Smucky and Mo go raw...

[moddedmama]

Kim, absence sure did make the heart grow fonder, lol. They were fed raw at night, but kibble during they day, simply because I was worried about Smucky not eating enough and I wouldn't be there to monitor.

Here's a preliminary schedule for their feeding:

This is this weeks starting from Tuesday:

Tuesday: Chicken livers, Hearts, and Gizzards,
They still aren't really crazy about them, so I'm going to look for beef liver today at the
store. They did eat most of what I gave them though.

Wednesday: Chicken wing sectioned, they still don't like to eat it if it's not cut into sections, but I
figure hey at least they are eating it, lol. Also some chunks of thigh meat.

Thursday: Pork chunks, and a wing tip and flat.

Friday: Cornish Game hen

Saturday: Lamb chunks, with Cornish game hen portion

Sunday: Pork Chunks and chicken thigh meat

Monday: Lamb chunks, with Cornish hen again.

I'm going to check the other grocery store in town to see if they have turkey drumsticks and work that meat in if I can find some. And also as I said before the beef liver. I also plan on giving a raw egg once about every two weeks.

[moddedmama]

So I went to the store, I forgot to write down beef liver, so of course, forgot to look for it. Also no lamb, but they had veal, so I'll try that, Also got some pork neckbones so we'll work those in as well.

[Forum Administrator]

Schedule looks good All in all it looks like you are pretty close to the 4 days of raw meaty bones, 2 days of boneless muscle meat, 1 day or organ meat (per week).

Btw- you can always add in extra bits of bone or crushed eggshell on days when you feed your boneless chunks, to help firm up semi-loose poopies (fiber from eggshell or bone) or add an extra kick of calcium

Good luck with the veal and pork neck bones! My guys turned their noses up at veal (little brats!) but they love beef. Pork neck bones are good too. If they have trouble eating them you can break them in half or into thirds

Its always good to feed a variety of:

1. Meats (which I see you are starting to do, so excellent!)
2. Ages (adding in veal/beef, lamb/mutton, chicken/cornish game hen, etc) is great because as an animal ages its nutrient composition changes. Providing a variety of ages ensures maximum nutrient diversity.
3. Cuts (dont get the same cut of meat each time. Take advantage of sales ) Get pork steak one time, pork butt another. Get chicken wings one time, chicken legs another. Nutrient composition varys in the various parts of the animal, so its good to switch up the parts you feed.

Keep these things in mind and you'll have a nice, well rounded diet. Variety is key

Let us know how the veal and pork necks goes!

[Forum Administrator]

How are the boys doing? You are *this* close to "graduating" and having your thread moved to the switch archive. Just give me an update, and then we will cover a few final things before we move this thread to the archive! Once this happens, you will post your questions in the raw or whole prey sections.

[moddedmama]

Smucky and Mo are both doing great!!! I can't believe how much more they are eating now, than even two weeks ago. Two weeks ago they would barely finish a wingette, and now they eat the whole wing, in less than a day. It's just amazing.

They loved the veal, so we will interchange that with the lamb, and get whatever is at the store that week, the pork neckbones not so much, but we'll keep trying them until what I have is gone. I'm going to go down to the local meat locker next week and see if I can get some beef heart and kidneys from them, I wouldn't imagine too many other people ask for them, so maybe next time they slaughter a cow I can get them for next to nothing, especially if they just throw them out anyway. Did I read somewhere pancreas is good too? I can't remember. They are eating the chicken livers now, but not the gizzards.

All in all I'm super happy. They are both eating so well, and have super amounts of energy. Pooping so much less. They hardly smell at all anymore too. I literally have to stick them up by my nose to notice. They are still urinating alot more than they did before feeding raw, but I suppose that's because of the moisture content in the meat?

For now we are going to stick with raw feeding, though I'm not ruling out whole prey for the future. Right now, it's a bit out of our budget, and with Chris still not sold 100% on it, we will hold off.

[Forum Administrator]

Sounds wonderful! Im so happy for you! Now to answer your questions:

1. Yes, pancreas is fine
2. If you get on a butchers good side they can hold the "weird" parts for you and sell you them for next to nothing
3. Its okay if they eat the liver but not the gizzards. The liver is the important thing, the gizzards are really just a "muscle meat" and its okay if they never devlop a liking for them.

Now there is one last thing I want you to do (and then I am moving this thread to the "newbie switch archive":

If you havent already, it might be a good idea to start popping in to the yahoo! group NaturalFerrets. I know yahoo! lists suck (the format) BUT there are many many senior raw feeders on there and it would be wise to make use of their knowledge. I try and advise all my "completed switchers" to get on there and post a bit. I still want you to say on HF, but I want you to "broaden your horizons" by getting a bit of NaturalFerret's info as well. Sound good?

pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/NaturalFerrets/

You'll probably run in to the Holistic Ferret Mentors on there. This is where THEY go to ask THEIR questions on natural diet (I do too).

Let me know if you get any good info out of here.

and.......

Now that you've completed the switch, have had your feeding schedule reviewd, and been advised to check out NaturalFerrets, its time to retire this thread to the "newbie switch archive"!



No one (yourself included) will be able to post in this thread anymore once its been moved to the archive. Please begin posting your diet-related questions in the "whole prey" "raw" or "general feeding questions and discussion" area. We encourage EVERYONE that is archived to continue posting. Feeding a natural diet is a learning PROCESS, there is much to learn after making the switch.

Feel free to jump in and help to answer newbie questions. One of the ways you can learn is through teaching. We hope you stick around so that we can celebrate the 1 year anniversary of starting your kids on raw with you!

[moddedmama]

3 Months Since the Switch- Evaluation #1:

1. Since switching to a natural diet, what are the most noticable changes you have noticed in your ferret(s). Please be specific.

Most noticeable is the energy they have now. And of course we must never forget the poopies, so much less now, gross as this sounds, I actually have a pic of Smucky and Moe's poop about 24 hours worth, shortly after I brought them them home. I was trying to explain to a friend of mine how nasty it was, and words just weren't enough, lol. Anyway, now there is maybe a third if even that much, and that's with adding a third ferret to the mix.

2. Have you filled out the "Natural Diet Survey"? (If not, please do by going to the following link:
holisticferret.proboards80.com/in....play&thread=241)

Yep did that in July.

3. Please post a "sample weekly feeding schedule". Basically, give us an idea of what you feed your ferret(s) each week. This way we can review it (again) and let you know if you need to make any changes to ensure proper nutrition. Post your schedule in the following format:

MONDAY:Pork of some kind, usually it's pork steak, or the 'country style pork ribs'
TUESDAY:Chicken parts
WEDNESDAY: Veal or lamb, whichever I can find, they don't seem to like the beef anymore, but I keep trying, maybe I can find a cut they will eat.
THURSDAY:Cornish Game Hen
FRIDAY:Finish up CGH, Pork if more food is needed
SATURDAY:Liver with one raw egg, mmmm Gravy,
Also some chicken part or CGH, after they finish [/b]
SUNDAY:Chicken Parts

I've started buying whole chicken and sectioning them, I cut off the breast meat for us humans, and section the rest for the ferrets. Yay for no waste,

4. Do you have any questions or concearns regarding your ferret(s) diet?

I think we're doing pretty good.

5. Do you have any new "diet goals" for your ferrets that you would like us to help you with, such as: adding whole prey to the diet, diversifying the types of meat fed, or incorporating freeze-dried or commercial raw foods? If so, please specify.

Nope, no new goal right now, other than trying to get the beef incorporated.

6. How was your experience with the Holistic Ferret Mentor Program? What did you like about the program? What didn't you like? What can we do to make our program better?

Overall it was a wonderful experience. Guili was very helpful and supportive, even when I had to backtrack for a week. I wasn't made to feel guilty about going back on kibble for a few days. It was like having a personal cheering section really, even the small steps were celebrated, which is wonderful and really makes you feel like you're making progress, which in turn keeps you going. I'm so thrilled I found this site, and was able to switch to a more natural diet, and all the advice and help on here was very informative. Even just reading through the other switching threads was helpful. You know you aren't alone.

[Forum Administrator]

Feeding schedule looks good, everything looks great I'm happy to hear you are pleased with the diet and that you had a pleasent experience with the mentor program. How is your new addition taking to the diet? Did she (?) dive right in?

[moddedmama]

He (continuing our tradition of boys) did dive right in, we gave Murky kibble the first night home, figuring it was traumatic enough to move to a new home, but the very next morning, started him on little chunks of chicken, and he was on to whole pieces within a couple of days. It was so easy with a baby, now hopefully he doesn't eat us out of house and home, my goodness can that little boy eat. It seems like I'm constantly giving them more food, but on the plus side, it's never there long enough for me to worry about it going bad, lol

[Forum Administrator]

Just to make you feel better, Murky's food intake will decrease dramatically around 6-7 months of age (around the time he stops growing)

[moddedmama]

6 Months Since the Switch- EVALUATION #2:

1. Its been six months since you and your ferrets graduated from the Holistic Ferret Mentor Program. Are you still feeding a kibble-free, natural diet? If yes, why? If no, why?

Yep still feeding raw. I am still continuing with the diet because it is healthier for them, and much easier than I anticipated, no more internet ordering ferret kibble, just pick up their food along with mine at the grocery store.

2. Since its been six months since you graduated from the HF Mentor Program, you are now eligable to become a Holistic Ferret Mentor. Do you have any interest in becoming a mentor? There is NO obligation. If interested, please read the following info to see if you are capable of making such a commitment to being a mentor:

Sorry no can do. I don't have the time. Between the kids, furkids, going back to college, and home renovations, i still gotta sleep sometime too.

3. Please post a "sample weekly feeding schedule". Basically, give us an idea of what you feed your ferret(s) each week. This way we can review it (again) and let you know if you need to make any changes to ensure proper nutrition. Post your schedule in the following format:

Still feeding about the same things as before....it's only a few posts up, so I'm not going to retype everything.

4. Do you have any questions or concearns regarding your ferret(s) diet?

Nope, we are doing great.

5. After switching to a natural diet I'm sure you noticed numerable changes immediately. After six months of feeding naturally, what would you say is the most notable improvement in your ferret's health?

I think the most noticeable, is the energy, and how soft they all feel, and how healthy they look in terms of body physique. We had an obstruction scare with Mo a while back, and the vet even commented on how little he smells like a ferret.

[Forum Administrator]

Its great to hear from you. Sorry it took me SOOO long to reply. I've been MIA due to computer issues. Anywhoo, I'm happy to hear the little ones are doing well. No worries about not being able to mentor, we totally understand. As for the vet commenting on how your babies don't smell, its a wonderful feeling, isn't it? Whenever I bring my babies to the vet, everyone "oohs" and "ahhs" about how soft, non-smelly, musculare, etc they are.

Congrats on raw feeding for 6 months now!

[moddedmama]

9 Months Since the Switch- EVALUATION #2:

1. Its been nine months since you and your ferrets graduated from the Holistic Ferret Mentor Program. Are you still feeding a kibble free, natural diet? If not, why?Still feeding raw meat, no kibble whatsoever.

2. Have you added any ferrets to your business since your last evaluation? If so, what are their names and ages, and are they eating a natural diet? Nope, we haven't added any more ferrets, more than enough to handle with our three boys.

3. Please post a "sample weekly feeding schedule". Basically, give us an idea of what you feed your ferret(s) each week. This way we can review it (again) and let you know if you need to make any changes to ensure proper nutrition. Post your schedule in the following format:
Nothings really changed much, We feed about one whole chicken per week, minus the breasts, i save them for us, better for us then the ferts, One CGH per week, Either calf or chicken liver once a week, and then I feed some pork steak usually one per week, and some beef stew meat, or ribs. So broken down into a weekly schedule would probably look something like this:
MONDAY: 1/2 CGH
TUESDAY: 1/2 CGH
WEDNESDAY:Beef of some variety
THURSDAY:1/3 of chicken,
FRIDAY:1/3 of chicken
SATURDAY:Liver and pork steak
SUNDAY:1/3 of chicken

With the chicken I usually try to pair a less meaty piece of meat with something with more meat on it, such as a wing with a thigh.

4. In the nine months that your ferrets have been on a balanced, kibble free natural diet, what changes have you noticed in their health, good and/or bad? Pretty much same as with the six month . Less smell, more active, Smucky especially feels so toned, not fat at all, yet very heavy. Solid i would call it.

5. Are you currently active on the Holistic Ferret Forum? If so, why not? If you are not active on the forum because you are dissatisfied, what can we do to improve your experience?
Unfortunately I'm not active on the forum. It has nothing to do with the forum however, just my crazy busy life. Someday it will slow down, I hope. But for now, I go to school full-time, have two children, and a fiance, a house that not only needs cleaning but there is always some sort of remodel project going on, and as always there are the furkids, 12 pets of 4 different varieties at last count.

[Forum Administrator]

Its great to hear from you. I totally understand not being active on the forum, don't feel bad, some days even *I* can't get on here lol! We miss ya but I know you've got a busy life, thank you so much for taking the time to pop in and update us every three months, I really appreciate it.

Everything looks great with your feeding schedule, the only thing I could suggest is try to get more organs into their diet, but if I remember correctly you were having trouble finding organs locally, right? If you could add heart and gizzard to the diet, that would be great, if not, don't sweat it, just keep doing what you are doing.