feeding freeze dried

[shirleyverde]

ok i have a question about feeding a freeze dried diet. my boys are currently on a raw diet and are doing great but i will be gone from home almost 20 hours a day for 6 weeks starting on feb22. my question is
1)can i feed them only freeze dried?
2)will it be enough or should i add anything?
3)what should i feed them? alot of the freeze dried i have ordered thinking it was good has alot of fruits and carbs so which is best and what type of variety?
thanks !!!
shirley

[lnsybean44]

I feed a mix of freeze dried raw and whole prey but I think I can still answer your questions.

1) yes you can feed them only freeze dried but you want to look for at least three meat sources still and find products with less than 5% veggies. Casey's hidden pantry has a great selection and great prices.
2) It should be a complete diet. I like to supplement but that is because my boys dont eat just freezedried. JoJodancer will be able to help you out here.
3) If you look at the site I mentioned above it will give you a good idea of what brands work as meals and what brands/products should only be treats.

I love having freeze dried around for those nights where I am in a rush or if a pet sitter is coming over.

Goodluck!

[shirleyverde]

thanks so much! yes i had bought a few things from caseys hidden pantry but i bought a few of the wrong things lol so i just wanted to make sure to get the right stuff before ordering this time around.
How much do they eat of the freeze dried? i don't even know how much of it to put into their bowls i have two ferrets that think they are pigs lol

[lnsybean44]

I have two five pound boys who eat three stella and chewy's patties in a meal or two AFS patties (half of the mondo sized ones)

[sherrylynne]

You could always toss down some raw for them to have, as well as the freeze dried to nibble on. That way, they don't get out of the habit of raw, and you only have to pick up the meat at the next feeding if they haven't finished it.
Wysong's Archetype 1 ferret is really good. So is Stella and Chewey's.

[shirleyverde]

i will look into those and i think i'm just going to leave a chicken wing or part of a cornish hen while i'm gone along with the freeze dried. i don't like leaving pieces of meat in there unless i will be able to thouroughly clean the cage since they stash all their food in their bedding and i have two little kids that like to play with raw meats and that freaks me out!

[sherrylynne]

Mine usually have some meats in their cages up to 24 hours. With the larger chunks, you can always skewer them to the side of the cage with shower hooks, too. That way, they have to eat it in one spot

[lnsybean44]

Or you can try providing them with feeding dens. Old soda can boxes work well, or card board boxes or rubbermaid bins with a hole cut in them for an entry.

[shirleyverde]

is there a thread on this site showing different den setups? i want to set one up for them but need some ideas.

[sherrylynne]

Here you go
holisticferret.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=enricharticle&action=display&thread=4020

Here's another:
holisticferret.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=raw&action=display&thread=4160

[shirleyverde]

thanks sooo much sherrylynne!