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Post by Heather on Jul 24, 2009 23:29:35 GMT -5
It's a very good idea mixing it with something they already recognize. Sounds like for the most part you've had reasonable success...and Keller isn't coming away hungry Did you try opening up the mouse? Sometimes, they have a hard time getting through the fur Just a thought...messy but a thought. Keep me posted, you're doing great. With some of the issues that your guys have your are doing very well ciao
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Post by faunafreak on Jul 26, 2009 11:46:50 GMT -5
Cut open a mouse for Skit, but she was less interested in that than she was in a whole one - I guess what she really wants is one that moves around and squeaks, but I don't like the idea of letting her torture some poor mouse for 20 minutes before killing it. Since I thawed the sliced one and the whole one together, the whole one got a little blood on it, and I tried giving it to Ushba. He sniffed at it, then grabbed it and ran off. Unfortunately, he simply stashed it under the couch and went about his business. Like Skit, he was completely uninterested in the sliced mouse. So, once again, Keller got 2 mice for the day (lucky guy ) I haven't seen any sign of Morphia puking, so I gave her some more quail in the canned duck. Skit and Anna each got quail AND chicken. I think I may have given them a bit too much, though, because none of them really ate much of it. I wrapped it up and put it in the fridge when they walked away, then pulled it out again when they came begging for food. Unfortunately, since it didn't look like Morphia ate too much of the little bit that I gave her, I put some dry food down last night rather than having her go a full day on such a small amount of food. I went out to South Florida Rodents yesterday to pick up an order - 50 hoppers, 50 small mice, and one 5 pound rabbit. Unfortunately, the rabbit wasn't skinned, which for some reason I thought it would be. Any ideas on how to skin a rabbit?
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Post by Heather on Jul 26, 2009 23:46:00 GMT -5
I don't skin my bunnies, I cut them in half (head and front legs is one half, tail and back legs the other half), take out the stomack and spleen and let the little bums have the two ends. That being said here's a link to a thread that was started you will have to read through it because the instructions on how to skin the rabbit are posted a couple of different ways through the thead but it will give you an idea holisticferret.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=prey&action=display&thread=2943&page=1I've never tried this but you could put the mouse through the blender and then put it in their soupy One of my other students found that by adding small amounts to the well loved soupy and then slowly increasing it she was able to eventually get them to eat the mice. Keller probably would just as soon you kept on the path that you're doing...he's enjoying this How long do you allow them with their mousies....maybe leave them overnight with it?? Do you think it might spark their interest. I know that is how I taught Captain Jack and Calypso how to eat prey. I just left a whole mouse with them overnight. The first few mornings meant the other guys got themselves a morning treat, but it soon became a midnight snack and now it's a favourite. I agree with you decision with Morphia, much better for her tummy to be happy than to get her too hungry and start an episode of stomach upsets. Good luck ciao
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Post by faunafreak on Jul 30, 2009 0:39:07 GMT -5
When I have the money for another blender, I'll try blending mice into the soupie, but right now our blender has to be shared by humans and fuzzies alike, so no blended mice at the moment I have left mice out overnight - it's fine for the ferrets, but not so much with the cats (we tend to have to find the mouse by scent the next day . . . or two . . . ) I divided and froze the small mice right away, but I think I let the hoppers sit in the fridge too long. When I divided them up, blood has seep out and stained the fur, and they smelled pretty bad. However, I don't know what a "bad" mouse smells like, so I put two in the FN and gave Skit one. Keller immediately forsook the kibble he was munching on in favor of amouse (yay!), and Ushba sniffed at the other, but didn't eat it. Skit played with hers for a minute, then got bored and walked off, so I just threw that into the cage as well. The rabbit was pretty big, so I didn't want to risk wasting it by giving them so much at once (I'd also hoped to use some of the meat for my next batch of soup). I found a couple of sites on skinning, and I did that tonight. It was . . . an experience, if nothing else. After skinning the poor thing, I'm wondering if I was mistaken in my assessment about the farm where I purchased the rabbit and rodents. There were calluses on its back heels, which (to me, at least - I could be wrong) indicates that the rabbit had a wire floor in its cage, rather than bedding and such. Then again, maybe it was part wire/part solid surface. After all, when I was a kid our rabbits had wire floors, as did all the rabbits I saw at farms and breeders. It kept the feces and urine from piling up in the cages themselves. There also appeared to be a dark blemish on one of the hips, and the discoloration went through and into the muscle/bone. I'm hoping it's just a bruise, and nothing that indicates I shouldn't use the meat. There were also little brownish lumps under the skin - not in the muscle, but in the membrane between the skin and the muscle. The problem is, I don't know enough about anatomy - human or otherwise - to tell the difference between blemishes that mean nothing and ones that mean you shouldn't consume the animal.
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Post by Heather on Jul 30, 2009 1:17:55 GMT -5
The dark mark, bruising may indeed be just that. The brownish lumps between the meat and the skin may indeed be something they call "Brown Fat", seemingly it's good fat I will be honest, I've never skinned a rabbit before, well for furbrats anyway. I've skinned rabbit but for me to eat, and I never cared what was trapped between the fur and the meat. Not too observant of me In a credit to me, I haven't eaten rabbit or skinned one in ohhhh about 30 years I'm afraid that the care that one expects one's pet rabbit to be kept isn't probably extended to commercially raised rabbits. I would guess that they're probably kept on wire. It's much easier to clean and control ventilation. Just guessing. If the rabbit is too large try cutting it into quarters. I noticed that's how my cut up rabbits come to me (split down the spine and then separated into ribs and legs) I'm in rather agreement with you in regards to throwing mice into a "shared" blender Mice smell rather bad (in my opinion anyway ) I could see that the cats might be less than impressed with "thawed" mice...the ferrets like them smelly though I usually feed my mice frozen. If the guys want them thawed they leave them alone but normally they attack the heads and feet first and then let the rest thaw for later. That way they can choose how fresh they want their meat I will check in with you tomorrow to see if you're guys have sampled their rabbits ciao
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Post by faunafreak on Aug 6, 2009 6:24:38 GMT -5
Sorry it's been a while - had a pretty busy week. They haven't sampled the rabbit yet - but Keller does like those mice! I think Morphia got into something for Skit - there was a rather large pile of vomit in the bathroom yesterday. Skye said he gave Skit some roast beef, so maybe Morphia sampled some when we weren't looking. I feel so bad for her - she's willing to try almost anything, but has such a terrible reaction to most of it . I wish Anna, Llullu, and Ushba were as adventurous .
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Post by Heather on Aug 6, 2009 14:11:12 GMT -5
Isn't that the way, the one that 's willing to try anything is the one that upchucks all over the floor . Morphia's a really good sport. Strangely enough, Samurai, once he got the hang of eating raw, would also try meats that he cannot tolerate. I've seen him eat and turn from the bowl and upchuck the lot Now, that he's blind he seems to go by smell more and doesn't eat the meats he cannot tolerate. Summer, why is it during these days we're so busy and this is the time when you wish you could take the time to slow down and enjoy. Oh well. Keep up the great work...I'm really curious as to how well the rabbit will go over. ciao
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Post by faunafreak on Aug 6, 2009 22:04:21 GMT -5
Just to let you know - Skye picked up some chicken hearts at the store today. Skit keeps throwing them into the water dish and whining for "real" food, but Keller - as I'm sure you can guess - dug right in. I'm about to cut up a heart and mix it with canned rabbit
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Post by Heather on Aug 7, 2009 1:07:57 GMT -5
Picky sod Throwing it in the water bowl...now that's different. I resent when they stash perfectly good food in the litter box I don't need opinions on my food preparation from a bunch of stinkminks Mixing it with the rabbit is probably a good idea. That's how most of my guys eat it too. I've got a couple that will eat it in it's all together but they'd much prefer it mixed with their meats. You will just have to convince them they don't need to "drown" their meat before eating it. ciao
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Post by faunafreak on Aug 9, 2009 10:07:46 GMT -5
Got Skit to eat some heart chopped and mixed with canned rabbit, and I was able to get Ushba to eat one sliver of heart by putting a drop of Dermcaps on it (unfortunately, he didn't eat the other two slivers of heart I handed him - he just licked the Dermcaps off and spit out the actual meat ) Sigh
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Post by Heather on Aug 9, 2009 13:03:17 GMT -5
What about the scruff and stuff method?? It works for some fuzzies. That's the problem with topping though, they often just lick it off . ciao
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Post by faunafreak on Aug 9, 2009 23:10:09 GMT -5
I've tried the scruff and stuff method with other types of meat, with varying degrees of success. They generally would chew it just enough to work it out of their mouths. I stopped doing that when they started grinding their teeth. Skit ate the hearts I gave her this morning! However, when I fed her in the afternoon, she stopped whining long enough to sniff at the hearts, then walked away Maybe she didn't want the same meal twice
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Post by Heather on Aug 10, 2009 23:00:22 GMT -5
Picky little sod You know they're going to do this, just in their time If you're guys get too stressed then don't. We want to make this as painless as possible for both you and your furkids. It works for some people. You're getting there. I know it's frustrating but they're getting there. ciao
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Post by faunafreak on Aug 13, 2009 0:34:17 GMT -5
Started cutting up meat for my next batch of soup. As usual, Skit whined at my feet for a good portion of that time, but when I offered her some (duck), she sniffed it, then looked back at me like "what is this?" Keller came by and ate some, then ate most of a wing tip that I gave him. I finally got Skit to try a little bit, and Morphia ate the bit that I gave her has well. Now I'm just waiting to see if she can keep it down. I don't think Anna ate hers - even after I smeared some rabbit on it. Ushba sniffed at it but didn't try it, and I haven't seen Llullu come into the kitchen tonight. I'm about to go check on her - sometimes she just stays in the room for some reason
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Post by Heather on Aug 14, 2009 2:00:45 GMT -5
I'm guessing that the duck is a relatively new meat for everyone? Looks like the ones that enjoy their new diet are game. I really give Morphia credit. She tries just about everything, even if it doesn't always agree with her finicky stomach. Looks like you're running about a 50% take on the duck. Now to see if you can convince the stand offs Good luck, I will check in to see how you did. ciao
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