Message Number: FHL1738 | New FHL Archives SearchFrom: Danee
Date: Thu, 5 Jul 2007 23:18:06 -0400
To: "Ferret Health List" <ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com>
Subject: [ferrethealth] Weaning times
ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com wrote on 7/3/2007, 5:53 AM:
> What I'm curious about is whether there may be a difference between
> geographical regions or should it be taken as a fact anywhere in the
> world?
> The reason why I'm asking is that here it's always been a practice
> that breeders sell kits at the age of six or seven weeks.
I am afraid that I can't answer your question, really. I can only
relate my own experiences as a small breeder.
When I was breeding, all of my jills nursed the kits well past 8 weeks.
I would start the kits on mush, as a supplement to nursing, around 4
or 5 weeks, depending on litter size, and although the kits were eating
solid food by 8 weeks, the jills would still nurse them several times a day.
I also found that the mothers remained interested in their kits well
past the 16 week age, if any of them were still around. In fact, if I
kept kits from a litter, the mother would stick by them, even after they
were grown.
I also observed that the jills would teach the kits many things -
including some I would have preferred they didn't.
My personal opinion is that it is better to leave the kits with their
mothers until at least 10 or 12 weeks of age.
I know that the farms remove the kits from the mothers as soon as the
eyes are open. So, it can be done. But, I personally do not think it
is the best way of doing things.
I don't know if there have been any studies done on natural weaning
times of ferrets or not.
--
Danee DeVore
International Ferret Congress Health Issues Coordinator
http://www.ferretcongress.org
ADV - If your ferret hasn't been tested, you don't know!
For more information visit: http://www.ferretadv.com
You can help fight ADV!
Visit: http://help4adv.terrabox.com/
Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/
<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional
<*> To change settings online go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/join
(Yahoo! ID required)
<*> To change settings via email:
mailto:ferrethealth-digest@yahoogroups.com
mailto:ferrethealth-fullfeatured@yahoogroups.com
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
ferrethealth-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
Send comments to Pam at pjdutche@email.unc.edu. Please note that this address is only useful for questions about the FHL archive. Questions about ferret health, or those intended for the FHL, should be sent to the Ferret Health List.