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Post by sunnyberra on Nov 13, 2010 11:05:41 GMT -5
In comments!
******
So, I noticed that something's missing from my guys' diet. Kidney.
They do get liver in with their ground food and when they have whole prey (very small amount, though. And only the girls eat the whole prey), but there's no kidney (except, once again, the whole prey, but I can't get the boys to try 'em).
I have the opportunity to pick up some beef kidney, and I was wondering, how much and how often?
Thanks, guys!
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Post by Lynxie on Nov 13, 2010 11:10:10 GMT -5
I tried beef kidney with my girls, and they were not impressed at all.
If I remember right though, it's supposed to be 10% of their diet is organs, with half of that being Liver, so maybe, like I do with Liver, a meal a week? I just would pick a day other than your liver day, for the sake of their poops.
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Post by Kerit on Nov 13, 2010 13:18:43 GMT -5
I also serve beef kidney... firstly, my husband was not impressed, as he ended up being the one to cut most of it up, and it smells like... well, kidney. It is NOT my ferret's favorite food, but they'll eat it. Hiding it in ground mix or soup is more successful. They get it a couple times a month.
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Post by sunnyberra on Nov 13, 2010 13:37:36 GMT -5
I was thinking the same thing - hiding it in something (except my youngest girl hates soupies, for some reason. So it'd maybe have to be a ground meal or something). I did find a place online that has pork kidney, do you think that might go over better?
Also, I have another question: since the liver is in the ground food (bone in) (which they get about 4x a week, sometimes a bit more - duck, goose, turkey, quail, pheasant), and they get whole quail (varying ages) once a week/every two weeks, depending, do I need to actually supplement a meal of liver, too? Or would that be too much? I just don't exactly know the ratio of the liver to other stuff in the ground, so I'm kind of scratching my head, now.
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Post by Heather on Nov 13, 2010 17:30:52 GMT -5
If you're feeding commercial ground (or your own mix for that matter) and it already has organ meats in it, unless the level is really low and you feel they need more I wouldn't add a meal of organ meats. I might offer organ meat "in"the other meal that they get but I don't think I would add a "whole" meal of organ meats. That's how I would play it anyway ciao
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Post by sunnyberra on Nov 13, 2010 19:05:04 GMT -5
Thanks, Heather! I think you're right - I might add a bit more organ meat into the ground mix, occasionally, then, but overall, I think they *are* getting enough organ. I appreciate the advice
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Post by katt on Nov 13, 2010 20:42:08 GMT -5
Look for Pork kidney in an oriental market. The organs total (kidney, levier etc. Hearts and gizzards are NOT "organs") should be about 10% of the overall diet, as someone already mentioned. You can feed a tiny bit each day, or feed a larger bit a few days and none other days. Either way works out as long as they have balance overall.
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Post by sunnyberra on Nov 13, 2010 21:21:14 GMT -5
Right. I know we don't have an Oriental market around here, but I did find pork kidney online for a good price, so I can use that. I wasn't too sure about the liver, since it's in their commercial ground already (and they get that 4+ times a week. Plus in the whole prey 1-2x/weekly or 1 every other week, depending). I just wanted to add in a bit more kidney because there's been a lot of talk about it on the forum, and *that* isn't in the ground mix (it's, of course, in the whole prey, but my boys are not fond of the whole prey and don't eat much, if any). I could occasionally mix the kidney in with the ground, like Heather suggested, and I think that'll work (right? That sounds okay?) to ensure balance.
Thanks!
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Post by Heather on Nov 13, 2010 23:24:14 GMT -5
I find that I have to have a really light touch with the whole addition of kidneys....they don't like the smell. A little bit goes a long way. They're ok with 2 day old rabbit but they whine about some kidney ciao
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Post by sunnyberra on Nov 13, 2010 23:27:10 GMT -5
ugh, thanks for the head up! Knowing my guys, they'll kick up a major fuss, but it's worth a shot (plus, it won't go to waste with all the other critters in my house, )
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Post by sunnyberra on Dec 8, 2010 10:40:16 GMT -5
Okay, so guess what I found? Ground rabbit organs (50% liver and 25% kidney) that I had divvied up into snack bags and froze.
I've seen people say 1/2 tablespoon of the organ added if the ground food already contains organ (which mine does), so is that 1/2 tablespoon per *ferret* or just 1 half tablespoon mixed in with the whole meal and then* that* meal divided between the ferrets? Also, would once a week of the "enhanced" ground be often enough? (I hope that question makes sense, I couldn't think of a better way to phrase it).
(I also plan on buying the ground beef organ mix from hare-today, since it offers almost everything in it (liver, kidney, lungs, trachea, gullet), and I think I can sneak a bit into ground food more easily than chopping kidney or pancreas or something!)
Sorry for hounding you guys with this, but organ ratios are tricky things (for me, anyway)!
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Post by sherrylynne on Dec 9, 2010 17:26:14 GMT -5
I'm thinking 1/2 tbsp per ferret, mixed into one meal a week(or split between the four meals of grind). Liver/organ is 10% of their diet. Your's are now getting small amounts 4-5 days a week. And one tbsp would be about one half ounce. So half would be a quarter ounce(approx). Added to what they are already getting, it should be good.
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Post by sunnyberra on Dec 9, 2010 17:43:41 GMT -5
great! thank you so much
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