I think the answer to the question lies in the fact that ferrets are
obligate carnivores.  If we look at the wild counterparts of the ferret
we know that they all eat hunted prey, bones and all, quite successfully.
 
I was worried about that too, but there are two things to consider:
1. The bones of mice and chicks are a whole lot smaller than a steer's.
2. You will never find bone in a ferret's poop because of their strong
stomach acids.  (Hope I have that last one right Bob... he certainly is a
store-house of knowledge!
 
I would encourage anyone interested in learning more about bones and
ferrets to search the archives as Bob has a great article on why they
handle it so well.)
 
Believe you me, the first time I handed them a chick, I worried about
how they were going to deal with the beak.  As it turns out, without
any difficulty what so ever.  I worried for nothing.
 
There is one story I will relate to you in regards to ferrets eating
mice.  I had defrosted a small pile and had begun the handing out of said
mousies to those that love them first.  One of those ferrets was Ping.
On this particular occasion, she took her share and then proceeded to
hide in one of her favourite eating boxes.  It wasn't long before I
started hearing her cough and gag.  It turns out that she was so excited
about eating that mouse that she darn near swallowed it whole.  I tried
opening her mouth to see if I could see the tail, but it was already down
as far as it was going to go.
 
As she could still breath, (following the protocols of first aid) I
made the choice to monitor her instead for the next 3 hours.  Well, the
mouse did get eaten and it did make its way through her digestive tract
eventually, and she was fine.  After 3 hours she was running around like
nothing had happened.  I found the whole experience enlightening as to
their digestive abilities.  The experience did teach her to eat more
slowly and to chew before swallowing.
 
People should be aware that in the circle of life in today's society,
means that male chicks are culled at a day of age (once they hatch) and
are disposed of.  Egg layers don't need the males and thus they get
thrown out.  For me personally, I like the thought of these little chicks
not going to waste by rotting in some garbage bin out in the hot sun and
instead fulfilling a more useful and less wasteful purpose.  As for the
question about where to buy mice that are safe to feed to our ferrets...
know that *usually* any mice bought from pet stores are breed well and
are safe for consumption for our snakes, reptiles and ferrets.  I would
never take my ferret out in the fields to hunt for mice as I do not know
what the health of these animals would be.
 
Having worked at a zoo, I can tell you that mice do not have long
lifespans to begin with.  After the age of 8-9 months, mice are prone
to cancers that are severe and debilitating.  And that is mice that are
painstakingly looked after by a keeper who mothers and loves them on a
daily basis.  The killing of these mice may seem horrific to some but
are always done humanely.  The fact of life is that obligate carnivores
need meat.  Feeding mice is a natural choice given what their wild
counterparts hunt as well.  We as owners can choose the delivery system
of the food and it is up to our own conscience to individually decide
what is morally or ethically right for those that we look after.
 
betty and her blur o'fur
for the love of ferrets
[Posted in FML issue 3937]