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Post by otterwoman on Dec 7, 2010 21:40:30 GMT -5
So it's been a little over a month I've been feeding raw. I just had an amazing experience. I picked up my little Dutzi- my only girl, the most inquisitive and best escaper of all my ferrets, who has always been tiny and skinny. I picked her up and had to stare at her- 'Are you really my little Dutzi???' She never felt so solid nor did her belly ever seem so full. For a minute I couldn't even believe it was her! I was hoping she'd gain weight on this diet, and I'm starting to see a result!
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Post by sherrylynne on Dec 7, 2010 22:01:34 GMT -5
I love that kind of result Like I believed I'd mentioned before, when we got Zeus and Athena as fosters, I'd forgotten just how "squishy" kibble fed ferts are. Now? Muscular, solid, strong! Yet one more reason to feed a species appropriate diet
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Post by sherrylynne on Dec 7, 2010 22:02:17 GMT -5
I'm also thinking your guys are doing so well, that once they are reliably eating bone for their teeth, we can get you graduated!
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Post by otterwoman on Dec 8, 2010 9:20:15 GMT -5
Well, I put a bowl of 'cubed' cornish hen out last night (I just dumped the whole bag in, only slightly thawed) and this morning it was all gone! But I didn't see who ate it.
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Post by sherrylynne on Dec 8, 2010 10:25:51 GMT -5
That's wonderful ! Ok, are you going to be using cornish hen as your mainstay for bone? I'd like to get a specific menu set up with you if possible, along the lines of: Monday: Bravo duck Tuesday: Bravo turkey/cornish hen Wed.: Beef chunks Thurs: If you get what I mean? I know in the other example menu, you simply used "Bravo fowl", but I'm not sure if it's all mixed fowl, or separate ones, like duck, turkey, chicken, etc.
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Post by otterwoman on Dec 8, 2010 18:34:27 GMT -5
By "fowl" I meant switching back and forth between chicken and turkey. They don't have duck at my store, they have beef, ostrich, and rabbit. By "other" I meant to switch between ostrich, rabbit, and beef (they don't always have each flavor). At this point I think I'll use the cornish hen for bones, nothing else in the store seems small enough. The Marrowbones are huge and they didn't go over, though a friend brought me some smaller ones and the baby gnawed on it. I'll see where she got it. So how's this:
mon Bravo chicken or turkey/ chopped giblets & heart (come together in package in supermarket)/ salmon oil
tues Bravo other (ostrich)/ cornish hen w/ bones
wed Bravo chicken or turkey, pumpkin
thurs Bravo other (rabbit or beef, and different from Tuesday)/cornish hen w/ bones
fri Bravo chicken or turkey/ chopped beef heart
sat Bravo chicken or turkey/ salmon oil
sun Bravo chicken or turkey, pumpkin
alternating between chicken or turkey
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Post by sherrylynne on Dec 8, 2010 19:51:45 GMT -5
That's good. You've got 7 proteins there. And they are doing well on the cornish hen, I'd gather? As for the salmon oil, you can give it more often if you like, and they enjoy it. I give mine salmon oil/fish oil straight up every third day
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Post by otterwoman on Dec 8, 2010 20:47:11 GMT -5
I wonder if they'd go for that for their tricks treat instead of the olive oil? I'll give it a try.
Also if the feed store I go to has duck or lamb (which they said they sometimes get in) I'll grab some up to mix in as well. Are there any other simple small bones I could try that would be like the cornish hen? What I like about that is that it's so easy to cut up. And they can just chew the pieces up and eat them, instead of like a marrow bone, that gets left in the cage.
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Post by sherrylynne on Dec 9, 2010 11:02:36 GMT -5
Not sure what you can get where you are, but I also feed quail, mice, rabbit, turkey necks, duck necks. Just to be sure, since I don't think I've asked it before- the Bravo you feed is the balanced one, right? With meat/bone/organ? Sorry- I was just checking out Bravo online, and they list several varieties, including those without bone!
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Post by otterwoman on Dec 9, 2010 17:53:41 GMT -5
Yes, the balance w/ the bone and organ in addition to meat. I'll keep an eye out for the necks. I started this whole thing by offering them a mouse. I don't know if they'd go for it now, maybe down the line. The only one that doesn't eat mush or cut up stuff is the baby, who gnawed on the marrowbone, but I don't know if I could get myself to cut up a whole mouse.
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Post by otterwoman on Dec 9, 2010 19:49:01 GMT -5
I fed my ferrets tonight by putting their food mix divided in their three bowls. Then I cut up a large piece of beef heart and divided it between the three bowls. Everyone was sleeping. I went out quickly to pick up my dinner. When I got back less than a half hour later, all the beef heart was gone and everyone was still "sleeping." I wonder if it could have been all one culprit or them all? I can't see how one ferret could have eaten all that meat that quickly. Bless their little appetites.
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Post by sherrylynne on Dec 9, 2010 22:02:57 GMT -5
It's either that- or it's stashed somewhere in the bedding You know- if you really are interested on getting them onto whole prey, it's not that difficult. With mine, I started them out with pinkies. Just chopped them in half while still frozen, and mixed it into their meat. Then we moved to "fuzzies", then "hoppers", etc. Your choice, though So- do you have any questions, concerns, etc. ?
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Post by otterwoman on Dec 10, 2010 8:07:03 GMT -5
I can't think of any right now...I'm sure some will come up over time.
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Post by sherrylynne on Dec 10, 2010 11:01:53 GMT -5
All right! I'm going to talk to Heather and get you graduated
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Post by Heather on Dec 10, 2010 14:03:15 GMT -5
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