Kit deformaties.

[Coneytrappr 30]

Could be a calcium deficiency or could be dodgy silver genes. Could even be both; I once read that ferrets with the silver gene can have trouble with absorbing the right amounts of nutrition from their feed...seemed to fit with my own experiences as the silver hob I had never could keep weight on no matter how much he ate. His poley

od do'er on the same grub.

I think you did right to cull them mate. For the ones that are left try game with small light bones...pigeon, rabbit ribs etc. ATB with it .

Or if he's that bothers and really wants the right answer instead of 50 million dirent possible he could take one to the vets for testing ; ) sounds to me like the whole lot needs nocking it's all good and well rearing good kits but not for them for me if there as bad as said

 

Yer, you're right. A vet would give him definite answers [if it was a decent vet anyhow]. I would put the rest down also as they obviously just ain't thriving for whatever reason and there is always an excess of healthy stock to take a pick from without perpetuating poor health. A shame but that's how it goes sometimes.

[Jamie m 668]

Could be a calcium deficiency or could be dodgy silver genes. Could even be both; I once read that ferrets with the silver gene can have trouble with absorbing the right amounts of nutrition from their feed...seemed to fit with my own experiences as the silver hob I had never could keep weight on no matter how much he ate. His poley

od do'er on the same grub.

I think you did right to cull them mate. For the ones that are left try game with small light bones...pigeon, rabbit ribs etc. ATB with it .

Or if he's that bothers and really wants the right answer instead of 50 million dirent possible he could take one to the vets for testing ; ) sounds to me like the whole lot needs nocking it's all good and well rearing good kits but not for them for me if there as bad as said

 

Yer, you're right. A vet would give him definite answers [if it was a decent vet anyhow]. I would put the rest down also as they obviously just ain't thriving for whatever reason and there is always an excess of healthy stock to take a pick from without perpetuating poor health. A shame but that's how it goes sometimes.

Spot on coney, ; ). I myself am fortunate enough to have a mrs that's very understanding about me and my shed lol and shed time to for that matter , only got back into ferreting two seasons ago but fell lucky with a couple of jills reall lucky , this year I'm breading for a qaulity hob I will be keeping two back and running them both on come December , and that will be that shouldn't need to buy in for quite sometime , or ever have to worry about how stocks going to turn out ,

[dogger 100]

i have 18 kits from 2 jills all in together and the kits have been on chicken carcasses and whole rabbits guts and all from 3 weeks of age there now 6 weeks and everyone is as strong as the next and there of silver gened jills to an albino hob so maybe if the silver gene is stronger in the mix it maybe weakens the kits like already suggested just a thought

[The one 8,477]

i have 18 kits from 2 jills all in together and the kits have been on chicken carcasses and whole rabbits guts and all from 3 weeks of age there now 6 weeks and everyone is as strong as the next and there of silver gened jills to an albino hob so maybe if the silver gene is stronger in the mix it maybe weakens the kits like already suggested just a thought

 

 

You must have been busy feeding that lot meat till six weeks mate they will have eaten as much as a small nation

You got rid of any yet i kept meaning to come for a look

 

 

[Guest alcapone]

thanks everyone for advice. I found 3 dead ones when i got in today, the rest are very skinny and one has an eye infection. i've seperated them from mum and given them a minced up chicken wing mixed with water so its a bit like a yogurt. They look like they are starving but they had constant access to food, there was even food in there when i took the dead ones out. also, they haven't been fed mince for long, only a few days (before that it was chicken wings),

thanks again.

I wouldnt mince anything,i just sling in pigeons and young rabbits that a friend shoots along with the odd young cockerel,i fed the mince as i had 300lb in the freezer for the dogs,never again!! Just have to put it down to experience fella,learn by your mistakes and hopefully by putting it on here prevent others making the same mistake. I started a thread on this last summer.

[dogger 100]

You must have been busy feeding that lot meat till six weeks mate they will have eaten as much as a small nation

You got rid of any yet i kept meaning to come for a look

theres a woman coming to pick a hob to nite a few folk on here have noted interest as well geez a buzz if your coming up and bring a boot full of rabbits wi yi

[Davidh 5]

If you are weaning them on mince only that is your problem. There is no calcium in it so you will need to add a calcium supplement. If you start now you may be able to the weaker ones right.

[johnrthrfrd 223]

had this happen to a full litter years back they were polecat to polecat and fed on whole rabbit, whole birds etc. all of them had deformed back legs and had to be shot.

[web22 27]

had this happen to a full litter years back they were polecat to polecat and fed on whole rabbit, whole birds etc. all of them had deformed back legs and had to be shot.

 

 

don't mean to be soft but "shot" sounds harsh would "put out of it's misery" or "ended it's suffering" or something similar not be a better description,i know how harsh nature is but just feel that when we undertake these cold but necessary acts which it is best to be detatched from we could at least sound a bit human somehow...

[loveferreting 2]

i have got 6 kits so if i give the mother mince meat the kit that feed off her will be disformed

[johnrthrfrd 223]

had this happen to a full litter years back they were polecat to polecat and fed on whole rabbit, whole birds etc. all of them had deformed back legs and had to be shot.

 

 

don't mean to be soft but "shot" sounds harsh would "put out of it's misery" or "ended it's suffering" or something similar not be a better description,i know how harsh nature is but just feel that when we undertake these cold but necessary acts which it is best to be detatched from we could at least sound a bit human somehow...

sorry had to put them out of there misery (shot)

[loveferreting 2]

i have got 6 kits so if i give the mother mince meat the kit that feed off her will be disformed

[J.DOG 1,355]

I have a ferret with some missing toes he was born that way