Here is the information in FHL posts numbered 3316, 3085 on what is and
is not in by-product as per Tom Williard whose doctorate is in the
topic of animal nutrition.  Interestingly, he mentioned that due to the
permitted 40% connective tissue in meal, that component is actually not as
nutritious as the by-product.  NEITHER contains feathers or blood.  BOTH
are made form what is left from chickens that have had most meat removed
for human consumption.  This is one of those areas in which some groups
have passed around false information to increase their own profits from
the sounds of things, so a person with the incorrect info most likely
just believed something questionable, as good souls will do, given that
we've all got to trust someone sometime.  Hope this helps!
 
BTW, we use TF in our mixture of foods here, but do not rely on one food
alone.
 
This is exactly what some manufacturers want you to believe.  Poultry by
product has NEVER contained feathers or blood.  Chicken meal starts with
deponed chicken which contains about 40% connective tissue and it only
comes from chickens.  Because of the connective tissue it is of less
quality than quality by product meal.  It does not contain feathers or
blood either.  Chicken by product meal starts with the intestinal tracts
of chicken and contains some muscle meat but not the deponed chicken meat.
It does not contain feathers or blood.  Depending on the supplier and the
quality a manufactures wants to buy, this meal does not contain dead birds
(DOA).  Poultry by product meal is the same as the CBP meal only it can
contain turkeys, pheasants, ducks and geese.  However, it almost always
contains turkey and chicken because there are very few processing plants
in the US that process either ducks, pheasants or geese.
 
How do you know the difference in quality by reading the label?  You
don't.  You have to call or write the manufacturer and then look at the
results of the meal.  No matter what the manufacturer tells you how your
ferret looks acts and feels is the true answer.  Quality cost.  Therefore,
those companies that advertise that there food is just as good as a top
quality food but cheaper is not true.  You get what you pay for.
 
DR Tom Willard
 
X, you need to go back through the FHL during the past 30 days I have
posted a number of times regarding nutrition and the health of the ferret.
A normal adult ferret should be eating a quality 34 to 37% protein (85% or
more from animal protein) with chicken by product meal, egg, liver meal,
as the primary protein source.  The fat should be at least 18 to 24% from
either chicken or poultry.  The food should have been developed, tested
and proven on ferrets ... not cats or mink.  If it is a quality food no
supplements should be fed.  This will guarantee nutritional balance and
a soft supple skin and hair coat.  If it does not then you likely have a
medical problem.  Look at the web page totallyferret.com for more
information.
 
DR Tom Willard
 
Also of interest to FML folks who want to read more of this expert's info
on food and digestion will be posts numbered 2886, 2885, 2354, 2107, and
1624.  Non-members can read posts by going to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Ferret-Health-list ,
but non-members may not post.
 
A person can join at the website or by:
1. If you have not joined, yet, send a blank mail to:
    [log in to unmask]
2. If you prefer digest format then afterward send a second blank mail to:
[log in to unmask]
[Posted in FML issue 3603]