>Please remember that you should AVOID BY-PRODUCTS.  This means it can be
>made from tissue of dead, diseased, dying or disabled animals.  Consists
>mainly of hooves, hair, hide, beaks, feet, feathers, urine, fecal matter.
 
This is a common misconception.  Of course the animals are dead, but they
are not diseased, must be clean of fecal material, and feathers are NOT
allowed.
 
This is from a web page I found some time ago.  The site doesn't exist
anymore, and it was not an official AAFCO site, but the definitions are
consistent with what I have read elsewhere.
 
>Chicken is the clean combination of flesh and skin with or without bone,
>derived from the parts or whole carcasses of chicken or a combination of
>thereof - exclusive of feathers, heads, feet, and entrails.
>
>Chicken Meal is the dry rendered product from a combination of flesh and
>skin with or without bone, derived from the parts or whole carcasses of
>chicken or a combination of thereof - exclusive of feathers, heads, feet,
>and entrails.
>
>Chicken Byproducts consist of the rendered, clean parts of the carcass of
>chickens such as necks, feet, undeveloped eggs and intestines --
>exclusive of feathers except in such amounts as might occur unavoidably
>in good processing practices.
>
>Chicken Byproduct Meal consists of the rendered, clean parts of the
>carcass of chickens such as necks, feet, undeveloped eggs and
>intestines -- exclusive of feathers except in such amounts as might occur
>unavoidably in good processing practices, with the water removed then
>ground to a meal consistency.
 
Some important things to note: There is a wide variation in the quality
of chicken and chicken by-product used by pet food manufacturers.  You
have no direct way of knowing the quality.  Cost, company reputation and
results are you best guides.  Also, chicken listed as the first ingredient
may be misleading.  Since it is not dried like meal is, up to 90% of it
may be water weight.  When dried to make kibble, the relative amount of
chicken vs.  other ingredients may drop considerably.  Also note that if
it includes organ meat, it must be labeled by-product.  If you make Bob's
chicken gravy, your primary ingredient is officially chicken by-product!!
 
I'd caution against using exclusively cat/kitten foods for ferrets.  While
nutrtional needs may be similar, they are not identical.  Protein that is
available to cats may not be available to ferrets.
 
Some good ferrets foods I recommend are: Totally Ferret, 8 in 1 Ultimate
(NOT Ultra!), TFS' Superior Choice, Zupreme and Mazuri.  Yes Mazuri uses
artificial preservatives, which many do not like, but there is no evidence
it is harmful.  The new food from Path Valley also seems good--my guys
thing it's candy and I use it for treats!
 
Linda Iroff
Oberlin OH
[Posted in FML issue 3721]