Thank you everyone for your help. (:
leeandparker
Zupreem is still a horrible food so there will be problems. If you are on a budget you might actually be better off with raw. It is healthier and cheaper on average because they eat what we throw away like organ meat and gizzards.
Now about the gas. Gas is caused when digesting but in an obligate carnivore like a ferret it means that they are not digesting the food properly(bad diet) or eating too quickly due to the kibble being painful on their teeth making them ingest air. There are a couple more reasons but bad diet is the biggest.
Thanks for your input. (:
Maybe it's not the absolute best, but I don't think it's "horrible".
I understand that it may be hard on their teeth and I have always been wary of this with their kibble. With the Mazuri/Marshals mix I always used to wet it to make it easy for them to eat. However Zupreem pellets don't absorb water readily. The pellets have to soak a long time before becoming mushy so they have been eating it dry.
They may be ingesting air after all.
However, I don't think the gas could be because of the over all quality... They were eating Mazuri before, and I wish I had been more educated, but in comparison Zupreem is far better quality ingredient wise. They were never gassy before even with the Mazuri.
So I think you may be right. Perhaps it is because the hard pellets are difficult for them to chew.
As far as raw diet, it is something I would look into, but my ferrets have been kibble fed all their life and have never shown any interest in any meats I put in front of them. They won't even to much as sniff it.
How can I transition my ferrets? Is it possible they will be completely reluctant?