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Post by littleferretowner on Jan 8, 2011 22:00:29 GMT -5
So, firstly hello. Secondly, I'd like to mention that I don't have a ferret just yet. But I do hope to feed my future ferret a whole prey diet I was thinking about feeding my ferret rat(s), an egg yolk (no whites) about three times a week, and a small amount of chicken baby food (daily). *Note ~ The baby food would be so that I know she would eat something while sick or after surgery* Would just one rat be good enough daily? And would I need to feed other meats or anything else to meet proper nutrition? I really don't know much about feeding raw, other then it's way better for Ferrets...
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Post by sunnyberra on Jan 8, 2011 22:17:24 GMT -5
There's a lot of ways to feed. However, what you've listed doesn't include the variety of sources and (for whole prey) different ages that ferrets (and other carnivores) need. If you want to feed whole prey, you'll need at least three different sources (example: rat, rabbit, and ... quail). You'll also need to vary ages, as well. Raw diets are pretty much similar: at least three protein sources, organs (variety here is important, as well) and a balance between bone in and muscle meals.
You, by no means, have to pick one or the other, though. I myself feed a bit of whole prey in a diet that's mainly raw.
To get an idea, you can peek in on ongoing threads in the Mentoring section (you can't sign up until you have a ferret and you can't post to other peoples' threads, regardless). It might give you a better understanding of the diets you're looking into and the process you might go through once you become a ferrent.
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Post by littleferretowner on Jan 8, 2011 22:27:44 GMT -5
So should I maybe throw in a rabbit a week?
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Post by sunnyberra on Jan 8, 2011 22:31:09 GMT -5
That'd make it two sources (I'm not counting the small bits of baby food as a source). You could do another whole prey item or just add in some store bought chicken, turkey, pork, beef, etc (both muscle meals [boneless] and bone in to balance. Just remember, the great thing (and the *essential* thing) about these diets is the variety you're allowed. Don't limit yourself or your fuzz to one or two things - it's not balanced and it's about as fun as kibble. There are great, cheap things that are healthy and appropriate and relatively easy to get (a drive to a store/market/whatnot). You AND your potential fuzz will see more and better results with a more expansive diet
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Post by maddiesmom on Jan 8, 2011 22:45:59 GMT -5
I've been feeding mostly whole prey, but sometimes I still have to feed "frankinprey" or 'whole prey model' because its challenging sometimes to get enough prey all the time with the limited freezer space I have. For example, in one week I'll feed XL Adult Mice (I have two ferrets and I have to feed anywhere between 4-8 mice per day) Med Rats (usually 2-3 per day) A small (adult) Rabbit (thankfully once per day) Now, I'm not particularly fond of feeding the rats or rabbits (especially the rabbits lol it makes me slightly squimish) so I'll do quail more often the next week (though its pricey) or I'll substitute for a cornish hen chicken from my local grocery store... You want older whole prey, and not too many pinkies (not enough calcium in their bones) Eggs, I believe, your supposed to only give once a week, if I'm not mistaken. If you'd rather not do whole prey, the "rules" still apply - strive for 3 protein sources per week. My schedule is the same as Sherry's For example, lets say the meats I will be using this week are Chicken, beef, and pork Monday: meaty chicken backs (bone in) Tuesday: beef butt (muscle meat) Wed.: chicken wings (bone in) Thurs: chicken hearts (muscle w/taurine) Frid: (bone in) Saturday: pork liver/organ and one other meal(usually whole prey for me!) Sunday (bone in) At first it can look a little intimidating, but you get so used to it you don't even really think about it. I just grab a ziplock baggy out of the fridge and dump it in the bowl But in the begning I printed out the schedule of when I was supposed to be feeding bone in, muscle meat, etc... .... but, still to this day I have to ask someone "What is today?" so I remember what I'm feeding
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Post by littleferretowner on Jan 8, 2011 22:47:18 GMT -5
Would those little chickens (sorry I can't really remember what they are called) can't as another source?
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Post by maddiesmom on Jan 8, 2011 22:49:47 GMT -5
Would those little chickens (sorry I can't really remember what they are called) can't as another source? Chicken (regular), and the little cornish hen chickens count as two seperate sources
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Post by sunnyberra on Jan 8, 2011 22:50:45 GMT -5
Oh, those little cornish game hens? Yes, they would My guys love them! And I totally agree with Maddiesmom - this can seem intimidating (especially so with a raw diet which tends to be bit more work - portioning meals, balancing bone/muscle/organ, and the like), but with experience and help you do get used to it, and I love planning meals and what my guys are going to have, and then watching them enjoy *everything* and have beautiful coats and a healthy life is just the best reward I can think of
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Post by littleferretowner on Jan 8, 2011 22:56:46 GMT -5
I guess one large rat wouldn't be good enough for a ferret, that is daily (female is what I am hoping to get).... So right now on my list I have: Cornish Hens Rats Rabbits (maybe) Chickens And I guess I will have to do one egg a week instead of three times a week
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Post by maddiesmom on Jan 8, 2011 22:59:12 GMT -5
and I love planning meals and what my guys are going to have, and then watching them enjoy *everything* and have beautiful coats and a healthy life is just the best reward I can think of 110% agree!! There is a HUGE difference seeing a ferret dutifully chomp the kibble everyday, compared to the enthusiasm they have with eating raw... The difference in coats is amazing... everytime I go to a shelter or store with a kibble fed ferret I always think they STINK to the high heavens compared to my raw fed ferrets Not to mention I never have to brush their teeth!!
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Post by littleferretowner on Jan 8, 2011 23:02:11 GMT -5
Not having to rush their teeth sounds like a great deal!
Double for the healthy coats and enthusiasm for fedding time!
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Post by littleferretowner on Jan 8, 2011 23:05:41 GMT -5
opps meant brush*
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Post by sunnyberra on Jan 8, 2011 23:07:37 GMT -5
maddiesmom - exactly! esp. about the smell. My guys tend to have very light, sweet smells vs. the common "fert" smell (which, even on kibble, I loved *then* - except I noticed with Hiko's arrival, I (and even the Triad) was :\ about his scent. It was so strange! I got spoiled with my guys on raw, I guess. He was a shock, until he settled onto the new diet). littleferretowner: this might help as well: for a female, they need up to 3 oz/day (though each fert is individual and may require more/less, and kits should eat as often as they need to, don't really try to get them onto a schedule. Besides, they will NOT hesitate to let you know they're hungry, LOL). Males require about 4 oz (+/- depending, as well). If you're unsure, whatnot, a kitchen scale is handy to give you an idea about it. Now that I've been doing it a few years (and b/c my guys got ahold of my scale and wrecked it and I haven't replaced it), I just make sure they have enough food at the first meal to last til their second meal. If they have too much left over, I cut back a bit, if they don't have anything I add more.
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Post by littleferretowner on Jan 8, 2011 23:10:37 GMT -5
Ok so then how would I split up: Cornish Hen And Chicken Through out the week?
I would do a rat daily and the baby food (chicken). And then an egg yolk once a week....
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Post by sunnyberra on Jan 8, 2011 23:26:30 GMT -5
Generally, you should feed 2x a day. I don't feed whole prey (just different age quail, as that's all my guys are willing to eat) every day, nor every week, so I'm a bit more unclear about whole prey diets. However, with combined diets/raw, you're looking at 8/9 meals of bone in, 2 meals of hearts, and 1 meal of organ, and 3/2 meals of "other" muscle meat (hearts are considered muscle meats, but I generally put them into a category by themselves, since they are great for taurine, and that way those meals are always worked into the weekly meals).
***Although with feeding whole prey every day, your organ requirements might be different than the accepted standard (which is generally an organ meal consisting of selected organ served no larger than the size of a chicken liver)***
How you work *that* out between your sources is more to your preference than anything else.
Hopefully someone a bit more experienced with whole prey will jump in (or has in the time it took me to write this) to help you, as well.
Here's my guys usual weekly meal plan:
M: bone in (usually ground) hearts T: bone in (usually RMB) muscle meat/other ("other" for me is usually boneless fish, egg, pumpkin, quail feet, or baby quail) W: bone in (ground/RMB) bone in (ground/RMB) Th: bone in (ground usually) hearts F: bone in (usually RMB) muscle meat/other Sat: bone in (usually ground) muscle meat/other Sun: bone in (usually RMB) bone in (ground. Once a month/bit more, I give my guys "enhanced" ground, by which I mean I add a tiny bit more organ [turkey, rabbit, beef] to their ground to make sure they're getting enough)
My primary sources are: cgh, turkey, duck, goose, pheasant, quail, pork. Supplemental sources are beef, chicken, fish - tilapia, salmon, really, although I have tried flounder and other kinds, as well. I give whole eggs on occasion, as well. Chicken is given only occasionally as Pixie (my oldest) has IBD and chicken (given frequently) will trigger an episode.
Hope that gives you some idea?
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