From:
Danee
Date: 2007-07-06 03:18:06 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Weaning times
To: "Ferret Health List" <ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com>
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
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