In the wild ferrets are purely meat eaters- and even though they are domesticated meat should still be their prime source of nutrition. Unfortunately many commercial ferret foods don't offer up a truly great array of ingredients. So that's why we recommend supplementing your commercial food with 'human food' that is almost always cheaper and sometimes more convenient. Here is a list of great nutritional foods you can and should feed. Make sure they are unseasoned and without salt. If they are store bought fresh or frozen they can be fed raw. On the other hand if they are a wild game meat we highly recommend cooking them to a rare setting to kill any bacteria or worms.
Bird:
Ferrets are feather hunters by nature. In the wild their most prized catch is a pheasant- so they looove bird meat. Unseasoned chicken wings, turkey legs, and wild bird scraps. Probably the best snack you can give your little fur ball. If you can afford them, we highly suggest making bird meat a staple of your ferret's diet.
Chicken, Turkey, Pheasant, Game Hen, Swan, Goose, Ptarmigan, Duck
Red Meat:
Making cheeseburgers tonight? Take a bit of the ground meat, cook it to a 'rare' setting (or to where it's a light brown with bits of pink left), let cool and let your ferrets go to work. It's super healthy and very tasty. You little fur balls will love it. All goat, beef, and lamb products are great additions to your little guys diet.
Goat, Beef, Lamb
Wild Game:
Yes- wild game! Get ahold of your local hunters and trappers and then pick up their scraps. This is the most affordable and definitely the healthiest meal plan for your pet. Everything from beaver meat to deer antlers to mice (ew, but they love it) can be incorporated into your meal plan.
Moose, Deer, Beaver, Lynx, Bobcat, Raccoon, Opossum, Mice
Eggs:
Fish:
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Bird:
Ferrets are feather hunters by nature. In the wild their most prized catch is a pheasant- so they looove bird meat. Unseasoned chicken wings, turkey legs, and wild bird scraps. Probably the best snack you can give your little fur ball. If you can afford them, we highly suggest making bird meat a staple of your ferret's diet.
Chicken, Turkey, Pheasant, Game Hen, Swan, Goose, Ptarmigan, Duck
Red Meat:
Making cheeseburgers tonight? Take a bit of the ground meat, cook it to a 'rare' setting (or to where it's a light brown with bits of pink left), let cool and let your ferrets go to work. It's super healthy and very tasty. You little fur balls will love it. All goat, beef, and lamb products are great additions to your little guys diet.
Goat, Beef, Lamb
Wild Game:
Yes- wild game! Get ahold of your local hunters and trappers and then pick up their scraps. This is the most affordable and definitely the healthiest meal plan for your pet. Everything from beaver meat to deer antlers to mice (ew, but they love it) can be incorporated into your meal plan.
Moose, Deer, Beaver, Lynx, Bobcat, Raccoon, Opossum, Mice
Eggs:
Eggs are a great source of protein. In the wild ferrets will often ravage nests and steal the eggs. These shouldn't be a regular part of the diet, but can most certainly be added once or twice a week. It's a thing that some ferrets love and some hates- it all depends on your pets personality.
Chicken, Goose, Pheasant
Chicken, Goose, Pheasant
Fish:
Most ferrets love fish, and although it can cause them to have a bit of an odor it's really healthy for them because of its high protein content. Don't feed them completely raw fish- either freeze them, or bring them to a boil and let them cool. They do not need to be cooked all the way- just sterilized to avoid worms.
Whitefish, Salmon, Freshwater Fish, Cod, Eel, Fish Eggs, Fish Heads
Whitefish, Salmon, Freshwater Fish, Cod, Eel, Fish Eggs, Fish Heads
