>Any "meal" is not as good as the real thing, as it is just usually
>by-products from the "human" meat industry i.e.: leftovers.
 
Actually, my understanding is that "meal" is the meat (chicken, lamb,
whatever) without the water weight, so it's actually better to have
chicken meal listed than just chicken.  I think you are mixing up meal
with by-products.
 
>Fish bi-products , have some advantages as they can be high in omega 3,
>and omega 6 fatty acids... but, fish proteins especially salt water fish
>are not usually compatible with a ferrets digestive system, and fish
>meat/meal/byproducts will always ( fresh or saltwater) make them smell
>BAD.
 
Fish will make a ferret (and the pottybox) smell more, but it's not
harmful to them.  Marshalls food contains fish.
 
>And, I believe there is a particular protein ? or part of the fish (sorry
>I cant remember what it is) but it can build up in a ferrets system and
>make them ill..  (I will re-research that one) but in general, fish...
 
Please do check this out, as fish are part of a polecat's diet in the
wild and therefore should not be harmful for a domestic ferret to eat.
 
>Just think about it..  ever bathed a ferret ?  do you think they are
>water people ?  don't thinks so..  so they probably don't hunt fish for
 
Ferrets are in the Mustelidae family and the other members are very much
used to being in the water (mink, fishers, otters, etc.), so....:)
 
>If you change a ferrets diets suddenly, they may not even eat it, as
>they will not recognize it as food, and even if they do, their stomachs
>will be upset by the sudden onslaught of new foods.
 
Excellent advice.
 
>2/ many "raw " meats will make your ferrets STINK...sorry but, there is
 
I know folks that feed raw meat to their ferrets and it does not make
them stink.  What are you feeding raw?  That may be what is making them
smell.
 
As far as which food is better, I avoid foods that have corn in the first
5 - 6 ingredients, so while I might use a small part of them in my mix
if the kids really like them (the fat, protein & other ingredients are
decent otherwise), I probably wouldn't use it as a primary food.  Plus
the fiber is 4% - I don't like to use anything over 2.5%.
 
I believe the foods you listed are Mazuri and Kaytee Forti-Diet, am I
right?
 
Hope this helps!
 
Mary
 
*****************************
Mary McCarty-Houser
Director, Pennsylvania Ferret Rescue Assn of Centre Cty
www.ferretrescue.com
[Posted in FML issue 4638]