Post adoption behavior

Question
My boyfriend and I adopted 2 ferrets about 1 week ago.  We already had 3 males.

There are some things we are concerned about since the addition of the 2 males.  Menard (age 5) is constantly tackling or wrestling with the other ferrets - until he runs out of energy.  The only thing I am worried about with him is that it seems to be that Menard is always the one doing the chasing & tackling, but he may just be tryng to establish a pecking order.  We are going to give it some more time, but I'm worried he might just be acting like a bully.  No tail puffing or poop flying though, so maybe it's just good ferret fun.

The other concern I have is Dean (age 5.5 yrs old).  Since our decision to add 2 more ferrets, I've noticed that Dean seems to have lost a little weight (and he had a smaller build to begin with).  He also seems to be less active, frequently wandering off my himself to sleep, when he used to play and jump around.  Steve & Murray (our other 2 males) also seem to be less active than Menard & Sable, but they will still play with each other & with toys, etc.

I am wondering if our boys are still getting used to their new friends, or if they are stressed or less happy now.  I see all of them eating & drinking, but we aren't going through as much food as I thought we might.  We currently have 8 in 1 Ultimate for everyone to eat - could it be the food?

Let me know what you think.


Answer
Well, I always suggest Natural Gold or Totally Ferret Venison formula for food since they are high in protein and low in carbs.  It sounds like a simple adjustment period and I really wouldn't worry about Menard.  I would keep my eye on Dean though to make sure he adjusts alright - it could be stress or something medical as his age is common for adrenal or even insulinoma.  Give it a little time, I usually say a few weeks before I worry about anything.