When she has babies!  I am not being as flip as it sounded, ferrets are
notorious for doing some of the best false pregnacies you ever saw.
 
For example, just a few weeks ago, my Thea had a huge belly, little hard
lumps in the tummy, acted lazy, wanted tummy rubs..  her normal pregnant
behaviour.  Due date came, she builds a nest, she starts spotting....
and... and... nothing.  Took her to a vet, and even she was stumped...
ended up going over to another clinic to get a sonogram and quess what?
No kits!  All the while, Thea is giving me a sheepish grin that clearly
says "does this mean no more tummy rubs Mom?"
 
Amyways, the first thing to watch is her vulve.  Generally once bred, they
will go out of season, but if the breeding didn't actually take... she may
start going back into season quickly.
 
Remember a ferrets gestation period is only 42 days.  The signs to look for
is the tummy getting larger, the jill growing more lazy, she may become
more aggressive, you will want to isolate her.  (I prefer pregnant girls to
go in either large one level cages or the Quality cage so there is no risk
of them falling off a level and hurting themselves) She will eat, drink and
sleep more.  Eventually you may be able to feel little tiny hard marble
like lumps in the tummy (be careful, some internal organs feel that way
too) In the last 2 weeks or so, she will have the urge to build a nest,
provide her with some suitable material... she may also shed a LOT of hair.
It is important to give the jill very good nutrition if you think she is
pregnant.  Better than normal, remember she needs to nurish kits as well
as herself.  Extra supplements.
 
I must say I am less than thrilled with the concept that you are in this
position yet obviously have not done much research about breeding.  That
being said, if you need help, I and other breeders on this list will do our
best to help you.  I would also like to strongly reccomend you read these
sites on important about breeding ferrets.
 
By the way, a special THANK YOU to the authors of these sites, I use and
refer to them often.  They are excellent!
 
Breeding FAQ by Bill Killian
ftp://ftp.zenferret.com/pub/FAQ/breeding.faq
 
Feeding kits by Amy Fleming
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Ranch/9521/kitfeeding.html
[Posted in FML issue 3005]