>Are you ready for this........if they were to order it (from the US) a
>7 1/2 oz bag (that's less than 1/2 pound) would cost $30.  Yikes!
>Despite this I still think I'd like to at least try the stuff to see
>how the ferrets would take to it.
>
>To the person who originally posted....could you please let me know if
>you got any response from anyone who has actually used this product????
 
You can get that 7.5 oz bag of Archetype diet at
http://www.craftycreatures.com/forferretsonly/food.html
for $13.95.  Still not inexpensive.
 
I have a bag of it right here and it's contents are very impressive.  Min
crude protein, 50%.  Min crude fat, 28%.  First 7 ingredients: Beef, beef
liver, chicken, chicken liver, lamb, lamb liver, crushed bone.  Here are
a couple statements from the detailed back of the bag: "Archetype is
complete with meat, organs, bones, plant nutrients and micronutrients."
"Archetype contains no grains...", "First and foremost, is not heated..."
Etc., etc., etc.
 
And I'll add, it's dry as a bone, so reconstituted with water would give
you many times more than 7.5 ounces.  And 7.5 ounces is more than you
might think, volume wise, due to it's lack of any moisture.
 
That said... mine wouldn't touch it.  I tried initially crumbling a small
amount in with the regular kibble, and best I can tell, they ate around
it.  I tried rehydrating it, and quite honestly, it was a gooey, smelly
mess.  But what appeals to me and what appeals to a ferret are often
quite different. :-)
 
I believe that this is probably as close as one can get to a natural diet
that you can buy in a bag, ready to feed.  At least it has to be much,
much better than any sort of kibble.  Now if I could just get mine to eat
it.  Perhaps I didn't give it the effort needed to get them to at least
try it.
 
For the ferrets,
Mike
 
* Michael Janke, [log in to unmask]
* South Florida Ferret Help Line, 305-752-7040
*
* Website:  http://www.miamiferret.org
* Adrenal/Insulinoma web site: http://www.ferrethealth.info
*
* Ferret Health List: http://www.smartgroups.com/groups/ferrethealth
[Posted in FML issue 3952]