can get everything down to a science.
Also I am going to be gone between Dec. 23 - Jan. 12 and the trio is going to be cared for by a good friend of ours. Sadly though I don't think she will be willing to do the raw thing but she will be coming over daily and letting them have a good four hours of play time...and it will only cost us $50....which is better then the 30 minutes of play time and $300 for a sitter. So now having raw will just have to suffice. Will this set them back significantly? Will I have to "start over" when I get back home?
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Post by sherrylynne on Oct 31, 2009 20:16:50 GMT -5
It's possible that you will have to start again. But it shouldn't take as long to get them back to where they are now. One thing you can do if your friend is willing. Weigh and baggie everything for a meal. Throw them all in the freezer, and all your friend has to do is put a couple days worth of baggies in the fridge to thaw, and then just dump the entire baggie in the cage to feed. She wouldn't even have to touch the meat That is where freeze dried comes in handy. It's still raw, but in a form most people are willing to deal with.
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Jakk
Going Natural
Raw Feeder[/color]
Posts: 160
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Post by Jakk on Nov 1, 2009 22:55:53 GMT -5
Okay so today I didn't offer ANY kibble as an experiment for the entire crew. I gave a whole chicken leg+thigh with no skin and a skin on whole wing for dinner, the result, well see for yourself That is Polly on the left going for the meat on the wing, KASRAH going to the wing tip (which she ate), and Cooper being rather large* taking on the thigh. I am going to talk with the sitter about how we may be able to get her to feed at least a portion raw. At this point it would be a huge disappointment if I had to restart just because of something so simple. *he is just as close to the the camera as Polly in the shot O.O
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Post by sherrylynne on Nov 1, 2009 22:59:50 GMT -5
Oh my! They really are doing well, aren't they Hopefully, if she doesn't have to touch the meat, just take the baggies out of the freezer, defrost, and dump the whole thing, she'll be a bit more amenable. With them actually eating whole raw, you may not have quite so much trouble switching them back again, though! I had no idea they'd take to the whole pieces like that!
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Jakk
Going Natural
Raw Feeder[/color]
Posts: 160
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Post by Jakk on Nov 2, 2009 0:09:32 GMT -5
I didn't either really. I wanted to see if I could make a jump if the crew was hungry. Cooper is a pigglet, he will literally eat anything put in front of him so I knew he would go for it. And as a general rule Polly will eat what Cooper eats and Kasrah will taste what Polly eats. So I manipulated the leader and used hunger as a driver to get everyone to eat without question. I was shocked that it worked.
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Post by sherrylynne on Nov 2, 2009 17:14:19 GMT -5
Smart way to tackle it If they take to other meats the way they're going on this- they'll be graduated in no time!
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Jakk
Going Natural
Raw Feeder[/color]
Posts: 160
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Post by Jakk on Nov 2, 2009 20:05:21 GMT -5
Today everyone tried chicken liver and it was a complete hit! Polly ate a whole one on her own while Kasrah and Cooper split one. They finished off the wing, they ate the bone clean and ate about 2 inches of the tip bone. I don't know who ate what of it, I let them go at it in privacy this time. I did offer some leftover thigh as a snack, originally nobody was interested but I eventually caugh Kasrah knawing on the large bone and Polly digging out some of the organ meat that was stuck in the spinal section of the thigh.
Shopping day is coming up soon and there is a big sale on all sorts of meats.
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Post by sherrylynne on Nov 3, 2009 10:15:51 GMT -5
I'm impressed! Only way I could get mine to take liver at the beginning was in a soup form, and spoon fed . I can't wait until they are trying other meats, just to see how they do with it
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Jakk
Going Natural
Raw Feeder[/color]
Posts: 160
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Post by Jakk on Nov 4, 2009 16:32:31 GMT -5
I currently have the flu (just the regular seasonal flu) so I won't be handling anything to do with the little ones. I have recruited my husband into ferret duty so it will be interesting as he isn't especially keen on feeding raw. They got another wing this morning along with a bowl of soup. The soup was a mix of kibble grounds, thigh meat, heart, some veal baby food, and some room-temp water. That mix seems to be the most popular combination so far. Although it was spilled across the nice clean cage floor within 5 minutes much to my dismay. I need a good secured bowl that attaches on to the the cage bars before the trio gets fed soup again. I am going to have my SO keep a good eye on Polly's food intake to make sure she doesn't stop being such a pig. She is always the first one at the food and is now competing with Cooper on pure consumption levels. I can't see where she puts all that food, the girl is a svelte little weasel. I wish I could eat as much as her (by proportion) and keep my figure!
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Post by sherrylynne on Nov 4, 2009 21:46:39 GMT -5
Even the seasonal flu is a real nasty! Hope you're feeling better soon. And try putting the soup in a small plate or two. It's the only way mine won't tip it either I also read about Polly possible having insulinoma. Here's hoping her BG levels stay good! And yeah- I've got a real piggy, too! Just to let you know- for the first couple, three months after switching, they will eat a LOT more than they settle down to afterwards.
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Jakk
Going Natural
Raw Feeder[/color]
Posts: 160
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Post by Jakk on Nov 6, 2009 0:02:10 GMT -5
All three downed a thigh today with only a bit left at the joint. I tried the plate thing and it only 1/2 way worked as Cooper decided to get his whole body onto the plate I also gave and egg yolk tonight as a "treat" and Kasrah loved it. Going to try some new meat tomorrow, it should be interesting.
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Post by sherrylynne on Nov 6, 2009 20:50:01 GMT -5
Oh, Cooper! Silly boy Well- looks like everyone is on the same page, now! I think I'd start trying wings with the bones cut in half lengthwise, so they know there's some yummy stuff inside. We need to get them actually chowing down on the bone itself. If chicken wings are a bit much right now, try cornish hen. The bones are smaller and easier for them to manage. New meats are also a good idea now. How much do you want to bet they'll be graduated within a month or so
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Jakk
Going Natural
Raw Feeder[/color]
Posts: 160
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Post by Jakk on Nov 8, 2009 23:36:00 GMT -5
So they got a wing today, not split as all of my knives are dirty (I dislike doing dishes). Kasrah and Polly ate off the tip and got into a scuffle over who got to eat first (Polly won). Cooper ate off from the other end. They finished off everything but the hard to reach bits although Polly was gnawing at the bone ends and ate all that stuff at the ends down to the bone. Soup got devoured over the course of the day (first time---yay!). I was at a Hare Krishna temple all evening (for a religions course) and I wasn't able to get to the store in time to but more meat. But a friend of mine who I went with told me about a butcher who only sells in bulk--with most meats only 50cents a pound!!! So I am going to go check it out in the next day or so and see if I may have found raw feeding heaven.
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