Message Number: YG8159 | New FHL Archives Search
From: christine mathis
Date: 2001-10-24 18:46:00 UTC
Subject: newborn kits

I found Katherine's question very interesting about newborn
kits being raised when a mother is lost. I have tried to do
this numerous times only to fail. I have actually had a
scientist friend analyse ferret milk to find Esbilac is very
close to Jill's milk but lacking in fat. After watching my
jills with their young, I have noted that they are constantly
feeding the kits all day and all night. It is very difficult
to do this. The kits mouths are so small, that even a syringe
is hard to get them to eat from. I have had success with 3
week old kits, but it is very difficult. Moms are constantly
stimulating urine and feces production and keeping the kits
warm. This is a feat in itself. I am sure like human mothers
their milk must change its makeup as the age of the kit
advances. By 5 weeks the jill is more than ready to introduce
ferret food to the kits. We recently had a litter of kits that
we decided to feed the jill some cooked ground whole chicken
(Bob's Chicken Gravy)to when the kits were 3 weeks old. We
were astonished to see not only the Mom eating but the still
blind kits wobbling out of the sleep sack and sticking their
muzzles into the bowl and devouring the chicken along with the
mom. They are now 7 weeks old and fat and very healthy! They
wait for the chicken gravy and leave the kibble alone.
Chris