FERRET PERSONALITY SQUABBLES:
From what I can tell (and have read) there is not a organized pecking order
in ferrets like there is in wolves for example.  Dominance games are not an
ongoing thing in ours.  Since most of our animals are whole the males have
their own cages most of the time and the only animals that spend lots of
time together are the whole females and the alters.  Our gibs (altered
males in American terminology) don't get along much of the time but it
isn't a dominance thing where one puts the other in its place.  We have two
gibs that have been together their whole lives and they do get along but
not with any other gib.  So we have our gibs seperated into little tribes.
Our sprites (altered female in American terminology) get seperated into
'harems' for the gibs - we seldom see squabbling among them that lasts more
than a minute or five.  Our jills (whole female in modern American
terminology) are mlumped into trheir own couple cages or some go into the
harems of the gibs.  These DO have squabbles all the time but not in any
predictible manner like a dominance chain would have.  They get hormonal
and decide to mother some other jill (or whoever is handy).  The new 'kid'
might object and fuss back.  These get wild!  Sometimes a jill becomes the
target of all the others - why?  Who knows.  We just take whoever is
logical out and move her to another cage.  Sometimes it is the 'hormonal'
mama and other times it is the target.  While the hobs (whole male in
modern American terminology) are not in rut they sometimes have room-mates.
We don't chance it with other males.  I've heard tales of hobs getting down
and bloody with each other but we haven't seen it.  Okay so we don't
usually room them together but they do see each other and meet while we
have them out like at shows.  THey do get into snarling matches but so far
the biting has not been through the skin.
 
In summation what I'd advise Lynn is too not be over paranoid about the
males killing each other but I wouldn't room them together.  If you have
them out at the same time keep a close eye on them.  Most problems would
occur while the hob is in rut.
 
DIET:
About the Mazuri and lab diets, they are not the same thing.  Mazuri is a
high quality food that I would recommend for use in the hobs in rut,
nursing or pregnant jills and kits.  We use Totally Ferret our selves but
they are reasonably comparable foods.  The high protien and fat is why they
are recommended for the ferrets I listed.  Some of the protien is in the
corn and probably will pass through the ferret without being completely
absorbed.  Lab food from what I've heard is tuned for certain things a lab
would need and not daily feeding of ferrets outside a controlled lab.
 
I know nothing about L'Avian.
 
The normal mode for ferrets we feed them Iams cat food.  If they are losing
weight more than we think they should we bump them up to Iam's kitten or a
mixture of cat and Totally Ferret.  If they are in one of the critical
stages; rut, pregnant, nursing or kits we feed them Totally Ferret and
sometimes supplement that.  When the kits are weaning and trying to start
on solid foods we mix Totally Ferret with A/D Prescription diet from cans.
Other foods such as ProPlan can substitue for the Iams and Mazuri can
substitute for the Totally Ferret.
 
NEW BREEDERS:
Lynn and anyone else just starting or thinking of starting breeding, when
you get closer to the breeding point lets us know if we can be of any
assistance.  You might also be sure to get the Breeder's Digest put out by
Vickie McKimmey.  Its growing and getting better all the time.
Subscriptions are really inexpensive - $10 if I remember and well worth it.
Call her at (703)777-2112 - tell her I sent you...
 
bill and diane killian
zen and the art of ferrets
[Posted in FML issue 1367]