If you’re a ferret owner, you know these feisty little animals are obligate carnivores. That means they must eat meat. But what about chicken hearts? Is this a good type of meat to include in their diets?
Yes, ferrets can eat chicken hearts. In fact, this is an excellent food to include in a ferret’s diet. They contain lots of protein and other nutrients that your ferrets need to stay happy and healthy.
Are Chicken Hearts Good for Ferrets?
Now that you know that ferrets can eat chicken hearts, you are probably wondering if chicken hearts are healthy for ferrets. Yes, they are. Chicken hearts are nutrient-rich, with high levels of protein, vitamin B12, iron, and more.
As an animal organ, chicken hearts are a great choice as a component of your ferret’s diet. Of course, they shouldn’t be the only thing your pet eats. Make sure your ferret gets a mix of meat, organs, and raw bones in its diet. Foods that you should never give your pet include foods with a lot of complex carbohydrates and foods with sugar, chocolate, and dairy. Nuts should also be fed only in strong moderation.
Can Ferrets Eat Raw Chicken Hearts?
Yes, all the meat you give your ferret can be fed raw. When you give your ferrets chicken hearts, you can keep them on their own or mix them with ferret food. If you give your pet a pre-prepared food, make sure it’s specifically formulated and produced for ferrets and their dietary needs.
Your ferrets will need to be used to raw foods before you feed them chicken hearts. Start the process slowly. A ferret that was weaned using an at least partially raw diet will quickly start eating chicken hearts. If it wasn’t, however, be patient with getting your ferret used to raw meat bit by bit. Just start with tiny amounts and mix them into other food.
Are Chicken Hearts Nutritious?
Yes, chicken hearts are certainly nutritious. This is especially true for obligate carnivores like ferrets. Chicken hearts offer high-quality protein. While chicken hearts have high fat levels, ferrets need more fat than people do. In fact, 20% to 23% percent of a ferret’s diet should be fat from protein, such as what you get from chicken hearts.
However, if you are thinking of feeding your ferret avocados because of the healthy fats, you should definitely not do so. Avocados are poisonous for ferrets.
Can You Feed Your Ferret Chicken?
We’ve already learned that we can give our ferrets chicken hearts, but what about other parts of the chicken? Yes, you certainly can. Just introduce whatever part of chicken you want to give your ferret slowly. Make sure to get rid of any big bones and chop up the meat, probably mixing it into ferret-food pellets.
Ferrets unused to raw meat can have this kind of meat introduced to them gradually. It’s a good idea to give your ferret a ferret-specific dry food in addition to the real meat you give it. This is because of several reasons, including the fact it is useful in maintaining dental health.
Correct Ferret Nutrition
Like any other pet, ferrets need a diet appropriate for them in order to stay healthy. As obligate carnivores, your ferrets need plenty of meat. Small, frequent meals are best. Protein is extremely important in the ferret diet. A minimum of 34% of the ferret diet should be protein.
There must also be a lot of fat in the ferret’s diet, with that component making up a minimum of 20%. Chicken should be included in this animal’s diet. With chicken hearts, you’re giving your ferret a highly nutritious food. Include a variety of different foods in your ferret’s diet. This will make sure your pet gets all the nutrients it needs to stay healthy.
You should give your ferret a mixture of meat, organs, and bones. Meat (beef and deer meat works great) should make up around 80% of the diet, while 10% of the diet should consist of organs and 10% of bones. The chicken hearts you give your ferret will help make up the organ component of its diet.
Can Chicken Hearts be Treats for Your Ferrets?
Yes, you can give chicken hearts to your ferrets as treats. But they can also play a significant part in your ferret’s regular diet. As long as you understand how to properly balance a ferret’s diet and consult with a veterinarian about that process, you can add chicken hearts to your ferret’s diet as either a treat or a regular item. Giving your ferrets chicken hearts as treats is a great way of creating more variety in their diet.
Can Ferrets Eat Chicken Hearts? Summary
Clearly, ferret hearts are a viable food for ferrets. Like with any other pet, you need to learn about what your ferret needs in its diet, so you can keep it properly balanced. Chicken hearts contain excellent nutrients for your ferrets and can play a part in what they eat. If your ferret isn’t used to raw food, introduce it gradually and mix it with other kinds of food they already know.