Is baby too small for dominance fighting?

[Megan]

Hello All! Thanks in advance for hearing me out. I have a 3.5 year old ferret (Loki) and a 2.5 year old (Thor). Both deaf males. I recently brought home a 9 week old male, also deaf (Bucky). At first, baby Bucky didn't care at all for the bigs. Thor started in on the dominance fighting and Bucky squealed like I've never heard! I know he's deaf which probably attributes to his screams but man is it tough. Bucky peed so I stopped it and Bucky was soo shook up he was grunting and snuggling in my arms. I gave them some time apart. Have been swapping bedding, and Bucky is in a cage in the Loki and Thors room where they can sniff him. Last night I bathed them all together and put them in neutral territory to let them fight it out. Loki doesn't care much at all but Thor went in for his neck. Bucky was  screaming so badly and hissing. Thor stopped and Bucky started screaming anytime Thor or Loki even tried walking up to him. I went to grab Bucky and he was so upset he was screaming at me. I cuddled him closely and he calmed down but now anytime any of the other ferrets go near him he starts screaming. Can't even hold them next to each other. Did I traumatize baby Bucky by introducing them too soon? Before he was able to be by them but now he gets so upset he screams even at the sight of either of them. Do I need to wait till Bucky is a little older? 

[Charlie]

Yeah, you may have introduced them too quickly. Has Bucky had time to adjust to his new surroundings first before the intros? Give Bucky time to get use to his new home first. Keep switching bedding and even if your older ones are out playing put Bucky in their. cage to sniff around and put the other 2 in Bucky's cage to sniff around as well. There may be a possibility that Thor and Bucky may not ever get along but Bucky and Loki will. Thor sounds like your dominant ferret. If tnere is pee, poo or blood, then it's not going well. Lol. Be patient, you never know, it may work out or it may not so you will have to be prepared, if that is the case, to have separate play times.

[Sherry]

This is one of the reasons we suggest a two week quarantine. It's not just to give some time for vetting etc(ear mites, parasites, bacterial infections, etc), but it also gives the newbie some time to adjust to a new environment. And for wee babies like you have, it gives them some extra time to grow and become more confident. I'd start doing that two weeks now, and then restart intro's one on one beginning with the calmer boy.

[abbeytheferret6]

I did the same thing. I thought my older female, Abbey would like to play mama--but boy I got surprised. She went for my baby's neck and shook her. She developed a limp from the shaking. That is what I concluded as I did not notice anything strange when I brought her home from Petco. Her chin bumped the floor when she walked and it sounded like someone walking on a pegleg. I had her x-rayed but nothing was broken. Vet had me keep her in an small enclosed area for a few weeks(8 panel Marshall's playpen). 

I did wait until about 5 mos or 6 mos before reintroducing the baby back to Abbey. My one year old who loved biting humans adored her tho. Abbey and her did squabble from time to time but she stood her ground. 

[Heather]

The unfortunate thing about buying at the petstores and then integrating your ferret into your existing businesses is that usually they're much too young. Farm ferrets because of their age when they're removed from their mother, never learn proper body language or how to read it. This puts them at an extreme disadvantage, not only when introducing but when they're older and having other ferrets introduced. The suggestion I have is that as a ferret from a reputable breeder would not be removed from their mother until they're 10 weeks of age (I don't allow them before 12 weeks)is to keep them in quarantine until they're at least 10 to 12 weeks of age. That means that a kit who's first come into the pet store is supposed to be 7 weeks (usually they're younger) but we're going to give them some credit....should be held in quarantine for a minimum of 3 weeks before being introduced. This gives them time to settle, to become larger, more mature and better able to cope. Remember, your ferrets if they're also farm ferrets, will not have any true learned social skills, only what nature dealt them. As we keep our ferrets in "litters" some ferrets are very protective (nature not nurture) and will close ranks and attack a new ferret. The age of the kit isn't important because they don't learn any social behaviour will only be viewed as a weak individual and they will beat them up as an intruder and not view them as kits.
ciao