|
|
Post by Forum Administrator on Jun 25, 2008 14:34:34 GMT -5
Their poops have been kinda tarry with some yellowish mucus looking stuff, but the beef they've been eating is kinda bloody compared to turkey and chicken. They're activity levels are beyond crazy! These guys get so hyper when its play time its nuts lol So I know they're not sick or anything because they eat, pee, poop, sleep and play! lol Today they're getting a handful of gizzards with a teaspoon of heavy cream, 3 chicken hearts, 2 1/2 chicken livers, they also have a left over wingette in their cage from last night which I'll remove if they haven't eaten it by the time I add the hearts and livers to their bowl. My dad use to get beef heart like crazy! I guess I'll be stuck ordering it because I haven't found any here. Sometimes living in the country bites  Sometimes natural diet poopies can just look a little weird. I think it was amyandfuzzies7 that was talking about how on a natural diet poop doesnt matter that much? I dunno, can't remember. Anywhoo, they sound fine, so I wouldnt worry. Good luck finding the beef heart. Its a good source of taruine (and its pretty cheap if you can find it). I'm suprised that you cant find beef heart out in the country, I would think it'd be easier to find in the country then in the city. Oh well. BTW- Expect some crazy poops after you feed them the liver, cream, and gizzards. Between the richness of the cream, the high vitamin A of the liver, and the lack of bone content you are going to have quite the "colorful" poopies lol! Im telling you this just so you are prepared (ya gotta feed liver, its really important. Just be ready for some "fun" haha! You might wanna skip the cream today, or you could have an explosion of yummy, watery poop  |
|
|
|
Post by meli on Jun 25, 2008 14:39:15 GMT -5
 well they already had the cream this morning lol too late haha Its okay now I know lol No more cream on organ day lol I'm just concerned about Pocus being so small so the cream is really meant for him and Hocus has some good weight on him. Ya I figured it would be easy to find anything here being theres TONS of cow farms everywhere. We have no butcher shops that I'm a aware of. I'll have to do a search and see what I come up with. I don't think I have the stomach to dig through barrels of stuff though 
|
|
|
|
Post by Forum Administrator on Jun 25, 2008 14:46:24 GMT -5
Just so you know Pocus might just be naturally smaller then Hocus. Not all ferrets are the same size. If he's tiny that's one thing (he can always hit a growth spurt later) if he's scrawny thats something different. If you cant feel prominant ribs or bones, he's probably fine. I know its only natural to worry, but honestly, I think he'll be okay, even if he is smaller then his bro.
|
|
|
|
Post by meli on Jun 25, 2008 18:33:09 GMT -5
He's not scrawny. He's just smaller then Hocus. Pocus eats like a pig though so I know its not cause he's not eating. He's the runt and they had to had feed him in the petstore because he was being bullied by his litter mates. So the cream was an awesome idea! Help him build up some weight.
|
|
|
|
Post by meli on Jun 26, 2008 15:32:32 GMT -5
Giuli the poops were not bad. So these guys scarfed down the handful of gizzards with a teaspoon of cream, 2 1/2 livers, 3 chicken hearts, and I gave them a whole chicken thigh with bone and skin. They ate everything!! Left some bone today which I let them keep. Today they had a hanful of boneless organic beef with a teaspoon of cream, and two wingettes so far.
Am I feeding them to much or is it okay to give them what they'll eat through out the day? Also can I give them chicken thigh on a daily basis along with other boneless meats? Once I do grocery again I'm gonna grab some turkey thighs and order some beef heart off the site.
|
|
|
|
Post by Forum Administrator on Jun 26, 2008 16:14:31 GMT -5
Giuli the poops were not bad. Phew! Thank goodness, I was worried that could get messy if potty accidents occured. Am I feeding them to much or is it okay to give them what they'll eat through out the day?When Fugue and Mizu were kits I was like "I have GOT to be feeding them too much!" Turns out I wasnt feeding enough! I was in disbelief at how much they ate! They ate what your boys do and MORE!!! I'd be shocked if a kit got too fat. Just let them eat their fill. Once they hit 6-7 months they will calm down with the eating ALOT. Fugue and Mizu used to eat a chicken wing and leg, a mouse, AND a palm sized piece of meat EACH every day. Now they eat 1 wing or leg each, and like 1 mouse per day. So definitly saw a reduction of food intake when they "grew up". Also can I give them chicken thigh on a daily basis along with other boneless meats? chicken thighs are great because they are high in taurine and are nice and fatty. MY only concearn is that there can be SO much meat on a chicken thigh that they fill up on the meat and dont even touch the bone. What I would do is trim some of the meat off (and save it) so that they dont get filled up on meat and leave the bone. You can give some chicken thigh daily. However, I would be sure to include wings and legs each week as well. Thighs have dark meat and are high in taurine, but wings are nice because they have lots of cartilidge and are a bit bonier. All in all I feel balance is imporant. Once I do grocery again I'm gonna grab some turkey thighs and order some beef heart off the site.Sounds like a plan  Get those babys used to as many different foods as possible. It will make your life easier in the long run. I just went to the store myself and picked up about $50 worth of meat from the grocery store: 1 package turkey thighs 1 package turkey wings 1 package turkey legs 1 package chicken wings 1 package chicken legs 1 package chicken thighs 1 tub chicken liver 1 package chicken gizzards and heart 1 huge a** hunk of organic beef 1 huge a** hunk of organic pork 1 carton of organic, free-range large brown chicken eggs Lamb wasnt on sale so I didnt grab any. I'm going to pick up some veal and cornish game hen later this week. All this meat will last my ferrets (4 including b/f's ferret) and cat for 1.5-2 months. Now if my ferrets were still kits I would be lucky if it lasted a month! One thing I can say for sure is that I DO NOT miss the "kit garbage disposal" phase 
|
|
|
|
Post by meli on Jun 26, 2008 18:07:39 GMT -5
Okay that makes me feel better. Ya I will add more variety to their diets, especially when I start working later on this year. I cut up the chicken thigh and break it in two. Its enough bone and meat to fill their bowl. i was lucky enough to pick up a HUGE package of chicken thighs for 3.47! Not bad if you ask me. Turkey thighs only have like 4 in them and cost a bit more then the thighs! Bah lol I really need to check out sams clubs since I do have a membership there. I bet they have good prices on meat for the entire family lol I just wish my freezer wasn't so small!!
Today they ate a raw scrabbled egg, but paid no attention to the shell. Not a problem in my opinion because they have been eating the bone. What do you think?
|
|
|
|
Post by Forum Administrator on Jun 26, 2008 18:12:02 GMT -5
I think they are fine without the shell. sounds like you are getting them plenty of bone I hear that sams club/walmart has some pretty good deals on raw foods. Definitly worth checking out. On a side note, I dont even have a full sized fridge/freezer (its not a mini, but I am taller then my fridge). I can fit 25 pounds of whole prey and about 25 pounds of raw in there if I position it all right. But on a side note there are no frozen items in there for me. Just for the ferrets. |
|
|
|
Post by quill on Jun 26, 2008 18:59:29 GMT -5
On a side note, I dont even have a full sized fridge/freezer (its not a mini, but I am taller then my fridge). I can fit 25 pounds of whole prey and about 25 pounds of raw in there if I position it all right. But on a side note there are no frozen items in there for me. Just for the ferrets. Do we ferrents spoil our kids or what!! Not only do they take over our house but our freezers, too!!! |
|
|
|
Post by meli on Jun 26, 2008 19:05:31 GMT -5
Thats funny cause my hubby was looking for the ice cream in our freeze but it was burried in ferret frozen food he gave me this look and said "wish I could find stuff in here" It was funny |
|
|
|
Post by Forum Administrator on Jun 27, 2008 13:05:12 GMT -5
Meli, just wanted to let you know that now that your babies are officially switched, if you havent already, it might be a good idea to start popping in to the yahoo! group NaturalFerrets. I know yahoo! lists suck (the format) BUT there are many many senior raw feeders on there and it would be wise to make use of their knowledge. I try and advise all my "completed switchers" to get on there and post a bit. I still want you to say on HF, but I want you to "broaden your horizons" by getting a bit of NaturalFerret's info as well. Sound good? pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/NaturalFerrets/You'll probably run in to the Holistic Ferret Mentors on there. This is where THEY go to ask THEIR questions on natural diet (I do too). Let me know if you get any good info out of here. |
|
|
|
Post by meli on Jun 27, 2008 21:05:35 GMT -5
Cool! I'll have to check that out this week!
Yay I graduate haha Anywho todays been another smooth day. Left over turkey breast, 1 whole chicken thigh with bone, and two drumlettes(meatier wing part lol) with a teaspoon of cream. They won't have any cream tomorrow. Just two stella patties with watered down organic chicken broth and a chicken drumstick.
Sunday will be boneless chicken breast all day. Give them a break off bone for that day.
|
|
|
|
Post by Forum Administrator on Jun 28, 2008 18:27:44 GMT -5
Now that you've completed the switch, have had your feeding schedule reviewd, and been advised to check out NaturalFerrets, its time to retire this thread to the "newbie switch archive"!  No one (yourself included) will be able to post in this thread anymore once its been moved to the archive. Please begin posting your diet-related questions in the "whole prey" "raw" or "general feeding questions and discussion" area. We encourage EVERYONE that is archived to continue posting. Feeding a natural diet is a learning PROCESS, there is much to learn after making the switch. Feel free to jump in and help to answer newbie questions. One of the ways you can learn is through teaching. We hope you stick around (I have a feeling you will ) so that we can celebrate the 1 year anniversary of starting your kids on raw with you!  Hooray, Meli! You are the first person to be "archived"! |
|
|
|
Post by Forum Administrator on Sept 22, 2008 16:44:30 GMT -5
This is being posted for Meli. I sent her this 3 month evaluation form and her responses are below the questions (which are in bold): Three (3) Months Since the Switch- EVALUATION #1: 1. Since switching to a natural diet, what are the most noticable changes you have noticed in your ferret(s). Please be specific. I would have to say size. Since the boys have been raw and whole prey their size and mass is beyond crazy. Pocus who was the runt has nearly tripled the size of hocus! He's astonishing. Their fur is softer then those whom are fed kibble..I know this because I visit our local petland and play with the baby ferts. 2. Have you filled out the "Natural Diet Survey"? (If not, please do by going to the following link: holisticferret.proboards80.com/in....play&thread=241)Already has been completed. 3. Please post a "sample weekly feeding schedule". Basically, give us an idea of what you feed your ferret(s) each week. This way we can review it (again) and let you know if you need to make any changes to ensure proper nutrition. Post your schedule in the following format:MONDAY: Chicken feet, chicken wings TUESDAY:Chicken thighs, pork chunks WEDNESDAY: 3 adult mice THURSDAY: Veal Heart, chicken feet FRIDAY: Beef chunks, pork chunks SATURDAY: Chicken liver, chicken wings SUNDAY: Chicken thighs Their diet varys now but mainly this is kinda whats been staple. They get a variety and not every week is the same. I include small rats, pinkies for snacks, super worms and crickets for snacks, stella & chewy patties, as well as various meats. 4. Do you have any questions or concerns regarding your ferret(s) diet? None at all. 5. Do you have any new "diet goals" for your ferrets that you would like us to help you with, such as: adding whole prey to the diet, diversifying the types of meat fed, or incorporating freeze-dried or commercial raw foods? If so, please specify. Eventually my boys will be eating a whole prey diet consisting of baby chicks, mice, rats, and possibly a weekly guinea pig. I forsee this in about 3-4 months at the most. I'm pretty confident with doing my own switch, but if I run into questions I'll be sure to post them. 6. How was your experience with the Holistic Ferret Mentor Program? What did you like about the program? What didn't you like? What can we do to make our program better? I loved it! I continue to get the support and answers I look for when I run into new meat types. The mentor system is definetly something I would pass on to others who want a healthier diet for their fuzzbutts. |
|
|
|
Post by Kerit on Jan 12, 2009 19:46:43 GMT -5
6 Months Since the Switch- EVALUATION #2: 1. Its been six months since you and your ferrets graduated from the Holistic Ferret Mentor Program. Are you still feeding a kibble-free, natural diet? If yes, why? If no, why?The boys are 99.9% kibble free. On the rare occasions they accompany me to work for photos or vet visits, I bring a mix of EVO and Archetype-1 just to simplify clean-up. I don't want them to forget that kibble is technically edible, but on their regular schedule they're all raw and whole prey. 3. Please post a "sample weekly feeding schedule". Basically, give us an idea of what you feed your ferret(s) each week. This way we can review it (again) and let you know if you need to make any changes to ensure proper nutrition. Post your schedule in the following format:MONDAY: A.M. one each, NV medallion (rotating bags of different formulas) P.M. one each, adult mouse TUESDAY: A.M. one chicken leg, to share P.M. one each, adult mouse WEDNESDAY: A.M. one each, chicken wingette P.M. giblets/hearts/one NV medallion THURSDAY: A.M. half chicken thigh to share P.M. one each, adult mouse FRIDAY: A.M. one each, NV medallion P.M. other half chicken thigh SATURDAY: A.M. Archetype-1 P.M. one each, adult mouse SUNDAY: A.M. one each, chicken wingette P.M. giblets/hearts/one NV medallion Amidst all that, they get superworms, a couple crickets, some liver, and small amounts of beef when it's on the human's menu. Everything else is chicken because that's what I have a ton of right now; when the chicken stash gets low I'll pick up some turkey. I also have pinkies and frozen chicks for every once in awhile. 4. Do you have any questions or concerns regarding your ferret(s) diet?Whenever I think of any, I post them! 5. After switching to a natural diet I'm sure you noticed numerable changes immediately. After six months of feeding naturally, what would you say is the most notable improvement in your ferret's health?Hocus and Pocus are my first natural feeders and my first kits, too, so everything about them is different from my other ferrets. They have energy to spare and their coats are gorgeous, and I hope they stay that way. |
|
