Hocus and Pocus's Raw Diet

[Forum Administrator]

A good natural diet will CERTAINLY help to "beef up" even the scrawniest ferret. It cant make them bigger then genetics will allow but it will certainly help them to meet their growth potential to the fullest. At least from what I have found anway.

[meli]

I'm sure it does. There's nothing negative in fresh, whole meat versus stupid commerical junk food.

Anyhow I bought a salmon filet from the pacific it says its wild caught the brand is aqua star. I also got a pound of boneless, hormone, antibiotic free beef for $5 bucks and picked up some more chicken breast filets.

Now I'm happy because I found small peices of turkey vertabraes with no meat and hardly any bone just very small peices! Woohoo they're eating all their bone! I chopped up 2 wingettes for them bone and all and threw in some more gizzards. Once they're on raw for a week I'm going to start spreading out how much of what they get throughout the week. I need to pick up some mealworms and waxworms.

[meli]

So the boys had a feast with cut up wingettes and boneless beef. They ate a lot of bone which I am very happy about. Today is going to be boneless chicken breast (handful), boneless beef(palm size), two turkey necks(cut up), and two wingettes(cut up). They seem to be doing better with the chicken wingettes cup up. Its easier for them to carry and hold on to. Either that or I'm spoiling them?

[Forum Administrator]

lol you are too funny Meli. Im happy to hear that the boys are doing well. Thank you for continuing to update us on their progress! Its great to see them taking to the diet so quickly!

[meli]

I like it this way..therefore when someone is looking over what I'm giving they can catch if I'm doing something wrong or missing something.

[meli]

The boys are eating great! They cleaned their bowl last night of chopped wingettes and turkey breast. WOOHOO! They still have some runny poops. I think they're getting use to the beef in their diet now. So today is boneless beef, boneless chicken breast, turkey necks(chopped), and a stella&chewy beef patty with organic broth(watered down a bit).

[Forum Administrator]

Yay! Let me know when you are ready for a "feeding schedule evaluation".

[meli]

Okay let me see if I can work on that tomorrow now that they're eating everything I give them.

[Forum Administrator]

And just so you know, you dont need to follow a strict schedule each week. The only thing you need to be strict about is the whole

4 days a week of raw meaty bones
2 days a week of muscle meat
1 day a week of organ meat

Well that and the whole "providing variety" thing (provide a variety of meats, ages of meats, parts/cuts of meats, and get your meat from more then one provider).

I dont feed the same way each week, and I dont think you SHOULD feed the same way each week. When you post your schedule, what I am really looking for is if you are providing the proper ratios of meat/bone/organ, if you are including variety, etc, etc.

Doesnt have to be fancy, or complicated. Good luck

[meli]

Okay so heres the deal started with I have for them today:

Monday: Boneless Chicken Breast(Less then a handful),Boneless beef(palm size);1 Stella and Chewy beef patty, 2 Wingettes,2 Peices of turkey neck

Tues:Less then Handful of Gizzards,Palm size of livers,2Wingettes,Handful of turkey breast,2 Chicken hearts

Weds: Boneless Beef(palm size),2 wingettes,2 Peices of turkey neck,1 Stella and Chewy Beef Patty(with organic watered down chicken broth)

Thurs: 2 Wingettes, 2 turkey neck peices, Chicken thigh cut up,Turkey Breast (handful)

Friday: 4 Wingettes(morning and at night),2 turkey neck peices

Sat: Turkey breast, 1 whole chicken thigh bone included(cut up)

Sunday: Two chicken thighs cut up, 1 stella and chewy patty moist

I need to pick them up some more wingettes,thighs and turkey necks this week. Probably tomorrow. Anyway this what I have been normally feeding them, but now that eat more bone I adding in more of it. They've been eating the turkey necks right down to the core and wingettes are another one. I've been finding bones everywhere in their cage lol Once I start feeding mice which will be in the next couple weeks( :(I might pick some up from petsmart while I wait for my order in the mail once payday comes) I plan to give a small and large mouse about 3 times a week along. Tell me what you think. On the days they don't eat the bone, the next day I sprinkle eggshell on their boneless meat. I want to make sure they're getting their calcium. Oh and mealworms along with waxworms will be their treats maybe about twice a week.

[Forum Administrator]

Monday: Boneless Chicken Breast(Less then a handful),Boneless beef(palm size);1 Stella and Chewy beef patty, 2 Wingettes,2 Peices of turkey neck

On this day, it might be better to give a chicken leg or thigh. Legs and thighs are higher in taurine then chicken breasts. Its also easier because the meat is ON the bone, and you dont have to worry about giving a wingette in addition to the breast meat. You can let them split a thigh, and then you can give them the beef, the patty, and the turkey neck. I think that would be enough bone for them.

Tues:Less then Handful of Gizzards,Palm size of livers,2Wingettes,Handful of turkey breast,2 Chicken hearts

This looks good to me. Be sure to alternate the part of turkey you give (legs, wings, thighs, and breast)

Weds: Boneless Beef(palm size),2 wingettes,2 Peices of turkey neck,1 Stella and Chewy Beef Patty(with organic watered down chicken broth)

This looks okay.

Thurs: 2 Wingettes, 2 turkey neck peices, Chicken thigh cut up,Turkey Breast (handful)

On this day it might be easier to feed a hunk of cut up TURKEY THIGH meat, and then toss them some segments of a turkey neck. JMHO.

Friday: 4 Wingettes(morning and at night),2 turkey neck peices

Lots of bone here. You've already provided bone on the four other days. I would give them a break from the bone. On this day I would give JUST boneless meat (no need to add eggshell if they are eating bones the other days. How about some bonless lamb, veal, or pork? I know some of these meats can be $$$ but if you find them "on sale" (as in the store has to sell the meat FAST because it expires in 1 day) you can get a pretty good deal.

Sat: Turkey breast, 1 whole chicken thigh bone included(cut up)

I would let them have some meat from a turkey leg (this has skin, sinew, etc that a turkey breast does not). Again, no need to worry about bone on this day if you've provided it the other 4 days of the week.

Sunday: Two chicken thighs cut up, 1 stella and chewy patty moist

Looks good

[Forum Administrator]

Wanted to add, the other Holistic Ferret Mentors can look this over as well and add their $0.02. I want multiple opinions here.

[buzzonesbirdie]

it looks good but instead of bonless chicken breast just feed thiegs. i do not feed bonless chicken of any kind. also you might wnat to get some cornish game hens. they are easy to cut up and provide a slight varitaion to chicken. PS i feed bone everyday.

[Forum Administrator]

Honestly, I dont see a problem with feeding bone everyday (as long as a decent amount of meat is offered on the same day) For example, chicken thighs, and chicken legs are fine to offer daily. They have a decent amount of meat on the bone. That one day where you offer the necks and the wingettes (and just that) thats a bit too boney. I would swap out that day (atleast) for a boneless day, or for a chicken thigh, wing, or leg.

[amyandfuzzies6]

I don't do any none-bone days either unless it's a gizzard or heart day with egg as another meal. I would recommend skip the boneless breast and use skin on bone in if you wanted the variety. My ferrets are stubborn and only eat the Cornish Game Hen but those are good because there's a lot of smaller edible bones.