Summer and winter... huh?

[eschimpf]

I've seen this brought up many times...

My fuzzie eats only so much during winter and summer.

What does that mean? Why is summer and winter so important?

[Heather]

Your not raw feeding yet? or are in the process right? When you start raw feeding the first year they will eat like little piggies as their bodies try to make up for lost nutrients. After that year (this is approx) in the spring around their spring shed they will suddenly stop eating. Their food intake probably drops by half. It's scary when it first happens, it's that significant. It happens overnight. Suddenly, they're not eating barely at all in comparison. They will go like that all summer. Around Aug/Sept all of a sudden, you will have little furry pigs again and they will be eating you out of house and home. They're putting on winter weight. On raw that too can be significant....I've had guys put on 4,5, 6 oz in the space of a couple of weeks....they loose it that way too in the spring. That is why I tell anyone who will listen to keep a monthly log of ferret weights. You will find over a couple of seasons that they put on and loose approx. the same amount every year. Any losses of more or less are a red flag.
ciao

[eschimpf]

I already started a weekly weigh chart, I do this with my guinea pig anyway.

Thanks! I couldn't understand what everyone was talking about