Andy17 Posted July 3, 2006 Report Share Posted July 3, 2006 hi all, Over the past couple of months the amount of meat I have given my ferrets has decreased due to it attracting to many flys, problem is the ferrets seem really thin and their coats seem abit dull (if that makes any sense). What other foods do you guys n girls feed your ferrets to keep their weight up. I usually feed mine dry food one day then either mince meat or chicken the next. They get either a fresh pigeon or rabbit once a week. Any suggestions/ any vitamins I can add to keep them healthy. thanks in advance yis andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferretboy111 Posted July 3, 2006 Report Share Posted July 3, 2006 Sounds a good diet from what you have said, i buy either ferretvite or ferrettone which are vitamin suppliments which improve the coat which you wollop on their dried biscuits. However they only get this as a treat, i also use it to stop them wriggling for cutting their nails and putting on the ferret locater. It isnt expensive, i get it from the vet pet shop. :blink: Alex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the ferreter Posted July 3, 2006 Report Share Posted July 3, 2006 dry cat food and dry ferret food Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Posted July 3, 2006 Report Share Posted July 3, 2006 The guy i got my kits off, told me a few years ago that he fed his ferrets dry complete dog food. One day, 3 of the 5 he had died for no reason. The vet sent the bodys off to the lab to be tested and they came to the concluision that it was vitimain poisoning. :blink: I was going to give them this when i did not have fresh meat, but now i wont. Their is a complete ferret food in the pet shop, would this be ok i wonder, for when i have no meat? Frank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the ferreter Posted July 3, 2006 Report Share Posted July 3, 2006 frank i mix dry catfood in with dry ferret food it makes it last longer :blink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Posted July 3, 2006 Report Share Posted July 3, 2006 Thanks ferreter. I am cautious about these complete dry foods, when i heard that, but cat and ferret food might be different. Frank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrteatime Posted July 3, 2006 Report Share Posted July 3, 2006 Complete dog foods have too little protein and fat for ferrets. It is also deficient in certain vitamins important to fetters. Complete cat food are better. The top complete fetter foods have been formulated especially for ferrets. However, they can cause too much wear on the teeth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flash Posted July 3, 2006 Report Share Posted July 3, 2006 :blink: dont forget scrambled egg once a week, they love it really they do cheers flash Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Posted July 3, 2006 Report Share Posted July 3, 2006 dont forget scrambled egg once a week, they love itreally they do cheers flash Sounds good. I must try it. :blink: Frank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kip270 Posted July 3, 2006 Report Share Posted July 3, 2006 used to feed mine ferret complete by james wellbeloved but make sure fresh water is available at all times. http://www.natural-ferret-food.co.uk/ Also used to feed day old cockerel chicks twice a week (used to buy loads for my hawk). But when feeding meat please be careful, i had two of mine die because of food poisoning, i left the chicks in on a warm day Only fresh meat, if you won't eat it nor should your ferret :blink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Posted July 3, 2006 Report Share Posted July 3, 2006 used to feed mine ferret complete by james wellbeloved but make sure fresh water is available at all times.http://www.natural-ferret-food.co.uk/ Also used to feed day old cockerel chicks twice a week (used to buy loads for my hawk). But when feeding meat please be careful, i had two of mine die because of food poisoning, i left the chicks in on a warm day Only fresh meat, if you won't eat it nor should your ferret Cheers Kip for that. I have seen this ferret food in my local pet shop (40 miles away :blink: ) So might get a bag, for when i cant get fresh meat. At the moment, their getting threw 1 whole jackdaw/pigeon/rook a day All warm blod fresh and they love it. Frank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the ferreter Posted July 3, 2006 Report Share Posted July 3, 2006 feed the meat at night frank then take out any thats left in the morning ,mind check there beds for leftovers :blink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mossy835 Posted July 3, 2006 Report Share Posted July 3, 2006 i give mine, ferret complete, and dryed dog complete meal. they look well on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Posted July 3, 2006 Report Share Posted July 3, 2006 feed the meat at night frank then take out any thats left in the morning ,mind check there beds for leftovers Thats what im doing at the moment. Otherwise, its like something out of the Texas Chain saw massecar, FLIES everybloody where. :blink: Frank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferretboy111 Posted July 3, 2006 Report Share Posted July 3, 2006 Mine are usually just fed on cat biscuits mixed with ferret vitalin biscuits everyday and whenever i can get meat, usually day old chicks atm. A mixture is good, suppliments them with what they need, however when i have rabbits they get them and no biscuits, luckily my group of 6 eat a rabbit in less than a day so it doesnt linger around too much for flies to get hold of it. :blink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferret Master Posted July 3, 2006 Report Share Posted July 3, 2006 Hi, Yes mine also go mad for ferretvite. THEY LOVE IT!!! I feed my ferrets James Wellbeloved ferret complete and they do very well on it and their coats are healthy. I think my Mum gave them a nectarine the other day as well. :blink: FM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy17 Posted July 4, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 4, 2006 Thanks for the replys everyone, The ferrets dont look unhealthy, just not as good as they looked over autumn/winter, at the moment they probably arent eating because of the heat, has anyone elses ferrets slowed down on their food??. I may take them for a visit to the vets if the problem doesnt get any better, may need worming again. Thanks again, roll on september. yis andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferretboy111 Posted July 4, 2006 Report Share Posted July 4, 2006 During summer they molt so look abit straggly, and if you have any whole hobs they wont eat anything hardly in the summer as they only want to have sex, my whole jills aswell never eat much in the summer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodyfirst Posted July 4, 2006 Report Share Posted July 4, 2006 My whole hob is eating loads at the moment! He's getting through a pigeon on his own each day, and my 3 jills are getting through one between them. I'm quite lucky to have a big freezer full of pigeons and rabbits, so my ferrets get carcass every day. At this time of year, I only feed them 6 days a week though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fenlander Posted July 4, 2006 Report Share Posted July 4, 2006 Ferrets never seem to look as good in the summer as they do in the Winter,dispite giving them the very best of care ,mine always seem to loose a bit of condition,and with them moulting as well ,can look like a different animal. When it comes to feeding complete foods obviously the ferret stuff should be the best,but i'm not keen on it and neither are my ferrets, complete cat food is very good ,and a perfectly good alternative,however most complete dog foods are not a suitable full time diet for a ferret,lacking protien of the right kind. while I agree a fresh whole carcass diet is best ,in the summer its a problem to keep it that way ,although as someone said feeding last thing at night and then removing meat in the morning can be the answer,but if some should get left in the cage you will not only get flys ,but also a possible build up of lethal Bacteria,so it is essential that if you feed meat at this time of year ,you make sure it is fresh when given and soon any that is left is removed. As somone said when feeding a complete food plenty of fresh drinking water should always be available,but then again it should always be there whatever you feed. All the best Mick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Posted July 4, 2006 Report Share Posted July 4, 2006 Ferrets never seem to look as good in the summer as they do in the Winter,dispite giving them the very best of care ,mine always seem to loose a bit of condition,and with them moulting as well ,can look like a different animal. When it comes to feeding complete foods obviously the ferret stuff should be the best,but i'm not keen on it and neither are my ferrets, complete cat food is very good ,and a perfectly good alternative,however most complete dog foods are not a suitable full time diet for a ferret,lacking protien of the right kind. while I agree a fresh whole carcass diet is best ,in the summer its a problem to keep it that way ,although as someone said feeding last thing at night and then removing meat in the morning can be the answer,but if some should get left in the cage you will not only get flys ,but also a possible build up of lethal Bacteria,so it is essential that if you feed meat at this time of year ,you make sure it is fresh when given and soon any that is left is removed. As somone said when feeding a complete food plenty of fresh drinking water should always be available,but then again it should always be there whatever you feed. All the best Mick. Thats sounds spot on Mick. Frank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy17 Posted July 8, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 8, 2006 thanks again, the two that im having the problem with are hobs that are just over a year old now. At first they would make short work of a pigeon or rabbit and they would eat a bowl and a half of dryed food when that was available. Now its hard to get them to eat a bowl every day and a half and all they do is eat a little bit of a carcass every now n then. These two hobs just seemed to stop growing after around 9months, not sure whether I've got lucky and picked two small to medium sized hobs or that because of their eating habits they havent grown to their full potential. thanks andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimjim Posted September 6, 2006 Report Share Posted September 6, 2006 Hey all Yeah just there this past week or 2 my jill and hob used to eat 2 wee tubs of james wellbeloved and now every mornin and nite there is still a third of the tub left. jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.