The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Region 6, Lakewood, Colorado intends to award a non-competitive, sole source IDIQ Contract to Milliken Meats, Ltd for Toronto Carivore Diet for endangered black footed ferrets at the Black Footed Ferret Facility, Carr, Colorado. The requirement will be awarded as a commercial item in accordance with FAR Part 12. NO SOLICITATION IS AVAILABLE. Early diets were patterned after mink farm programs and were problematic in availability of diet element components, preparation, labor, storage, and overall animal benefits (e.g. rabbit bone parts periodically caused clinical complications and death). The American Zoo and Aquarium Association's, Black-footed Ferret Species Survival Plan (SSP) worked through several zoo nutritional specialists to examine possible diet alternatives; and with development of the Toronto Carnivore Diet undertook, both nutritional analyses specifically for ferrets and clinical comparisons of animal condition following feeding trials of multiple diets. The Toronto Carnivore Diet was found to be superior for black-footed ferrets and is the recommended principal artificial diet for the species. The Service concurs with the position of the SSP advisory group and has found that this diet results in better overall animal health, is easy to secure and store, and reduces labor and overall staff costs. Contracting Officer: Cathleen DeBerry, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Region 6, Denver, CO 303-236-4324.

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