HI,
 
This is a question about food.  I know this subject comes up a lot, but
I've checked with the FAQ, which didn't answer these questions, and,
unfortunately, don't have the computer time/resources to check back FML
lists, so here goes (sorry everybody, if it's redundant!!).
 
I just bought 25 lbs.  of Purina Mazuri ferret food (I believe this is a lab
diet, but I can't be sure from the bag).  The first few listed ingredients
are: Poultry meal, corn, animal fat preserved with BHA, soybean meal, corn
gluten meal, animal digest, poultry fat preserved with ethoxyquin, beat
pulp, soybean oil....  I've heard it is not good to have a lot of corn (the
SECOND ingredient) in food, that it is indigestible, but that corn meal is
okay???  This is expensive food, so I wasn't happy to see corn listed
second.  Is corn indigestible and mainly a filler?
 
The percentages of protein and fat seem out of wack: protein not less than
38%, fat not less than 20.5%, fiber not more than 4%, moisture not more
than 12%, ash not more than 7.5%, added minerals not more than 2%.  I
bought this food because I'd heard Purina Mazuri was a good food.  Could
there be two Mazuri diets??  The protein looks pretty high, plus there's
BHA preservative is up front.  I've read the ferret FAQ about ethoxiquin,
so I'm not too concerned about that.
 
Another food I've heard of is L'Avian (or something like that), but I
haven't looked at the ingredients yet.  It's used by a large shelter in
Seattle.
 
Thank you all for being out there.  I love the FML (almost as much as my
seven fuzzies!!!)
 
Lynn Mc.
[Posted in FML issue 1366]