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Post by rmzsuzuki89 on Dec 24, 2010 23:31:31 GMT -5
How long should I leave raw food (chicken, organs, etc...) in the feeding bowl? I don't wanna leave it out too long and have Titan eating bad meat.
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Post by sunnyberra on Dec 25, 2010 1:52:16 GMT -5
The less processed the food, the longer it can be out (and it's dependent, too, on the time of year and how warm/cold your home is kept). Ground/minced can last 8 hours or so; RMBs/whole prey up to 24 hours (although I just tend to ditch at the next meal time, regardless). Generally, ferts are smart, they know when raw food is bad and they won't eat it (and yeah, there's a difference between bad and "jerky." Every fert knows what it is, too, although it's not reassuring to the ferrent involved, LOL).
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Post by sherrylynne on Dec 25, 2010 11:14:18 GMT -5
Whole meats, I leave out for at least 12 hours, sometimes 24. If, at the next mealtime, they've still got a fair bit left from the previous meal, I just add a little bit of new, and let them finish it off.
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Post by rmzsuzuki89 on Dec 25, 2010 13:42:06 GMT -5
Ok cool, I was thinking it was like a one or two hour thing.
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Post by sherrylynne on Dec 25, 2010 14:14:20 GMT -5
No. Even soupies can be left for 4-6 hours Don't forget- these little ones have developed a digestive system that will allow a wild weasel to catch a rabbit, and feed off of it for a week or so. Their stomach acids are highly acidic, and most bacteria pass through their gut too fast for anything to take hold.
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Post by bluemoose on Dec 25, 2010 14:59:15 GMT -5
Yeah when mine get rabbit, I cut a large one in half and it sits out 2-3 days as they finish it. The fur protects most of the meat so it's not exposed to air. Stays good plenty long enough for the ferrets and kitten. I did notice when I was using soupie to switch the newest ferret and the kitten to whole prey that it turned kind of brown after a few hours. Seems like the more the meat is exposed to air, the faster it gets bad.
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Post by sherrylynne on Dec 25, 2010 17:31:14 GMT -5
That's actually true. Which is why ground meat will go bad faster than almost any other. It has more surfaces exposed.
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