raw meat and flies

[fieldsportsman 107]

hi all, got a phesant on saturday and hung it up in shed ready to be plucked etc, i then diced some of the meat and fed some to the ferrets, i then put the rest in a shopping bag and hung it up, i then came back to dice the rest up and relized there was a fly inside, i carefuly examined the meat for eggs etc but found nothing and diced it up and put it in a tin nd stuck it in my fridge. what i want to know is do you think the meat would still be ok to give to the ferrets, thanks.

[Davidh 5]

If you found flies on it I would not risk it. As even putting it in the the fridge will not kill any fly eggs. Even though you did not see any I would not risk it.

[TOMO 24,835]

Come on fellas, it wont do any harm, lets get a few things streight ferrets can and do eat carrion , dead animals that have been dead quite a while, so you can just chuck a rabbit in and leave it a few days, it wont harm them .

 

dont get me wrong im not suggesting chucking in a sheeps head and leaving it a week , but a couple of days for a rabbit , pigion , hare ect , wont do any harm:thumbs:

[fieldsportsman 107]

Come on fellas, it wont do any harm, lets get a few things streight ferrets can and do eat carrion , dead animals that have been dead quite a while, so you can just chuck a rabbit in and leave it a few days, it wont harm them .

 

dont get me wrong im not suggesting chucking in a sheeps head and leaving it a week , but a couple of days for a rabbit , pigion , hare ect , wont do any harm:thumbs:

thanks mate, thats the answer i was looking for as i hate to waste food

[mushroom 12,352]

As tomo says but in the heights of summer you will see when something is flyblown. Summer - I feed meat (whole not diced) and only at night removed in the morning and stored and put back in at night. Winter - I leave carcasses in for two days usually all thats left to remove is a bit of hide and bones. Hope this helps

[fieldsportsman 107]

As tomo says but in the heights of summer you will see when something is flyblown. Summer - I feed meat (whole not diced) and only at night removed in the morning and stored and put back in at night. Winter - I leave carcasses in for two days usually all thats left to remove is a bit of hide and bones. Hope this helps

thanks

[Ideation 8,216]

Put it this way - you saw a fly on it in the bag and are worried. But had you put the meat into the cage and then watched a fly land on it and walk about. . . . . would you immediately remove it and bin it. Fair enough if there are maggots coming out, eggs hatching or it starts to get a bit stinky, but other than that it's all good. As long as it's not hanging about for TOO long in warm weather then you should have no problems, it's just about figuring out what you ferrets eat in a sitting and not over loading the, I chuck in a whole gutted rabbit and in less than a day all thats left is the skin and some bones, they even strip the head of skin and flesh! On a side note, mine love playing a kind of rugby / run&chase with the ears.

[fieldsportsman 107]

Put it this way - you saw a fly on it in the bag and are worried. But had you put the meat into the cage and then watched a fly land on it and walk about. . . . . would you immediately remove it and bin it. Fair enough if there are maggots coming out, eggs hatching or it starts to get a bit stinky, but other than that it's all good. As long as it's not hanging about for TOO long in warm weather then you should have no problems, it's just about figuring out what you ferrets eat in a sitting and not over loading the, I chuck in a whole gutted rabbit and in less than a day all thats left is the skin and some bones, they even strip the head of skin and flesh! On a side note, mine love playing a kind of rugby / run&chase with the ears.

i see your point mate, thanks.

[The one 8,390]

Aye i also think your being to fussy mate ,The ferrets will tell you if they turn there noses up at grub theres something wrong with it

[gnipper 5,944]

It has to be pretty bad for a ferret to turn its nose up at it. Fly eggs won't hatch in its stomach acid.

I've got 3 pairs of ferrets in seperate cages so while its warm if their getting meat I split it so they get just enough each but in winter I chuck them a full rabbit or pheasant etc in and they will eat it before it goes bad. I've fed mine more biscuits than anything though this summer to minimise the flies.

[torchey 1,202]

It has to be pretty bad for a ferret to turn its nose up at it. Fly eggs won't hatch in its stomach acid.

I've got 3 pairs of ferrets in seperate cages so while its warm if their getting meat I split it so they get just enough each but in winter I chuck them a full rabbit or pheasant etc in and they will eat it before it goes bad. I've fed mine more biscuits than anything though this summer to minimise the flies.

always dry food for mine in summer

[Small_Dose_Of_Lead 0]

How long should a carcase be left until we should worry about our ferrets getting botulism?

Edited October 3, 2010 by Small_Dose_Of_Lead

[hunt and fish 35]

Will do it no harm mate. I throw in a rabbit every few days never had any problems. I no a boy who throws in full chickens not even plucked and he has kept ferrets around 30 years and leaves them for days.