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Post by desertram on Jun 27, 2008 16:13:08 GMT -5
Need info on what to do to start our fuzzies on a raw diet just dont know how to go about to do it some of these ferrets dont like chicken we have tryed to give them some cooked and only 2 of the 7 will eat it we heard that some ppl have given there ferrets mealworms is that ok to give them? any help would be great. thanks
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Post by josiesmom on Jun 28, 2008 9:50:27 GMT -5
I suppose you could give them meal worms, but SUPERworms would be better. Mainly because they are easier for the ferret to pick up and because of their size have more nutrients to offer.
Crickets too can be given to ferrets as well as night crawlers.
But these items should only be seen as treats or delicassies, not a real significant part of their diet.
Cheers, Kim
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Post by mustelidmusk on Jun 28, 2008 10:30:29 GMT -5
Hi I recomend tha you read tsome of the newbie threads, especially the mentor program threads because there are some things you'll want to deide before starting out.
Specifically, the 2 primary questions youu'll want to answer are: 1. what types ifof diet am I intereted in feeding??? commercial raw frozen, commercial freeze-dried raw, raw meaty boes, whole prey, a mix??? if feeding a mix, what do you primarily want to feed, and what might be occasional treats? Logistically, what can I afford? how much flexibility do I need in terms of leaving my ferrets unattended for work (long hours, travel (needing bab sitters who might be feeding them, etc.)
2. DO I wan to fast-switch or slow switch my ferrets??
Here are some more questions we have for you? 1. How many ferets will you be switching? 2 What are their ages?
Please ask questions you may have about the different switching approaches and/or the various diet options. We'll be happy to help you arrive at a diet that works for both you and your ferrets.
Once we undersand your situation, prefernces, and needs, we can help you through the switching process!
-jennifer
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Post by desertram on Jun 30, 2008 19:31:35 GMT -5
thanks we have 7 ferrets with the oldest being 2 years the rest are 9-10 month old would like to start out as just a treat and see how they do on it we have given cook chicken and only 2 really went nuts over it the rest just look and did a whatever look at us lol thats where we are now cause we are feeding dry now and are going to get them on a diff one was thinking about getting them on wellness core catfood it has 50% protien in it and no fillers no sugar what are your thoughts on it. need a good dry to get them on for now so please help tyvm
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Post by Heather on Jul 1, 2008 23:23:41 GMT -5
Is there a particular reason why you want to continue to feed kibble? I'm not being forward. With 7 fuzzies the cost of feeding a raw or natural diet would cost you about as much as a good high quality kibble. Short term costs you might come ahead in plain up front cost. Long term, the costs that you save in vet bills, teeth cleaning and just the longevity of your furchild is immeasurable. Switching 7 ferts is no easy task but you do mention that most of your furbabies are under the age of 2. I've found that with a bit of time and patience you can get a healthy fuzzie under the age 2 to convert quite readily and any furchild under the age of 1 year practically without any effort on your part. I've found the benefits are huge. Healthier, happier ferrets. Lush coats, better disease resistance, cleaner healthier teeth (this also give to a healthier overall bearing, bad teeth contribute to heart disease, poor digestion which can lead to IBD, ulcers and other digestive problems. Raw fed ferrets recouperate better from illness, and seem to live longer when disease finally strikes. This of course is only my opinion, but it is strongly supported by this group. I hope that you will consider my words and check out some of the other arguments that you may find on this list. Good luck.... ;D I'm afraid I can't really help you in the better type kibble catagory as I haven't fed kibble in over 10 yrs. All furbabies that are brought into my rescue/sanctuary are converted to a natural diet, age doesn't matter. My last 2 rescues were to tiny little marshals girls ages 6 or 7 and a grandmother fert of 9 going on 10 yrs. JMO of course
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Post by desertram on Jul 2, 2008 12:13:40 GMT -5
well the reason is we have 2 that love anything we put in front of them and 5 that just look at it and walk away so i think the 5 are going to be a little harder and slower to change over to raw we total want them all on raw everything that i have read from this site has really open my eyes on there health. thats why i came here for help lastnite i got some superworms and pinkies well and a treat and omg i will post info about it but till i can get them off of kibble i need the best kibble i can feed them. thanks for all the help so far
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Post by Forum Administrator on Jul 2, 2008 13:17:15 GMT -5
well the reason is we have 2 that love anything we put in front of them and 5 that just look at it and walk away so i think the 5 are going to be a little harder and slower to change over to raw we total want them all on raw everything that i have read from this site has really open my eyes on there health. thats why i came here for help lastnite i got some superworms and pinkies well and a treat and omg i will post info about it but till i can get them off of kibble i need the best kibble i can feed them. thanks for all the help so far In my personal opinion, keeping kibble around only makes it harder to switch. If you use tough love and you get your babies on raw and dont offer kibble they wont have a CHOICE, they will HAVE to switch I just switched a VERY finicky 8 year old (De) and a super picky 6 year old (Sams) they had no clue that raw was even food! But now they come running to the fridge because they know that is where "food" comes from. With patience and determination (and help and guidance from us of course!) we can help you get your babies onto raw. No kibble required
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Post by desertram on Jul 2, 2008 14:25:02 GMT -5
cool i cant wait till we try the pinkies today that is going to be funny to watch them now its ok for them to eat the whole thing ? bones and everything? want to make sure before we do it (fang) is the one we need to watch she just woofed the superworms down in two bites lol this weekend i will buy some chicken wings since its on sale here cheep. and feed them some thanks everyone for the help.
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Post by Forum Administrator on Jul 2, 2008 15:43:07 GMT -5
Yes, they can eat the whole thing. Bones and all
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