i am a breeder in upstate n.y....first...please don't any of you send me
nasty comments..i am only trying to help.
 
first...as long as the jill is healthy,(and you say she is)...leave her
alone..please.  humans can never know what ferret mammas know.  i leave
my jill with her kits until they leave here at 14 weeks old.  she weans
them when SHE'S ready..usually at 8 or 9 weeks.  i've seen her actually
still nurse some (like the runt, or an especially whiney or insecure boy)
right up till 12 weeks.
 
if you were breast feeding your (just for the sake of argument...
triplets), and somebody came along and took one of them, you'd go nuts,
too.  you would also probably try to hide your other children, like the
jill seems to be doing, so they wouldn't be taken away, also, right??
tell that lady to give her ferret her babies back...she'll know what to
do and when..instict is a wonderful thing.
 
you are interfering with the natural order of things.  believe me when i
tell you, mamma knows when they're ready.  give her the boys back, and
she'll wean the larger ones first, then the smaller, but at HER pace.
 
at times it will seem like they're ganging up on her and overpowering
her, but that's all part of the weaning process..some will give up and
go the food dish...some need mommy longer.
 
i lhave to tell you, that i learned 99% of what i know about rearing kits
from my mamma..she lets me know what is right and what is not, and by
hiding her remaining kits, that mamma is telling you the only way she can
that they're just NOT ready to be weaned yet.
 
if the breeder wants, she cam e-mail me, i will be happy to help.
 
donna
[Posted in FML issue 4867]