I'm thinking of breeding my EU polecats

[donaldanddaisy 0]

Thank you everybody. I am impressed by how sweet natured she is at the moment but did think that perhaps she and her brother may change once their hormones kick in. I will not breed from either of them unless I could be sure that happy, healthy kits with a good chance of happy homes would be the result. I have plenty of space here so a small litter might result in them staying with me

 

I am aware of the differences between them and ferrets and worked closely with a friend years ago who had terrible trouble trying to breed from his polecats. If any of you have any experience and have some first hand tips, please do pass them on. I am not so set on the idea that I will follow it through if I do not think I am capable of doing it properly.

 

Rake Aboot, Your hob sounds amazing. Have you bred from him before? What were the kits like? I was hoping that any kits my jill has would be as docile as their potential mummy currently is.

[Ideation 8,216]

Do you actually work your ferrets???? All you talk about is how nice they look and how sweet natured they are. Those are both positive things, but not really the basis for breeding working ferret/polecats.

 

In my opinion you don't breed from a jill until she has had 4 good seasons work, or more (unless in extreme circumstances). And the 1st season after they are born doesn't really count.

 

Enjoy your polecats, ferrets, whatever, enjoy working them and get to know how they go, and only breed from them if you can honestly, hand on heart say, your are breeding best to best (working ability wise) and not just cos you quite like them.

 

More folk need to think about the future of the breed and less about their own desires.

[Elmer Fudd 2011 39]

Aye bud

 

I own europes top line of EU polecats,, they are unique in that they are one of the only TRUE lines of wild polecat,, unrelated to any domesticated ferret,(common muck IMHO) I have a large strong wild male that would be ready to breed now,, we can discuss stud fee`s etc,, but do not expect it to be cheap !! these are the ultimate polecat,, not poncey little ferrets like most keep on here !

 

ATB

lol you wish !!! how can you say that ? all they are is what you say they THE BEST yeah right grow up !!!!!!!! it like saying my car is faster than yours quote BUT DO NOT EXECT IT TO BE CHEAP !!!! RIP OFF YOU MEAN !! DO YOU SALE WINDOWA AS WELL LOL

[ferret lady 73]

Rake Aboot, if your post is correct, you have an outstanding line of Eu polecats. Can you back up your claim by posting pics of them?

[Jamie m 668]

Oh dear ,?????

Ferrets and Ferreting , for the discussion of hunting with ferrets what's gone wrong , I'm off ferreting ,

[shoota matt 4]

I have a few EU's, I my self breed ferrets. I only breed if i know i have certain homes. (Read my Profile for more info) I really like my EU's i have 5 cracking workers. I search all over the country for EU's to make sure i don't cross blood lines. I have birth certificates for them all so i know were they have come fro and their blood line. Although a lot of people believe inbreeding ferrets is fine, i for one don't like the idea. I'll get some pics up soon

[donaldanddaisy 0]

Please don't get mad but, no, I do not work my ferrets/polecats. I live in South West London and it is not something I have ever been offered the opportunity to do. I did not mean to hijack the forum for a conversation that some may feel doesn't belong here but, not knowing anybody locally who keeps ferrets (let alone EUs) I noticed that this forum came up again and again when I looked for other keepers on the Internet. Because of that, I thought that this would be the place where people might be most knowledgeable.Certainly, this is the most opportunity that I have been provided with to talk about them with other people. I know it is a hunting forum but the pet keeping forums all seem to get very irate when EUs are mentioned.

 

I have kept ferrets for ten years and these are the first that I have bought where I have had the opportunity to see both of the parents and know a little about their lineage. I have recently massively expanded the courts where I keep the ferrets/polecats and I began to look into the possibility of breeding. I too, am aware of people who have interbred EUs because of the demand for dark coloured animals for shows. I don't want that for my hob and jill or for their babies so I wanted to try to identify other keepers and get their thoughts.

[Ideation 8,216]

Aye bud

 

I own europes top line of EU polecats,, they are unique in that they are one of the only TRUE lines of wild polecat,, unrelated to any domesticated ferret,(common muck IMHO) I have a large strong wild male that would be ready to breed now,, we can discuss stud fee`s etc,, but do not expect it to be cheap !! these are the ultimate polecat,, not poncey little ferrets like most keep on here !

 

ATB

lol you wish !!! how can you say that ? all they are is what you say they THE BEST yeah right grow up !!!!!!!! it like saying my car is faster than yours quote BUT DO NOT EXECT IT TO BE CHEAP !!!! RIP OFF YOU MEAN !! DO YOU SALE WINDOWA AS WELL LOL

 

 

Jesus fecking christ, has no one heard of sarcasm and taking the piss???

[f mac 40]

I have a few EU's, I my self breed ferrets. I only breed if i know i have certain homes. (Read my Profile for more info) I really like my EU's i have 5 cracking workers. I search all over the country for EU's to make sure i don't cross blood lines. I have birth certificates for them all so i know were they have come fro and their blood line. Although a lot of people believe inbreeding ferrets is fine, i for one don't like the idea. I'll get some pics up soon

birth certificates for ferrets right thats fkn it

[f mac 40]

Rake Aboot, if your post is correct, you have an outstanding line of Eu polecats. Can you back up your claim by posting pics of them?

he keeps them in a blue bucket

[KittleRox 2,147]

[Kay 3,709]

I have a few EU's, I my self breed ferrets. I only breed if i know i have certain homes. (Read my Profile for more info) I really like my EU's i have 5 cracking workers. I search all over the country for EU's to make sure i don't cross blood lines. I have birth certificates for them all so i know were they have come fro and their blood line. Although a lot of people believe inbreeding ferrets is fine, i for one don't like the idea. I'll get some pics up soon

 

In breeding done by someone who knows what there doing can be beneficial, as it will fix good traits & desired things, & it will also bring forward bad points a hell of a lot quicker than breeding unrelated ferrets, but I think breeding period should be done by people who know what there doing & have a good knowledge of genetics

[Ideation 8,216]

I'm fascinated with these 'birth certificates' i mean i got one i just drew up here, says this years litter were sired by a silver back gorilla. . . . . . any takers?

[simonrocco 175]

I'm fascinated with these 'birth certificates' i mean i got one i just drew up here, says this years litter were sired by a silver back gorilla. . . . . . any takers?

ill have one what do you feed them on banannas :laugh:

[ferret lady 73]

In breeding done by someone who knows what there doing can be beneficial, as it will fix good traits & desired things, & it will also bring forward bad points a hell of a lot quicker than breeding unrelated ferrets, but I think breeding period should be done by people who know what there doing & have a good knowledge of genetics

 

Kay, I couldn't agree more! Inbreeding is invaluable for bringing out the recessive genes that both parents are carrying, both beneficial and deleterious, and geneticists advise doing it at least every 3 generations so that any harmful genes can be eliminated before they become widespread among the breeding population. Serious breeders should also be keeping complete records of what their breedings have produced, as well as tracking their kits after they are placed...something which seems to be very rare in the UK.