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Post by fuzzymom on Feb 11, 2010 15:57:03 GMT -5
Ok, say I had these meal options to use for a weekly menu for the ferrets. I feed the ferrets 2x daily and I usually go by 3oz per day, so that's 1.5oz per meal. If there are 14 meals in the week, how much/how often should I feed of each item per week?
Rat - varying sizes - rat pinkies (3-8g each) - rat pups (20-30g each) - rat weans (30-45g each) - small rats (45-80g each) roughly 1.5 - 3oz each
Mouse - varying sizes - mouse pinkies (only used as treats really) - mouse hoppers (7-12g each) - mouse weans (13-20g each) - large mice (20-25g each) almost 1oz each - retired breeders (30+g each)
Gerbils - varying sizes (not sure on weights at different stages) (this is a maybe right now)
Chicken Leg
Turkey Neck
Ground Beef
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Post by sherrylynne on Feb 11, 2010 22:22:28 GMT -5
To start with, I'd leave out the ground beef. Not a lot of nutrition in that. Maybe put in a straight muscle meat. Some kind of heart would be preferable for the taurine. So, just chicken legs one day, turkey necks another, meat another, then just vary the other three days up for the whole prey for the other 4 days, and vary those up weekly. For any pinkies, I'd just use them either for treats, or one meal a week. My adult males will eat approx. two adult mice for a meal, the females one each.
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Post by fuzzymom on Feb 11, 2010 23:15:14 GMT -5
You said feed chicken legs one day, turkey necks another....do you feed the chicken legs for both meals? Also, the turkey necks are usually WAY more (weight-wise) than they are supposed to get. A turkey neck is usually 10oz or more and these guys are only supposed to get a total of 9oz per day. But turkey necks are not easily cut up. Do I just feed them the whole thing and that be the only thing they get for the day? Would something like this work? (2 25g mice is about 2oz)
Sunday - AM: 2 25g mice each PM: 1.5oz chicken heart each
Monday - AM: 1 30g rat wean each PM: 2 25g mice each
Tuesday - AM: Chicken legs (usually I give them 2) PM: 1 rat wean each
Wednesday - AM: Turkey neck PM: Turkey neck
Thursday - AM: 2 25g mice each PM: 1.5oz chicken gizzard each
Friday - AM: 1.5oz chicken liver each PM: 2 chicken legs
Saturday - AM: 1 30g rat wean each PM: Pork meat pieces
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Post by sherrylynne on Feb 12, 2010 19:30:01 GMT -5
Sorry, I should have been clearer! I tend to feed mine the same thing for the entire day. You can switch it up if you like. For me, I just find it easier. And since I tend to chop, weigh, and baggie as soon as the meat is defrosted enough, partial servings of a meal isn't a problem! Not very good with the grams, but what you've written sounds good to me for a menu. You've got 5 different proteins, and varying ages of prey, so if they'll eat it- go for it
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Post by fuzzymom on Feb 12, 2010 20:51:38 GMT -5
Well I have to get my breeding colonies up and running before attempting a diet like this. That's 18 mice/week, and 9 rat weans/week. That is a lot to produce, so I've got to get these colonies going. Now if you did an all prey diet, would 4 different kinds be enough?
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Post by sherrylynne on Feb 14, 2010 17:59:45 GMT -5
Four different kinds of whole prey? Definitely.
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Post by fuzzymom on Mar 5, 2010 15:57:38 GMT -5
Sorry haven't looked at this thread in a while and I've been trying to think of ways to breed my own feeders for the ferrets. If 4 different kinds of prey is sufficient, would these four be okay?
Rats Mice Gerbils Hamsters
I might also look into purchasing african soft furred rats and chicks to supplement, but those would be the bulk of the diet. I would basically alternate which kind of prey they would have each meal. Sunday AM would have mice. Sunday PM would have rat. Monday AM would have gerbil, Monday PM would have mice, and so on. Would it be ok if mice and rats made up the bulk (up to 75% of the diet) of their diet since gerbils and hamsters might be harder to breed. I'm going to get some gerbils soon (a pair) and do a few experimental breedings and raise up some females and see what kind of production I can expect from gerbils. That way I can get a feel for how many I'd have available for the ferrets each week.
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Post by sherrylynne on Mar 5, 2010 22:20:21 GMT -5
I don't see why not. If you want to throw some variety in, you can always buy some rabbit or quail.
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Post by fuzzymom on Mar 5, 2010 22:36:41 GMT -5
I would really like to breed rabbits for feeders but for a while I haven't been able to because we down have our own place. As soon as I get a job, hubby and I are going to be looking to rent a house and hopefully I will be able to get two rabbits to start breeding them.
Basically I'm trying to become as self sufficient as possible when caring for my pets. I am trying to build up rodent colonies enough so that I can provide for my snakes, my ferrets, and sell enough feeders/pet rodents to cover the cost of all other snake and ferret costs.
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Post by sherrylynne on Mar 6, 2010 23:30:07 GMT -5
That's a really good idea! Mine don't get whole prey as often as I would like, simply because of cost. And raising my own in a townhouse is unfortunately out of the question.
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Post by fuzzymom on Mar 7, 2010 12:48:04 GMT -5
Technically we live in a townhouse with a pet policy. My mother in law has her 3 cats and those are on the lease. Then we move in and BOOM! Animal explosion. We have 4 cats, 1 dachshund, 1 cockatiel, 3 ferrets, 11 snakes, 1 leopard gecko, and my rat and mouse colonies. My mother in law doesn't really like it but she says as long as she can't smell them, she's fine. I clean rodent and ferret cages constantly to keep it that way.
I really want to get the ferrets on a whole prey diet. They LOVE it when a snake refuses a meal because then they get a nice rat or a few mice to chow down on. And Twitch loves to hunt.
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Post by sherrylynne on Mar 7, 2010 15:13:59 GMT -5
Unfortunately, the only place I'd have to raise mice(rats are illegal in Alberta) is a dark, unfinished basement, and I wouldn't raise ANYTHING down there
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Post by fuzzymom on Mar 8, 2010 23:07:59 GMT -5
Rats are illegal there? Yea, basement might be too dark and chilly for breeding mice.
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Post by josiesmom on Mar 9, 2010 1:47:21 GMT -5
YOU might also consider feeding say the prey meal at night and the raw meaty bone meal in the morning. Or feed whole prey one week and raw meaty bones the next week. THis is what has been working for my guys:
While I am not writing this in stone, and this is just a generalization it may give you an idea of what to expect. I'm currently feeding 8 ferrets that eat rawand or whole prey and only two still eating kibble; I've been using prekilled forzen from Rodent Pro for almost a year now because I got tired of spending so much time with the mouse colonies instead of having fun with the ferrets!
Monday morning: Cornish game hen, turkey hearts (sliced into thirds) MOnday Night: Day old Chicks. Get out morning's frozen to thaw - I let that to room temp. Monday night snack: N-Bone or freeze dried or dried chicken breast.
Tuesday Morning: Raw rabbit & Turkey hearts. Get out Frozen mice, and rat pups; let thaw. Tuesday Night: Adult mice (one mouse per ferret with two pups per ferret). Get out chicken necks, thaw. Tuesday night snack: Pingford Porridge.
WEdnesday Morning: Chicken necks & turkey Hearts. (any rabbit left over)Get out Day old chicks to thaw. WEdnesday Night: Day old chicks. Get out Gizzards to thaw. Wednesday night snack: N-Bone or freeze dried or dried chicken breast.
Thursday Morning: Gizzards and hearts (sometimes livers), chicken necks. Get out adult mice and rat pups to thaw. Thursday Night: Mice and pups; get out Cornish Game hen to thaw. Thursday night snack: Pingford Porridge.
Friday Morning: Cornish Game Hen; get out day old chicks to thaw. Friday night: Day old chicks Get out Tub of turkey hearts to thaw and ADult mice and rat pups. Friday night snack: N-Bone or freeze dried or dried chicken breast.
Saturday Morning : Is usually a morning I choose to sleep in - so this sends the ferrets to scrounging up any bones they've stashed, or any prizes hoarded away. Saturday afternoon they get their Mice and pups. THis is also the day when they get offered live prey.
Sunday Morning: Well beaten whole egg with pulverized shells. Sunday Night: Heavy cream and ferretone when trimming nails.
Free choice always: Unsalted lard and water in dishes.
This menu isn't set in stone - sometimes they get more rabbit, sometimes Raccoon, sometimes more Cornish game hen, sometimes more chicken necks or backs etc. I don't tend to feed much beef, lamb,veal or pork - only because they just don't care for it. But I DO try to feed at least one whole prey item per day. I feel this offers them at least one meal per day that suits their digestive system well - in that the fur and feathers gently swipe clean their innards and take with them any chances of hairballs.
SO far they seem to be doing well with this meal plan. They aren't bored and if I notice them immediately stashing their meal offerings I back off on the portions. One 16 oz game hen offers almost two complete feedings - two wings (cut into thirds each), two thighs(cut in two each), two legs, the back cut into thirds, the breast cut into quarters. I do offer them at least one pound worth of Turkey hearts each week - mainly to ensure they get adequate Taurine.
I'm not that regimented that I weigh their portions - I try to cut the raw meaty items into sizes equal to the mass of a large adult mouse and offer enough pieces that every ferret gets at least one with generally two extra pieces to steal from each other. As one is getting stashed the other is getting stolen - eventually they all get eaten!
Saturday and Sunday are days they have to pick things up- or get extra treats if they are the ones going on outings!
Cheers! Kim
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Darlene
Cageless and Roamin' Free
Posts: 287
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Post by Darlene on Mar 9, 2010 4:10:11 GMT -5
<Free choice always: Unsalted lard and water in dishes.>
Kim, do you put out lard everyday? I'm wondering if it goes bad easily? Is the lard used to put on weight?
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