How many chicks can ferrets have?

[minky345]

I have been feeding my ferrets 1 chick once a month. I would like to give them more but ive heard that chicks can be bad for ferrets because of the yolk.

How can chicks can i safely feed my ferrets and how oftern?

Thanx

[LoveForLizards]

Oh yes, the good ole "there's too much cholesterol in yolk" thing! This time of year they can healthily have 2 full chicks 3-4 times a week. Lower that down to 2 full chicks 2-3 times a week or 1 chicks 3-5 times a week in the summer.

[Pimperella]

I wouldn't have said it was anything to do with the yolk. More the downy fluff on the chicks causing Respiratory problems.

[LoveForLizards]

Originally Posted by Pimperella

I wouldn't have said it was anything to do with the yolk. More the downy fluff on the chicks causing Respiratory problems.

For real? That's what people worry about?!

[rainbowboa69]

Minky they just dont have the nutrition in them that the ferret needs.I have a dozen and I like to give them a nice varied diet that consists of the following

Goats milk
Raw eggs
Dried Ferret Food (vitalin)
Fresh Rabbit
Liver
Chicks once a week

They are all in extremely good health.

[minky345]

Thanx

Mine get a bit of a varied diet any ways. They get piegon, rabbit, phesant, chick and ferret food. Its just chicked are cheep and easy to get ur hands on.

[minky345]

this is what im worried about, this is why i was worried about feeding too many chicks. I found this on a ferret website. >>>>

Thiamine deficiency – This occurs when ferrets are fed on a diet rich with thiaminase i.e. eggs, day old chicks, and raw fish. It is most often in young kits, around 8 to 12 weeks of age. Clinical signs include lethargy (lameness or lack of energy), anorexia (thin or wasted appearance), weakness of hind limbs, convulsions and death usually follows within 14 to 21 days. Treatment includes changing the diet and getting your ferret to the veterinary surgeon for immediate treatment. Within hours of the first treatment being administered, the animal should show signs of recovery. Vitamin b supplementation will be required.

Has anybody else heard of this?

[miss_ferret]

iv heard of it but i think it only applies when the diet is day old chicks and nothing else, providing they dont make up the vast majority (like 90%) of a diet then i cant see there being a problem. if your feeding a good varied diet then you'l be fine personaly i dont give mine chicks regularly but thats only because theres a lot of other food they like more.

[shoreset]

you could also cut the yolk out, cut down the middle and scrape the yellow out. Louie used to get chicks about 3 times a week with the yolk out, but now he just gets one a fourtnight or something as he has other stuff aswell.

[LoveForLizards]

Originally Posted by miss_ferret

iv heard of it but i think it only applies when the diet is day old chicks and nothing else, providing they dont make up the vast majority (like 90%) of a diet then i cant see there being a problem. if your feeding a good varied diet then you'l be fine personaly i dont give mine chicks regularly but thats only because theres a lot of other food they like more.

This.
Ours get chicks 3-4 times a week (usually as a result of somebody getting too many out for the BOP) as well as rabbits, pheasant, goose, quail, rats, etc and a sprinkle of dry food here and there, we never have problems.

Originally Posted by shoreset

you could also cut the yolk out, cut down the middle and scrape the yellow out. Louie used to get chicks about 3 times a week with the yolk out, but now he just gets one a fourtnight or something as he has other stuff aswell.

Messy! lol Just hold the chick in a fist with your thumb over it's front, put your hand into a nappy/dog poop bag with the chick, push down from the ribs to the stomach of the chick and the yolk pops out, much quicker. The only problem with removing the yolk is that due to the relatively low nutrition of chicks anyway, it removes most of the good in them, and the ferrets enjoy the yolk more than the chick itself.