Gerbil

[Jay_Bunny]

I have a very very fat gerbil. We have a pair of gerbils that we are breeding to provide gerbils as feeders for my ferrets (the like a variety of prey items). I plan on holding back a female or two from this litter to make another breeding group and expanding the gerbil colony a bit more. (We only have one breeding pair).

I'm not sure when she is going to pop but she is huge! I'll post pictures when the babies arrive.

[greghall]

that must be something to see a ferret rip into a gerble!,won't that make them aggressive?

[Jyson]

You dont have to feed ferrets gerbils, some simple ferret pellets at the store will sufice.

[greghall]

I was thinking the same thing! LOL was being a little sarcastic

[STORMS]

Ferrets have unique feeding requirements. Ferrets are obligate carnivores, and food passes through their digestive systems very quickly. They also lack the ability to get nutrition from plant matter. This is why, a ferret diet must be high in animal protein, high in fat, and low in fiber. There is no truly "complete" manufactured ferret diet available. I'm sure the ferrets are fed pellets with gerbils as the supplement protein

[blackcrystal22]

Ferrets really don't need to eat gerbils..
They get enough protein from pellets.

Ferrets as I have been told by a vet that keeping the food item variety to a minimum is a good idea. It's like switching a dog or cat to a different brand of food.. they will probably not digest it well and get sick.

[Jay_Bunny]

Actually, my ferrets are fed strictly raw meat, meaty bones, and whole prey items. I cannot stress this enough. Kibble diets are HORRIBLE for ferrets. The only reason no studies have been conducted is because the only people who would do the study would end up losing, the kibble companies. Ferret kibbles are terrible for ferrets. There are a few that are "acceptable" but the majority are nothing but crap. It causes digestive issues, teeth problems, adrenal disease, ect.

I've done my research and talked to my vet as well as people studying ferret nutrition. Raw/whole prey diets are the best diet out there for them. My ferrets don't even touch kibble. When they ate kibble, one of my ferrets was underweight, dirty teeth, and digestive issues. After starting them on raw, their teeth are white, Twitch is gaining weight, and the loose stools have stopped.

Raw diets and whole prey items do not make them more aggressive. Twitch is a sweetheart but she loves chasing down mice. My ferrets will never touch kibble again. Raw/whole prey is the way for them. They love it and I love them being so happy because of it.

Also a variety is the best way to go. With raw meat and whole prey items you don't have to worry about their digestive system not agreeing with a switch in meat like you do with kibble. Because the make up of kibble varies so much, they have a hard time switching, but with meat, the makeup of meat is essentially the same and their digestive system can handle it no problem. Actually mine STOPPED being sick when they went raw. And the poop doesn't smell nearly as bad. Variety in the whole prey and meat allow them to get all the nutrients they need, the more variety, the more vitamins and minerals they are getting. My ferrets eat the following...

Boneless Meat:
Beef
Chicken
Turkey
Pork
Fish

Meaty bones:
Chicken wings
Chicken legs
Turkey necks

Whole Prey:
Rats
Mice

And soon I will be adding the following whole prey items to their diet:
Rabbit
Gerbil
Quail
Chicks
Guinea Pig
ASF
Hamster

They will also be trying deer soon. I am actually in the process of writing up a ferret care sheet to post on this forum. It will have a huge section on ferret nutrition and diet. I used to think kibble was good for my babies, until I did my research.

But back to the gerbil. She is huge and I hope she'll pop this week.

[greghall]

I told my wife I was going to stop buying cat food for the cat & start feeding his over weight a$$ my extra rats & mice,but he just likes to play with them to much LOL! may put my extra frozen feeders in a blender & feed the cat the mixture.

[modestosnakeman]

wow I had no idea that a ferret was that aggresive of an eater to take out a gerbil. They are so cute and playful I would have never thought they had a killer instinct.

[kellysballs]

I strongly suggest any ferret owners consult their veterinarian before feeding any of their pets a raw diet. If you would like to do research on your own about raw diets use reputable web sites such as the www.avma.org