|
Post by sunnyberra on Jan 25, 2011 19:22:59 GMT -5
adjusted schedule looks good (you can even use boneless turkey, Wal Mart usually has turkey breast, for another source of boneless meals, too. Just letting you know!)
The red could be from liver or beef/other red meats fed. If you have doubts, pay attention to behavior/other signs, or if it's recurring and your guys haven't had red meat/organ. If something seems off, go with your gut, because it's better to be safe than sorry. That said, I have seen some funky poos on the raw, and it can be a bit startling, so if your guys are fine and normal, don't worry!
|
|
|
Post by sunnyberra on Jan 25, 2011 19:25:46 GMT -5
As for weight - *all* my guys ate and ate and ate when first starting raw, and they got slightly pudge-tastic. They then calmed down, sleeked down into thin little tornadoes who then packed on the muscle. Now, my guys generally look lean (under the winter big fur) but you pick them up and they are *stones*. It's great, I love it!
|
|
trippyferret
Gnawing on bones
The Weasels of Warcraft be goin' natural!
Posts: 78
|
Post by trippyferret on Jan 26, 2011 10:38:27 GMT -5
Yeah, they're all acting normal, so I assume it was normal. I gave the big kids goat chunks this morning. They liked them! I was going to give them the CGH but it hasn't finished thawing yet, so I will give it to them tonight. We've hit a little roadblock, like you were saying happens with fuzzies and chunks. I increased the chunk size a bit in the soups, and they just licked around them and did not eat them. Have any ideas what I could do?
|
|
|
Post by sunnyberra on Jan 26, 2011 13:08:03 GMT -5
Did you decrease the kibble when you increased chunk size? If so, you can try adding the missing kibble in with the bigger chunks.
Or, you might have to go back to the smaller chunks for a bit, but first I'd try a few scruff and stuff sessions (you can dip the chunks in baby food or crushed kibble, if you think that'll help). Maybe if they taste it and realize it's the same stuff as before they'll be willing to eat it in the soup, as well. It just might take a few tries before they get it.
|
|
|
Post by sunnyberra on Jan 26, 2011 13:08:45 GMT -5
And that's great that they loved the goat. Bomber and Evie are really doing fantastic!
|
|
trippyferret
Gnawing on bones
The Weasels of Warcraft be goin' natural!
Posts: 78
|
Post by trippyferret on Jan 27, 2011 17:38:00 GMT -5
I guess I'll keep doing the smaller chunks for a bit longer. Dang picky brats! Hopefully we'll have them on bigger chunks in no time! Also, I did not decrease the kibble until the day after I tried the bigger chunks. My car broke down today. It sucks, but it will be fixed by the end of the weekend. So I picked up some pig tails in a pinch(I can walk to Save-a-Lot from my apartment) because I was supposed to buy them some pork rib tips for dinner. Save-a-Lot didn't have them, and it was the closest thing I could find. Hope they will like it ok.
|
|
|
Post by sunnyberra on Jan 27, 2011 18:24:44 GMT -5
I know, it seems like a step back, having to keep them on smaller chunks, but hey - they're at least *eating* actual meat. That's a great thing in and of itself.
Oooo, nice - pork tail. Here's hoping they aren't stubborn with it! Def. tell me how it goes!
|
|
trippyferret
Gnawing on bones
The Weasels of Warcraft be goin' natural!
Posts: 78
|
Post by trippyferret on Jan 28, 2011 17:26:48 GMT -5
The did love the pork tails last night, was only a couple small chunks of them left this morning. Grrr, my brats, they are being so picky today! Didn't want to eat the chicken thigh unless I cut it up into bits. But, you're NOT going to believe who was eating it with them today: And that's a piece with BONE in it. She didn't eat much of it, but it certainly was a thrill to see her gnawing away at it.
|
|
|
Post by sunnyberra on Jan 28, 2011 17:59:09 GMT -5
OH MY GOD OH MY GOD \o/ \o\ \o/ /o/ \o/
That is - wow. That's so great. It doesn't matter as much how *much* she ate, but she's getting the taste and the curiosity that they need to really switch. Awesome.
And yeah, ferts can be picky. Especially if they have favorites, and feel like they deserve more now, kthnx. The thing about variety is that it allows them a wide range of flavors, and they really do find what they like. There's that, and depending on how much they had, they might have been just *full* and felt willing to skip a meal (completely normal for raw fed ferts. Not so common in the newly switched, but it can happen!)
|
|
trippyferret
Gnawing on bones
The Weasels of Warcraft be goin' natural!
Posts: 78
|
Post by trippyferret on Jan 29, 2011 9:07:20 GMT -5
I know, I am so excited for her!! And guess what, she was nomnoming chicken thigh chunks again this morning. Didn't even finish her soup, she saw I put the chunks down and went for it. I am one proud furmomma right now!
|
|
|
Post by sunnyberra on Jan 29, 2011 13:37:29 GMT -5
Also, to help her build up jaw strength so she can handle bone in meals, you can give her a few gizzards. They're tough and chewy (perfect!), and ferts usually adore them
|
|
trippyferret
Gnawing on bones
The Weasels of Warcraft be goin' natural!
Posts: 78
|
Post by trippyferret on Jan 29, 2011 21:00:28 GMT -5
Gwen ate a whole chunk of chicken breast-bone in! She didn't eat the bone but she tried to and I think she just lacks the jaw strength. We are getting there! I have a feeling she might take to other raw, so I'll keep trying her on the different foods the big kids get each day. I still can't believe it, it's like something clicked in her brain one day and she decided raw meat sounds pretty tasty.
|
|
|
Post by sunnyberra on Jan 29, 2011 22:10:06 GMT -5
Very cool. And the funny thing is, it's usually just like you say - one day they wander up with a taste for something they were gagging and ptooeying about just a bit earlier!
How is Salem doing on the soup?
|
|
trippyferret
Gnawing on bones
The Weasels of Warcraft be goin' natural!
Posts: 78
|
Post by trippyferret on Jan 30, 2011 18:02:37 GMT -5
She is doing alright. We reduced the kibble in the soup a few days ago. She is still not wanting the bigger chunks though. :/ However, this morning the big kids had beef liver for breakfast. I didn't think they liked it at first, but when I got home from work I saw that the bowl was totally empty. So I guess they do like it! Yay! I wasn't sure if they would because they hadn't had it before. I offered some to Gwen but she looked at me like, 'Oh hell nah! I ain't eatin dat!" lol!
|
|
|
Post by sunnyberra on Jan 30, 2011 21:02:06 GMT -5
Stubborn fert! Patience will win, though, and she'll be surprising you just like Gwen did (have you done a few scruff and stuff sessions with the chunks?)
That's great, and ferrets often have to come back to it over and over again before they register a new thing as *food*. Still, I'd make sure to check around and see if it's stashed somewhere, LOL, *just* in case.
|
|