Switching over thread

[jules]

Isn't heart a good source of taurine? He really loves chicken hearts. I could up that maybe give him one every day? I usually give him hearts and gizzard twice a week The gizzards he is really picky about for some reason. I bought a bunch in a container like I do the hearts and I have to rinse them off or he won't touch them, but the one straight out of a whole chicken he takes no problem.
I have plenty of egg shell still.
I can put that in the cubes for him.

Rufus finished off the home ground and I tried to use the ground I had leftover from Stitch and Lucy's switch and I had to put a little kibble in it, not much but he wasn't going for it plain. I have so much duck in the freezer I will probably chop that up and work into the ground for him first.
He is such a funny little guy, he will stand on his hind legs sniffing at what I am doing almost the whole time I am fixing his food. It's so cute.

[sherrylynne]

Ok, I'd forgotten that you're giving heart already Sure, you can give him one a day, or even just a couple meals of it a week if you like!
Yeah, mine will haunt me in the kitchen when I'm fixing the food if they are in there

[jules]

Funny you should use the word haunt, that is kind of how Stitch seems to do it, the kitchen will be empty and quit and the next thing i see Stitch appear out of nowhere and makes me jump sometimes. He is so sneaky.

[jules]

Good news with Rufus. I am able to cut up chicken, duck, cornish hen and heart now and he will eat it, but only if I crumble a tiny bit of kibble on top of it. I leave a little bit bigger chunk in his cage at night and it is gone in the morning.
I'm going to try some cut up wing tip tonight with his pieces and see how it goes.

[sherrylynne]

That is excellent news! Good for you, Rufus ! While you may still have to use the kibble crumbs as a lure right now, he will ultimately take the meat without, so I'd not worry too much about it

[jules]

It didn't take long, Rufus is completely off of kibble and stashing food now...found him with a old piece of duck, phew! I know where he stashes stuff now.
I caught him and Stitch playing tug-o-war with a chicken wing, that is when I realized he is completely switched, it was Stitch's food. Rufus had eaten all of his and wanted more obviously.

That was really simple this time around. I didn't waste half as much as I did switching Lucy and Stitch.
Thank you for all your input and help with this, it made it a lot easier.

[sherrylynne]

That's wonderful So, Rufus is now eating meat/bone/organ like a champ I gather

[jules]

Yes he is, like he has been doing it all his life.
I got him to try some egg this morning, he wasn't sure what to think of it but he did take a few licks.
Gizzards he isn't sure about either, but he may have gotten that from Stitch, who doesn't seem to like it anymore.

Duck, chicken, cornish hen, the meat and bones along with liver and heart. All eaten right up no problems now.
Although the duck did last a long time, it is really expensive so I may have to find another source of meat next time around. Not sure what yet, I suppose I can use turkey till then. I can't seem to get the beef going at all.

[sherrylynne]

Have you ever tried pork with them? My guys all love it As for the gizzards, try leaving it off the menu for a couple of months, and reintroduce. If mine think they've had a bit too much of a particular meat, they start refusing it. When reintroduced after they've had time to forget they didn't want it, they dive right back in

[jules]

No, i haven't tried pork. I hadn't really thought about it because of the dangers of it for us humans, but, if they can eat raw poultry I don't see the harm in pork. I eat plenty of it so I will give that a go. And I will try keeping the gizzards off the menu as you suggested. Thanks.

[sherrylynne]

As for the beef, maybe try a different cut, if you haven't already. They can also have some fish, goat, lamb, rabbit, etc

[jules]

Rufus is eating beef no problem now. I had some tiny bits chopped up from when I tried to get Stitch to eat it and broke it out again and Rufis ate it up no problem. Woohoo!
I think Stitch will come around though, he is just a stubborn brat.
Rufus is being stubborn about the straight liver though.....I have to coax him to eat a little but he does okay and eats a tiny bit and calls it quits.
All in all I think we are gonna make it!

[sherrylynne]

That sounds great!