Seems a lot cheaper...

I saw the "Cost Breakdown" board and saw this: 

MONDAY: 2 raw chicken wings (one each) $0.75 Total 
TUESDAY: 1/2 cornish game hen (to share) $1.00 Total 
WEDNESDAY: 1 cup boneless beef chunks $1.00 Total 
THURSDAY: Other half of cornish game hen $1.00 Total 
FRIDAY: 1 cup boneless pork chunks $1.25 Total 
SATURDAY: 1 raw turkey neck $1.10 Total 
SUNDAY: 2 chicken livers, 2 chicken hearts, 6 chicken gizzards, and 1 raw egg $1.00 Total 

So that's all they need? What is listed here? No supplements or anything else included?


My ferrets original diet was going to be as followed:

Instinct Raw Boost Kibble
Wysong Ferret Epigen 90
Instinct Raw Food (2 medallions am/pm)

Duck soup once a week.

I've been hoping to move my guys over to a more raw diet too. Although, here in Canada that diet would cost a lot more. I have a concern about the diet though. My fuzzies stash their food everywhere: Different level's of their cage, all their hide outs, under the couches, etc. I'm worried about my ferrets stashing the raw meat, and eating it after it's gone bad. What do people do to prevent this? Do you have scheduled eating times, and feed them under supervision? What if you don't have the time to do that every 4 hours? any advice would be appreciated!

I don't know how to curb a stashing habit, but some raw feeders will only feed in a "feeding den" to help with this problem. You can also use pins or clips to attach the meat to their cage. And ferrets are generally really good about not eating food that has gone bad. They can tell maybe even better than we can if the bacterial load is too much to handle. As for the OP, that meal plan has a lot of variety in proteins and is balanced. You will notice some bone-in days, some organ days, and some muscle meat days. No supplements needed when balanced like that! The problem is getting them switched to accept something so radically different when they are used to kibble. It might take a TON of time and effort to get to the point where that meal plan is feasible. But those savings might be all the incentive you need to make it work. Good luck!

I do not feed raw (yet), but have been researching it a bit more in depth. Here's a sample lesson plan that the Holistic Ferret forum endorses

Monday AM- edible bone in meat
Monday PM- edible bone in meat

Tuesday AM- edible bone in meat
Tuesday PM- muscle meat

Wednesday AM- Edible bone in meat
Wednesday PM- heart

Thursday AM- edible bone in meat
Thursday PM- edible bone in meat

Friday AM- edible bone in meat
Friday PM- muscle meat

Saturday AM- edible bone in meat
Saturday PM- muscle meat

Sunday AM- edible bone in meat
Sunday PM- liver/organ

IMO that menu looks like a lot more bone-in meals than the one posted above. The portions look a bit small for 2 ferrets as well
 I would also like to see more variety of proteins once in a while- rabbit, quail, duck etc

I'm still learning so if we have any more experience raw feeders here, please chime in!

MissFish,
I've heard of feeding dens which are basically a plastic tub with shower curtain hooks in them. You hook the meat through the hooks so ferrets can't stash them

Ferrets: Wesley, Percy, Owen    -rip Bandit-
Bettas- Kitty, Pip, and Logan
Sun Conure- Kita
Gerbils- Piper and Tailer

whiskandbowl


I do not feed raw (yet), but have been researching it a bit more in depth. Here's a sample lesson plan that the Holistic Ferret forum endorses

Monday AM- edible bone in meat
Monday PM- edible bone in meat

Tuesday AM- edible bone in meat
Tuesday PM- muscle meat

Wednesday AM- Edible bone in meat
Wednesday PM- heart

Thursday AM- edible bone in meat
Thursday PM- edible bone in meat

Friday AM- edible bone in meat
Friday PM- muscle meat

Saturday AM- edible bone in meat
Saturday PM- muscle meat

Sunday AM- edible bone in meat
Sunday PM- liver/organ

IMO that menu looks like a lot more bone-in meals than the one posted above. The portions look a bit small for 2 ferrets as well
I would also like to see more variety of proteins once in a while- rabbit, quail, duck etc

I'm still learning so if we have any more experience raw feeders here, please chime in!

MissFish,
I've heard of feeding dens which are basically a plastic tub with shower curtain hooks in them. You hook the meat through the hooks so ferrets can't stash them

"Edible bone in meat" would be like a raw drum stick or something?

raw chicken wings

Can I switch it up? Saw turkey wings, quail wings, etc? 

With this diet they don't need any supplements? Sorry, I'm probably a pest by now. I understand everything but the raw diet, haha!

Variety is good, which is probably why the diet just says meat instead of specific kinds.  You can also feed cornish hens, rabbit, lamb, freeze dried raw, or frozen whole prey, etc.  

THE DOOKS OF HAZARD