Welcome to Gaia! ::

All the information in this guide are provided to you by Skeksis who gave us permission to copy her thread.

History

The ferret has been domesticated for over 2500 years. Whilst its origins are unclear, it was almost certainly domesticated for use in rodent control and for the hunting of rabbits, which it excels at. The ferret has been popular amongst royalty and poachers alike for it’s hunting skills. Later the ferret was bred and raised for its’ fur, which is marketed as ‘fitch’. Ferrets have been used in medical research and have more recently gained popularity as pets.

In some countries, such as the UK and Australia, ferrets are still kept as hunting companions to aid in the capture of rabbits. I have been hunting rabbits with ferrets for nine years.

Contrary to popular belief, the ferret is not a Rodent, but a Mustelid- part of the weasel family.

Ferrets are obligate carnivores. They require a diet high in meat and low in grains. Ideally, the best diet for a ferret is raw. Your ferret’s diet can make or break him so it is worth taking notice of what goes in.



The upside to kibble is that it is convenient. And really, that is the only upside. The downside is that it can be difficult and expensive to select a good kibble, or combination of kibbles, that will not compromise your ferret’s health. Insulinoma is a common ferret disease caused by excess carbohydrates in the diet. The ferret has little to no need for carbohydrates at all, however all kibble contains at least some carbohydrates, with many containing far too many. To lessen the risk of Insulinoma [which is fatal if not treated and time consuming and expensive to treat] it is crucial to lessen the amount of carbohydrates your ferret eats. All kibble contains some carbohydrates. Some contain a lot. When picking a food for your ferret you should read the label. A good food will have meat in the first three or four ingredients and no grains. A bad food will list corn, wheat and other grains in the first several ingredients. Avoid these.

An example:
The first is from a good quality dry food which is popular amongst ferret owners.

Turkey
Chicken Meal
Chicken
Herring Meal
Chicken Fat
Peas
Eggs
Turkey Meal
Pea Fiber
Natural Flavors
Apples
Carrots
Cranberries
Herring Oil
Tomatoes
Pumpkin
Dried Chicory Root
Cottage Cheese
Alfalfa Sprouts
Taurine
DL Methionine
Minerals
Vitamins
Direct-Fed Microbials


The second is a low quality supermarket brand.

Ground yellow corn, brewers rice, chicken by-product meal, wheat flour, soybean meal, corn gluten meal, animal fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols (form of Vitamin E), soy flour, milk, ocean fish meal, animal digest, soy protein isolate, wheat gluten, phosphoric acid, calcium carbonate, dicalcium phosphate, calcium chloride, potassium chloride, choline chloride, meat and liver meal, added color (Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 2 and other color), salt, lecithin, taurine, zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, Vitamin E supplement, niacin, manganese sulfate, Vitamin A supplement, calcium pantothenate, thiamine mononitrate, copper sulfate,riboflavin supplement, Vitamin B-12 supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride,folic acid, Vitamin D-3 supplement, calcium iodate, biotin, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), sodium selenite. B-5011

You can see the difference in the contents of the food and I can assure you that the difference in impact upon your ferret will be just as significant. A good food is worth shelling out for. In the long run it will save you time and money in vet bills.



Many ferret owners prefer to bypass kibble entirely. I am one such ferret owner myself. Feeding raw is an option that allows you to have complete control over your ferret’s diet. Done correctly it is an incredibly healthy option that not only avoids the risk of Insulinoma but also drastically reduces the other health scourge caused by kibble: Periodontal Disease.
Recent research has shown that Periodontal Disease is rife within the domestic ferret population. Bob Church’s research found that over 90% of kibble fed ferrets that don’t receive regular tooth brushing develop this problem. It is painful and can cause organ failure if allowed to become severe. Alternatively, only 5% of ferrets fed a natural diet develop this problem.

Feeding raw consists of feeding your ferret food that his digestive system is biologically geared to process. People who feed raw can feed whole prey, such as mice, or ‘frankenprey’- a combination of animal parts such as chicken wings, hearts and necks.



Whole Animals.

-Mice
-Rats
-Rabbits
-Guinea Pigs
-Quail
-Day old chicks
-Cornish game hens
-Ducks

Whole prey is great because everything is perfectly portioned.

Animal Parts.

-Chicken wings
-Chicken Necks
-Chicken backs/frames
-Chicken feet
-Chicken thighs
-Turkey necks
-Turkey wings
-Rabbit portions

These can often be found in your supermarket. It is important to feed animal parts that contain a bone, as meat alone is not balanced. Ferrets will eat small bones, such as those found in chicken wings, which provides them with calcium. When feeding ferrets chicken parts it is best to leave any fat or skin attached as it is quite healthy and beneficial to do so.

Animal Organs

-Chicken hearts
-Chicken liver
-Chicken giblets
-Lamb hearts
-Lamb liver [fry]
-Lamb kidney
-lamb brain

Organs are very important, and much like bones, if your are feeding frankenprey then it is crucial to add organs into the diet. A popular ratio is 80% meat, 10% edible bone and 10% organs, with 5% of those organs being liver. Others prefer to have slightly more edible bone and organ. It is also possible to feed a combination of Whole prey and frankenprey. Your ratios to do need to be exact at every feeding. Try to achieve a balance over a period of 2-3 weeks.

Supplements

Foods that are good to have once a week or so.

-Tinned Sardines in oil
-Raw egg
-Mealworms
-Superworms



Whole prey can be purchased from bulk suppliers and petshops. You can also breed your own.

RodentPro- http://www.rodentpro.com/

Hare Today- http://www.hare-today.com/

The Mousy Factory- http://www.themousefactory.com/

Frozen Rodents- http://www.perfectpet.net/

PiscesEnterprises- http://www.piscesenterprises.com/joomla/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1

Frozen Direct- http://www.frozendirect.com/shop/home.php?cat=

Animal parts can be found at your local supermarket or butcher.




-Low quality kibble
-Vegetables
-Fruit
-Sugary foods
-Salty foods
-Raisins [can cause kidney damage]
-Chocolate
- Bread, grains and cereals
-Candy and lollies
-Carbonated drinks
-Sugary drinks
-Alcohol

Any and all of these may have both acute and long lasting negative impacts upon health. Just don't go there.



The new Holistic Ferret Forum. Go here to get a raw feeding mentor and talk about every aspect of ferret care. Nutrition is just the beginning!

http://holisticferret60.proboards.com/index.cgi

The old Holistic Ferret Forum. This board can no longer be undated but it is a goldmine of information with years of threads just waiting to be read. Have fun!

http://www.holisticferret.proboards.com/index.cgi

It may seem as though getting a ferret is as easy as going to the nearest petshop that stocks ferrets. This is true if you have no great concerns about the history and ongoing health of your ferret, however if you want to get the healthiest ferret possible [vet bills for ferrets can be uber expensive] then petshops should be avoided at all costs.
Petshops typically source their ferrets from ferret farms such as Triple F, Path Valley and Marshall Farms. These large scale breeding operations are, for all intent and purposes, the equivilant of a puppy mill. Ferret mills do not breed for health or longevity but prefer to focus on breeding ferrets with unusual colours and markings as these tend to sell quickly. Ferret mills practice year-round breeding, breed under artificial light, force early weaning, descent and spay/neuter at under six weeks of age and ship kits around the country. The ferrets are housed in a cage system similar to those which are used to keep mink in the fur industry, which provides neither adequate mental or physical stimulation.
Ferret mills are only interested in turning a buck. They don’t care if your ferret dies of Juvenile Lymphoma a year after you get it. They don’t care if your ferret has severe Neural Crest Defects due to having been bred for ‘cool’ markings such as blazes.

So petshops are not good places to get a ferret from. What are the good places, then?



There are many private breeders who focus on health, longevity and temperament. Their ferrets are bred naturally, weaned at an appropriate age and never go to their new homes before eight weeks of age. Many breeders like to keep their kits until ten weeks of age. Their ferrets are given separate handling and socialisation, are fed carnivore- appropriate food and are carefully bred to reduce the likelihood of genetic health issues.

A good breeder:

- Does breed for health, temperament and longevity.

-Does not breed for colour. Certain colours and markings are associated with Neural Crest Defects. Avoid breeders who breed blazes, pandas, silvers and angoras- these are more likely to suffer from health issues.

-Does not breed from a jill more than once a year. Ever.

- Does not descent their ferrets.


-Will talk to you and answer any questions. If you can not contact a breeder and have a genuine conversation with them then avoid them entirely. If they aren’t willing to answer your questions then it means you probably wouldn’t like their
answer.

-A good breeder feeds their ferrets a good diet. See the feeding section for more information on what constitutes a good diet. Avoid breeders who feed cheap, grain filled foods.

- Will ask you questions! Don’t feel put off by this; it means they care.

- Will not sell their ferrets to a petshop. Ever.

-Does give ives each and every one of their ferrets adequate exercise and attention. Everyday.

-Does keep his or her ferret’s housing clean.

A good breeder will tick all of these boxes. Don’t waste your time with breeders [including ferret farms] that breed for fancy colours, won’t communicate with you, practise substandard husbandry or sell their ferrets to petshops.

Going to a private breeder is not always possible, or preferable for some people. So where can you get a ferret if you don’t want to support a ferret mill or go to a private breeder?



There is always the option of rescueing a ferret. There are thousands of ferrets that need to be rescued. Ferret rescues often have ferrets that are a variety of ages- from little babies to older adults. A ferret rescue will be able to help you get a ferret that will fit into your family and will be able to tell you about the ferret’s personality and health history.
Rescuing is a great option. As with a good private breeder, you can expect ongoing support from a good rescue. And it gives a needy little life a new home!




- http://www.ferretcentral.org/orgs.html




Don’t forget Craigslist or PetFinder. Many people get ferrets and then realise that they aren’t cut out for these demanding animals. You could also join a ferret forum or two, as members occasionally have ferrets up for adoption.

emotion_donotwant

emotion_donotwant

emotion_donotwant

emotion_donotwant