quick question

[neil_fret 6]

has anyone known of leaving jills housed together while breeding them? as in they have the kits in the same pen?

 

What bout leaving a hob with them to?

 

neil

[diggermad 154]

take the hob out mate before she has the young he may kill them and the jill may kill them because of the hob being in there chers DM

[neil_fret 6]

nice one thanks pal, so will they be ok the four jills together like not kill each others?

 

neil

[ulverston moocher 60]

I know a guy who leaves all his together in a court hob as well and never has had a problem but I wouldnt risk it my self to be truthfull

[neil_fret 6]

there in a 6ft x 6ft shed with different nest boxs but would this make any difference?

[Kay 3,709]

there in a 6ft x 6ft shed with different nest boxs but would this make any difference?

 

Are all the jills pregnant ?

[stubby 175]

have always left jills together with young in the court, the main downside is you then find it hard to tell which jill is mum to who, which if you want to keep records is not helping you.

as for hobs killing the young, I tested this out the year before last, leaving around 4 jills and a few hobs all together,

 

once the kitts were born, a castrated hob became a surrogate aunt, and the intact hobs stayed well out of the way, jills can get very nasty when protecting young, I think the hobs know this, all went ok, till around 6 weeks old, when the castrated hob was moving the kitts every 5 minutes, getting more motherly than the jills, so at that point I removed all the hobs

[lorelei0922 2]

i had two nursing jills together last year...

 

they did a grand job together...

 

a concern may be moving kits though... if the jills have more than one dark safe place to PUT the kits.. they'll move them around a LOT.. and in the course of things... kits can get lost, pulled tug o war style or cold ... i had this happen when they busted out of their cage and stashed 17 kits in my sitting room! one was found in a shirt under a chair.. lost and forgotten for several hours... the kit was fine and all.. but it could have been a problem if they had been out in a court ...

 

if the jills live together normally.. it may go just fine... all down... once again.. to knowing YOUR animals

[neil_fret 6]

oh right thanks guys, no not in baby yet just getting ready (plan ahead) so if ya were to put them in a cage alone what size is best for 1 jill to bring her young up in, is it best not 2 make it to big?

[lorelei0922 2]

oh right thanks guys, no not in baby yet just getting ready (plan ahead) so if ya were to put them in a cage alone what size is best for 1 jill to bring her young up in, is it best not 2 make it to big?

 

 

size isn't the biggest issue, though it should still be appropriately sized for your ferret... they need seperate areas for all things.. ie the poo corner shouldn't be right next to the bed or food etc...

 

the bigger thing is limiting levels.. as she becomes heavier and after, starts draggin kits about.. you dont really want her climbing ladders or stuffing them down tubes and tunnels... i had a poor dear one year who got so big she couldn't lift herself into a hammock the last 3-4 days ... she looked plain miserable.. make sure the nesting box is spacious and i would say make the entrance midway up.. i had problems with the kits finding the entrance and getting lost outside when the mum was sleeping so you want a lip... provide lots of bedding.. some use straw or hay or shredded paper.. i use fleece blankets.. also provide a small pille of extra bedding outside the box she can use for nesting when the time comes.

[Leeview 791]

have always left jills together with young in the court, the main downside is you then find it hard to tell which jill is mum to who, which if you want to keep records is not helping you.

as for hobs killing the young, I tested this out the year before last, leaving around 4 jills and a few hobs all together,

 

once the kitts were born, a castrated hob became a surrogate aunt, and the intact hobs stayed well out of the way, jills can get very nasty when protecting young, I think the hobs know this, all went ok, till around 6 weeks old, when the castrated hob was moving the kitts every 5 minutes, getting more motherly than the jills, so at that point I removed all the hobs

Why the need to breed from 4 jills? "Found it hard to tell which was mother to which kit" did you know who the father was for your records? as there would of been several possible options surely?

Y.I.S Leeview

[The one 8,463]

When i bred mine id often two sharing a hutch and never had a problem ,once when i was a bit slow seperating them they had a litter in with the hob and he didn't harm them but i removed him anyway as he was lying on them