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Post by mamapanda20 on May 4, 2010 7:24:44 GMT -5
I wanted to get started switching my group to a more natural diet I have signed up for the mentor program but have no idea how long it will be before new assignments will be made. I read many other switching threads so hopefully I have the general idea down. The past couple of days I have been experimenting with their food to see what they will be willing to eat and like most ferrets they are being a bit picky about what they consider food I started by trying to water down the kibble they liked it OK moist but when it got to the mush they refused it and spat it out and acted like they were choking on it then during playtime it was always a b-line for the kitchen to see if they could find any food on the floor. I have tried finely chopped meats (also poison in their minds) but we finally found that a raw meat gravy over kibble makes them very excited ( so far I have tried chicken turkey and beef heart blended with water also raw egg) my question is this an OK place to start or will it give them tummy problems to eat like this and would you stick to one kind of meat till it was solid or keep switching flavors so they get used to change Thanks to any willing to help me get started Tanya BTW I do have one that thinks raw is food, the switch will be easy for him but keeping them all on the same schedule seems to make more sense to me he lapped up the raw egg and raw soups but the others won't without having kibble in the mix
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Post by Heather on May 4, 2010 13:05:33 GMT -5
It's wonderful that you've taken up the gauntlet and used your initiative to get started There is no real wrong way, just the way that works for you and your furbabies. Just remember when using your raw soupy over your kibbles that it's only good for a few hours before it becomes heavily bacteria laden. One of the benefits that I've found with ferrets is if the food is bad they usually won't eat it (they do love creating their own jerky though and it's usually horrible but it doesn't seem to make them sick ) Kibble and raw digests at different rates so you may get some loose stools. This is a more be aware than a beware. I would try and get them onto the raw soupy asap but it's all in good time. This is totally different to what they're used to so any interest is good interest I've never used the mix of kibbles and raw but there are others on board who swear by it, so I"m sure they will pop in and give you some added advice later. Good luck ciao
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Post by sherrylynne on May 4, 2010 15:16:01 GMT -5
Mixing the two doesn't give every ferret tummy upsets, but it does often enough that we at least warn about it. If it's not bothering your crew that way, then don't worry about it. But like Heather said, you need to take it up a lot earlier. I'd only leave it out for a couple of hours, then toss it. Since you've got one who will take just the raw mix, try to leave that in longer. Sooner or later, the others will also move to that. Raw switching is frequently a case of "monkey see, monkey do" with ferrets. The only way I got my youngest on raw was to put one of the others in her cage, with just raw chunks during the in cage times. Once I started doing that, it wasn't nearly such a fight(Suki is VERY stubborn ), and she was eating the chunks within a couple of weeks. So if you're one little one wants straight raw, it may actually speed up the others!
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Post by mamapanda20 on May 6, 2010 6:45:26 GMT -5
monkey see monkey do was about right I cut the amount of kibble each meal I fed them until last night it was just the blended meat none of them seemed very happy with me but the 2 that would not go straight to the bowl I finger fed for a minute them got them to the bowl all three of them ate some straight from the bowl last night. Not very much but some and this morning they all 3 went straight to the bowl when I put it in..... So yay they are eating raw Question now is do I take them from one flavor of blended meat up to solid or rotate soup flavors first ?
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Post by Heather on May 6, 2010 12:34:21 GMT -5
That's up to you No, really. You can start thickening up the soupy and adding other meats to it (just little bits to start, and adding more and more until you have another protein source added to your list ) all the while thickening up your soupy and enlarging the chunks of meat. It will be up to your little ones. I would leave them a couple of days at this level with this meat source. Don't move too quickly, ferrets are very good at backtracking and suddenly stopping eating, often about 2 or 3 weeks into their program. ciao
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Post by mamapanda20 on May 13, 2010 11:11:47 GMT -5
OK I have had them on raw soup for about a week now and have even given them different flavors they have had chicken turkey beef pork and turkey mixed with beef liver and heart . All flavors have been accepted with ease only have to dip my finer in once or twice to get them each to the bowl then they dive right in.. Yesterday I tried putting small pieces of ground meat in with the soup and they all just licked around it till all the soup was gone then the only one that would eat the bits was the youngest that is always hungry. I thought having small ground pieces they wouldn't even notice them but I guess I'm just not as sneaky as I though what I'm afraid of is that the two will continue to lick the soup off and leave the bits for Bandit and then I will not really know who's eating what (can't watch them eat every meal ) will slices work better than ground or are they just getting lazy and enjoying the fact that they don't have to chew
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Post by mamapanda20 on May 14, 2010 8:22:13 GMT -5
I guess the little guys don't like the texture of ground meat much I have tried it in soups by itself smothered in ferritone but they just gag and choke and spit it out at me every time. I do have some positive movement though I cut up a frozen chicken breast into tiny pieces this morning and they all chowed down on it even while it was halfway frozen ( or maybe because it was frozen ) anyway its raw meat that's not soup so I guess it's a step up
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Post by Heather on May 14, 2010 19:13:32 GMT -5
Sounds like you've hit on the proper mix for your little ones. As I mentioned there's no real right way only the way that works for your little ones . Getting them to eat whole meat is a big step forward They may have decided that their soupy shouldn't be lumpy....it should be smooth but are starting to enjoy the taste of raw food and prefer the texture of whole meats . ciao
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Post by sherrylynne on May 15, 2010 20:01:56 GMT -5
Min, for the most part, refuse ground. But, they will take finely minced(by hand of course ) meats!
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Post by mamapanda20 on May 17, 2010 12:32:50 GMT -5
I am so happy! after just a couple of days on plain mussel meat I decided to try a Cornish game hen last night my little ones acted like I had given them the best food ever! they were riping and tearing at the flesh and fighting over the best pieces and crunching on bones! I have never seen them so happy to eat before it was just food now it seemed like food and entertainment all in one
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Post by Heather on May 17, 2010 15:17:39 GMT -5
Congratulations, I'm so happy for you and your little ones. It's really quite amazing to watch a ferret eat species appropriate food vs kibble.....sometimes makes you wonder why you would feed anything else ciao
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Post by sherrylynne on May 18, 2010 22:53:45 GMT -5
Oh, that is excellent! Congrats to both you and your babies I love it when mine fight over the same piece of meat
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Post by mamapanda20 on Jun 3, 2010 9:12:40 GMT -5
I think I am done switching them over they will eat any meat I put in front of them now except for organ meat ( I still have to turn that into a soup for them to eat it) so I thought I would put up my feeding schedule and let you check it for me and see if its well balanced. Monday AM chicken PM organ soup Tuesday AM beef PM chicken Wednesday AM CGH PM game meat (whatever I can get ) Thursday AM pork PM Organ soup Friday AM turkey PM Beef Saturday AM CGH PM game Sunday AM Pork PM Chicken some days they seem hungry in between meals I have given them snacks of raw eggs ox tails and chicken necks. I try to vary the cuts and use bone in as much as possible even if the bones are too big for them sometimes they get some marrow out and the chicken is always a whole chicken cut into portions so eventually they get all the parts. Thanks for all your help my guys love the new diet and look healthier already
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Post by sherrylynne on Jun 3, 2010 19:58:14 GMT -5
Good rule of thumb for a raw diet. Bone in meats(and make sure they are actually eating the bone!) 3-4 days a week Muscle meats, 2 days a week Organ meals, one meal a week(chicken liver size piece of liver, same size other organ if possible) one meal a week, or split that for several meals. The other meal that day, whatever you want! Even if they are eating the bone you are feeding, I'd add a bit more in. When done by separate meals, out of 14, they should be getting 6-8 bone in meals a week. Right now, it looks like you are feeding 5, unless I'm mistaken?
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