Breeding Ferrets-Advice Needed

[northwestferreting 1]

Im 14 years old and been into ferreting for a good few years,i started ferreting when i heard about storys from when my uncle used to go ferreting,so i spend all my spare time and money on the sport,i lost my first ferret last month so i then purchased a polecat jill,and i am really up for breeding her,so i was just wondering if somebody would give me a detailed answear on breeding from mating to eventually parting with some of the kits,could you explain the do's and

Dont's,when to handle the kits,what to feed them on and when to start feeding them and when i can first handle them,a very detailed paragraph would be apreciate,and please dont kick off saying breeding needs to be thought through ect,ect.because everybody needs to start somewhere and my time is now,i know i will ferret for all my life,theirs just something about the sport what raises your heart,please a detailed answear would be much appreciated

[Nigel1 10]

I no a breeder who is gd if you need to no anything gd look mate every1 starts somewhere

[fergy 6]

ill be looking for another ferret later on in the year - let me know if you are selling them, sorry though dont know anything about breeding them.

good luck

[gnipper 6,475]

When the jills about a week off dropping she'll moult her fur so after that just keep an ear out for squeaking coming from the nest box. When you do hear them leave well alone for at least a week while the Jill forms a bond with the kits, if you peep and mider too soon some jills can kill the young. Make sure the jill has plenty of food, whole carcass preferably. The kits will start sucking meat at a few weeks old and their eyes can start opening from 3 weeks. This imo is the time to start handling them but watch out for mum as she may be a tad frisky, give her a treat to occupy her or put her out in a run for a minute. The kits are ready to go when their eating and using the water bottle, usually by that time the jill will be sick of them and so will you be if she has a decent sized litter as they can't half put some grub away and its tricky shutting a cage door with an army of the little buggers trying to get out.

[Gaz_1989 9,539]

When the jills about a week off dropping she'll moult her fur so after that just keep an ear out for squeaking coming from the nest box. When you do hear them leave well alone for at least a week while the Jill forms a bond with the kits, if you peep and mider too soon some jills can kill the young. Make sure the jill has plenty of food, whole carcass preferably. The kits will start sucking meat at a few weeks old and their eyes can start opening from 3 weeks. This imo is the time to start handling them but watch out for mum as she may be a tad frisky, give her a treat to occupy her or put her out in a run for a minute. The kits are ready to go when their eating and using the water bottle, usually by that time the jill will be sick of them and so will you be if she has a decent sized litter as they can't half put some grub away and its tricky shutting a cage door with an army of the little buggers trying to get out.

That's a great reply.

 

I've got a chest freezer full of bunnys ready for the ferts through the summer. They love em

[OldhamLad 66]

I wouldn't bother pal there are so many out there on the market pal might be more cost efficient to just rehome them! Also what happens if people wont take them off you and your still with more ferrets than you can house etc ???

[Country Joe 1,411]

you will probably soon see kits on here, bred from good working strains, going way back,

so anyone looking for kits, would go for them.

Also you must try and breed with a small working Hob, if you can find a good one.

Not that it will produce smaller kits, but it helps if your ferts are not of the large type.

As you have just started out, and good luck to you, you will enjoy years of sport.

I would just concentrate on field craft, lot of wee tips,on here, that will help put more rabbits in your bag.

then when you have a four year old Jill, that has worked really well, you can think about breeding her.

Or wait, and pick up a well bred Jill from here, and what ever jill turns out the best worker breed her.

Also to find the right Hob, you may need to travel.

I also would find out how you are going to get rid of the kits, most just breed for themselves, then give them free to mates.

And as been said, they will soon eat you out of house and home, and you will have more to handle everyday. what if she has 10 kits.

Theres lot of things you could do, to keep you occupied,why don't you learn to knit your own nets

Go looking for permission.

I would put a lot of thought into this ,before breeding.

And if you need any other ferreting advice there is a lot of good lads on this site, who will keep you right.

Edited March 26, 2013 by Country Joe

[Malt 379]

First I'd find out if there was demand for any excess kits you might have. Secondly, I'd make sure you have enough spare time to spend handling all the kits as soon as they're old enough and getting them all as used to human contact as I could.. Finally, if I decided to go ahead and breed a litter, I'd stock up on food because a litter of kits go through food like a cartoon pack of piranhas! Plan everything, because I've had to deal with a litter of kits that a young lad had bred and then lost interest in and it's not something I'd personally care to go through again..

[The one 8,479]

Every jills different what works for one wont work for another and if its her first litter treat it like a learning curve she could rear the lot or kill them . a litter of kits will eat as much as a small African nation so unless your sure you want to do it let somebody else breed theres . its a sure way to loose money

[northwestferreting 1]

The money side of this isnt a problem because,i make purse nets and sell them and also have a job,its the experiance what im most interested in ,not making money

[Country Joe 1,411]

You still have not answered the question, if she has a large litter, could be 10.

how are you going to get rid?

[northwestferreting 1]

My uncle wants two,im keeping two,then theirs all the people in my village

[ferret100 47]

Just because you want to breed her doesn't make it the right thing to do. Breeding animals takes a lot of care, time, knowledge and expense and ensuring the youngsters will be sold/given to responsible homes and not end up having a bad end to their life. Animals can travel through many hands in their life and not all are kind. Plus, reproduction can have many unpleasant issues and after losing your first ferret recently wouldn't want you to lose your jill and kits, really think you should just enjoy having your jill, take her out of season and see how she works before even thinking of breeding from her. You've plenty of years yet to breed ferts, just think you should take your time. With a pregnant jill, then kits to look after you might well wish you'd never have bothered Atb

[northwestferreting 1]

Ive decided im going to purchase a hob this year,then next year i may breed her,but what do i do about my ferret this year,can she die if not brought out of seaseon?some body told me to breed her every 2/3 years and she will be fine,is this true?

[Country Joe 1,411]

Ha, you appear to be desperate to breed.

Its just a matter of preference, but I like to work Two Jills but i had my hob vasectomised,

This brings them out of Season, and they don't have young.

you can just leave them when in Season, but there's always the chance of infection so you are better bringing them out.

You can take them to a Vet and get the Jill jab, but its quite expensive, and they could come back in.

and you are also putting chemicals into them.

my advice would be to pick up a hob, and get him vasectomised, have a look on here later and pick up a kit Jill from a long line of workers.

that will give you one hob and two Jills enough for anybody to work.

Regarding your present Jill, i dont know where you live, but put a post up on here, someone near you, might have a vasectomised hob, you can take her to.

either that get the jill jab.

I dont know how much work your Jill has had, but you should be able to pick up some cracking workers on here, when the Kits are ready to go.

Edited March 27, 2013 by Country Joe