Feeding docs/rabbit etc

[GazCross 0]

We have 4 small spayed jills. They don't work at the moment but I hope to change that this week.

Up till now we have been feeding dry food, but after reading some posts on here about dry food I took the decision to feed them docs that I have for my hawk and a full rabbit carcass.

 

They were hesitant at first but now love the food.

My question is quantity.

How many docs would a SINGLE ferret NEED to be healthy?

 

I do understand this would change with certain weather conds and the time of year etc and also how much energy they are expending but just as an average.

Also do the docs need de-yolking or is it OK for them to eat the yolk?

 

Thanks

[patterdalejoel 669]

wouldnt feed a lot of DOC as they are just skin and yolk. i have had them before as just a little treat or a filler, but try and stick to rabbit etc with meat on, more nutritional value

[Stretch177 36]

The only time i have fed doc, is when i have given them as a snack, just to tide them over till the rabbit had defrosted abit as i had forgot to take it out the freezer. But like joel said, i wouldn't use them as a MEAL, due to the fact there is nothing on them meat wise. Best off with rabbit, chicken bits, mince, birds, fish etc, recently started given mine abit of olive oil mixed into some tuna and they love it and their coats are top notch

[Ferret mad Dave 65]

What's the hell is a doc ??????

[terryd 8,055]

day old chick

[bigdaz 688]

What's the hell is a doc ??????

 

I'm guessing day old chick.

[The one 8,398]

A D.O.C. is just a egg covered in fluff theres very little feeding value in them for a ferret and the fluff can upset the mucus in a ferrets throat is they get too many

[sam4530s 37]

if feedin doc i cut the feet off as they can damage the ferrets throught when going down , and i only offer them once in a blue moon as a snack on top of there dry food.

[GazCross 0]

Cheers guys.

Yes DOC is day old chick (cockerels). They are a staple for hawks and the nutrition has been tested and an article written by Vet Neil Forbes. Funnily rabbit is classed as a low nutrition food and is given when reducing weight. Hare on the other hand is rich as are quail and rat/mice. These are given during the moult.

[Magwitch 687]

I like to give them a bit of variety, rabbit being the main but pigeon pheasant when available.

[Stretch177 36]

Yeah i used to give them to my snakes and they thrived on them, on top of the mice they were getting. There just isnt enough in them meat wise, to make them worthwhile giving to ferrets, at least on a regular basis anyway.

[rabbitcatcher 1 287]

Rabbit, chicken mince and any thing else I shoot or catch, also ferret feast aswell and minced up beef hearts, I would like to find somebody local to take a bit of minced beef heart and the likes off me as my nephew works in a butchers and gets me too much, lol

[Stretch177 36]

Rabbit catcher PM