James Wellbeloved Ferret Food, Feeding Guide.
 
KITS: From 3 weeks, offer small amounts of food soaked till soft with
warm water, or broth, gradually decreasing liquid.  Replace any uneaten
damp food with fresh after a few hours.  From 4 weeks, offer only dry
food.  Up to 16 weeks feed free, allowing animals to clean out the bowls
every 2/3 days to maintain freshness.  At this age food consumption will
be approx.  7% of body weight.
 
ADULTS FERRETS: Feed free, but restrict diet to approx.  5% of body
weight if animals get too heavy.
 
LACTATION/FINAL 2 WEEKS GESTATION: Feed free without restriction.
 
FRESH WATER: Supply plenty of fresh clean drinking water at all times.
 
J.W. is one of the better ferret foods (protein and fat wise) that we
can buy in the UK and I believe a manufacturer that recommends limiting
food intake must have done some dietary studies.  I weigh out food when
feeding their kibble in the mornings and if they eat it all by noon they
go hungry till the next morning feed.  That was the old way of keeping
ferrets and as my ferrets keep pretty healthy I have never seen the need
to change.  The one thing my ferrets do not normally get is any sweat
treats; they might get a lick of ice cream at shows.  It may be my UK
upbringing but I do not think fat ferrets, dogs or kids look cute or
healthy.  I do not even like feeding kibble but cannot get a regular
supply of fresh whole carcase since the Foot and Mouth outbreak here.
 
A friend of mine who is a founder member of the W.F.C. told me Wednesday
his oldest jill has had passed on, the little albino was 14 years and 5
months old.  She was only ever fed raw rabbit carcase and water; treats
were a raw egg very occasionally.  She was a tiny little jill about 500kg
in weight and caught her own food most of her life.  Chris.
 
The Wessex Ferret Club http://web.ukonline.co.uk/superzoe/index.htm
[Posted in FML issue 3970]