抄録
Although a large number of ferrets as a pet are increasing in Japan, they are imported from USA, Canada, and New Zealand etc. Because there are a few available reports on the nutritional character of them, in order to develop a diet for ferrets, three experiments were conducted using gonadectomized male and female ferrets. In Expt.1, the intake of diets with one of four protein sources, meat meal, chicken meal, fish meal and soybean meal was compared. The intake of diet with meat meal was most among them. In Expt.2, the intake of meat meal diets with five crude protein (CP) levels from 20 to 40% CP were compared. The diet with 30% CP was most consumed. When the meat meal diet with 30% CP was supplied daily the consumption of CP and digestible energy per metabolic body size (BW kg0.75) were estimated to be 11.3 g and 150 kcal/day, respectively. In Expt.3, the digestibility of nutrients and the absorbed rate of amino acids of meat meal diet with 30% CP were determined by total feces collection method. The digestibilities were estimated to be 83.0% for CP,96.0% for crude fat, and 74.2% for nitrogen free extract, respectively. The average absorbed rate of AA was higher than 70%. The obtained values except digestibility of NFE were higher than those reported in cats.
