Is KMR milk ok to fat-up ferrets?

[tzari]

Hi

My hob get very thin in the breeding season(right now he is on Kibble and meat I will change it to 100% barf when I have learned the last i need). I was told KMR or Escilac would be good to give him some more "fat" in his body.

Is it ok to use Milk-replacement to this? Or dont it work or maybee have to much sucker or some other problems?
Is KMR or Escilac best for ferrets?
If so how much and how often should I offer it to him?
Is there a better alternativ?

His weight get from 1700-1200 every year . I would prefer if i could "force" him to be at 1500-1700 I dont like when he is so thin

[sherrylynne]

For your breeding jills and babies, KMR would be ideal. For your hob, I really think I'd try to increase the fat content in his diet first, since that would be a more natural way to go about it. Chicken with the fat and skin left on, meat cuts with the fat still there, not trimmed off. Even salmon oil supplements. Though I don't think the KMR would hurt him though.
How much you'd give him really, I think, depends on his size. The times I've used it for mine(generally when they've been babies, or ill), I mix in about 1/2 tsp of powdered into a soup for them, and I've given this daily.

[tzari]

Thanks for that answer then i give him a little milk intill my barf is "working" and then try to get him more fat in the food.

Right now he got the Kibble: Orijen(40% protein, 45% fat,80%meat) and Applaws(47% protein,20% fat and 80% meat) and beside that meat. So he should lack any thing ) But hope the barf will solve that problem

[sherrylynne]

It should! If he's been getting a fair bit of kibble, you might notice a bit of a weight drop at first, but soon he will simply pack on more muscle

[Heather]

A friend uses lactol to fatten up her hobs after an active season. She only uses it a couple of months before season and the same after. For her jills she feeds this for one year prior to breeding and for another year after to replace the jills reserves. I will double check the time line if you like. I realize that each breeder has their own favourite way of feeding and boosting their little ones both before and after an active season.
Sherrylynne is right for the most part we usually increase the fat to increase weight on our sprites and jibs. This usually works very well. You may see what might be a perceived weight loss but if you actually weigh your hob when he goes full on raw, he will probably have gained weight. There is a different weight distribution between raw and kibble fed ferrets. I had a little kibble fed boy in for fertsitting and he was so huge, but when I put him on the scales he didn't weigh any more than my more skinny ferts. My guys carry more lean muscle while the kibble fuzzy carried jiggly fat.
ciao

[mustelidmusk]

OK Heather - no more comments about that jiggly fat... you're making me feel self-conscious (I sould stand to lose more than a pound or two!!!)

On a more serious note, the KMR/mil-replacers work fine as supplements. Hobs can lose a LOT of weight from being in season. The seasonal weight loss is much less dramatic in raw fed ferrets. I assume this will also be true for whole hobs as well.

You'll love the results you'll see when you switch to a raw diet.
-jennifer