>Now the next difficult task is getting Fria to take it.  I really
>don't think she likes it.  She didn't fight near as much when we
 
Keep trying.  She should accept it eventually.  You can try mixing
it half-and-half with her baby food, too.  I have one who has to be
retrained every time I make a new batch.  It's subtlely different each
time, and he's THAT picky.
 
>...splinters of bone in it.  I couldn't strain it because it was MUCH
>to thick.  Should it still be ok to give them?
 
Bob has had a lot to say about this over the years, and repeats himself
pretty frequently - yes, it's perfectly fine.  Bone will not hurt them.
 
First, their digestive systems are adapted to eating bone.  Ferrets'
natural prey is small animals and amphibians that they will eat
completely, bones and all.  Second, pressure cooking softens and degrades
the bone.  After cooking for 90 mins, you should be able to crush the
large thigh bones in your fingers.  Try as you might, you won't find a
sharp piece of bone in that gravy.  And third, you'll find that your
ferrets leave the bone fragments uneaten anyway.
 
Here's one other quick tip - if you have trouble crushing up the bones
with your blender or food processor, use smaller chickens.  You can use
two or three cornish game hens - which are just small, young chickens
anyway - instead of one large roasting chicken.  Or use a couple of small
fryers.  But what ever you do, unless you have a serious masochistic
streak, for God's sake don't try turkeys!  (Been there, done that, got
the battle scars.)
 
roger
[Posted in FML issue 4600]