A while back I called United Vaccines to place an order for Fervac-D and was transferred to a feed and bedding department by accident. While there, I talked to the sales person for quite awhile and she offered to send me a free sample of their feed product. I got a free 25 lb bag of Harlan Teklad Ferret Diet (extruded) 7772 a few days later. Upon opening it I found the food to be a light brown and the consistency of the feed to be round (about a 1/4 inch to 1/8 inch) and hard. It had no smell to it really - not like the horrible smell of MF food. We decided to try it on some of our older altered ferret to see how they did on it. We mixed it in with their regular feed, and seemed to like it as they ate it well. We noticed a change in added weight and hair growth - but then again it twas the season for all of that. Keep in mind - this food is made for research animals. My question is: Should I order this food to mix with my regular food? What are thoughts from everybody on this food? Ingredients & product description follow in a separate post. Some info on Harlan Teklad: http://harlan.com (harlan teklad) Harlan Teklad has operation is the US and Europe. In the UK, they have achieved ISO 9002 certification (what is this?) and has initiated the standards be set for the US as well. They have been doing diets for 35 years; have 3 full time nutritionists supported by Harlan Sprague Dawley, Inc. staff veterinarians; offer a complete line of for all species, including autoclavable, irradiated, and certified (what are these and what is the difference?); produce food in powder or pellet form; can create your own formula; are world leaders in the formulation and production of research diets supplied to pharmaceutical and biotech companies, universities, government agencies, etc. to be continued . . . [posts combined] *The following is information sent to me by Harlan Teklad* http://www.harlan.com (harlan teklad) Description - formulated to give optimum nutrition for the various life stages and to provide additional nutrients for animals that may undergo stress. The diet is a high energy source with a low magnesium content to help prevent the development of urinary calculi. The diet is highly palatable and digestible. Ingredients - ground corn, poultry by-products meal, corn gluten meal, animal fat, fish meal, beet pulp, soybean oil, brewers dried yeast, iodized salt, phosphoric acid, DL-methionine, choline chloride, taurine, vitamin A acetate, D-activated animal sterol (source of vitamin D3), vitamin E supplement, niacin, calcium pantothenate, riboflavin, thiamine mononitrate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of vitamin K), folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement, calcium carbonate, manganous oxide, ferrous sulfate, copper sulfate, zinc oxide, calcium iodate, cobalt carbonate. GUARANTEED ANALYSIS crude proteinmin 34.0% crude fatmin 15.0% crud fibermax 3.0% AVERAGE NUTRIENT COMPOSITION protein 34.5% Fat 15.8% Fiber 2.5% Ash 5.3% Nitrogen-free extract 31.9% Gross energy 4.6 Kcal/g digestible energy 4.07 Kcal/g metabolized energy 3.7 Kcal/g linoleic acid 2.0% AMINO ACIDS arginine 2.09% methionine 0.82% cystine 0.49% histidine 0.71% isoleucine 1.21% leucine 3.38% lysine 1.43% phenylalanine + tyrosine 2.81% theronine 1.44% tryptophan 0.27% valine 1.39% taurine 0.15% MINERALS calcium 1.7% Phosphorus 1.0% Sodium 0.38% chlorine 0.4% Potassium 0.43% magnesium 0.1% Iron 161.0 mg/Kg mangansium 33.8 mg/Kg zinc 138.7 mg/Kg copper 23.15 mg/Kg iodine 0.4 mg/Kg cobalt 3.2 mg/Kg selenium 0.16 mg/Kg VITAMINS vitamin A 17.8 IU/g vitamin D3 3.0 IU/g vitamin E 41.1 IU/Kg choline 4.8 mg/g niacin 54.0 mg/Kg pantothenic acid 16.1 mg/Kg pyridoxine 18.0 mg/Kg riboflavin 10.0 mg/Kg thiamine 13.69 mg/Kg menadione 8.4 mg/Kg folic acid 0.5 mg/Kg biotin 0.14 mg/Kg vitamin B12 9.32 mcg/Kg vitamin C 0.0 mg/g Any info I can get on this would be helpful! [Posted in FML issue 2260]