Safe To Breed?

[gerjan 7]

Hi,

 

Got my first ferrets early last summier.

My jills came from one of the original Dutch working lines. (According to the seller).

They weigh an evarage of 600 grams.

Hob is probably cross between pet ferret and wild Euro polecat, he weighs around 1500 grams.

Planning of breeding 1 of the jills to my hob and the other 2 to an chemically neutered hob at my brothers school to get them out of season.

 

I wondered if it's safe to breed quite a large hob to an small Jill?

Ain't really worried he'll squash of break her but can't his ofspring be to large for her to carrie?

Heard a story once about an jack Russel inseminated with German Shepherd juice dieing because the pups were to large. Probably bullshite but made me think.

[Chicken_man 1,651]

Hi mate,

I'm curious about the original dutch working lines? Can you tell me more?

The hob if you are neutering won't bring them out of season! You need a Vosectomised hob for that!

Are the Jill's just a yr old? If so, I personally wouldn't breed from them, I would let them mature first, but that's just me, maybe there older

Atb

[The one 8,475]

your first question should be are my ferrets good enough workers to be breed from before you ask about sizes etc

[Chicken_man 1,651]

your first question should be are my ferrets good enough workers to be breed from before you ask about sizes etc

Agreed

Atb

[krawnden 1,036]

Agree with all replies. But as to your original question about size - I wouldn't worry about it. It's not unusual for hobs to be about twice the size of jills and I've never heard of it being an issue (though to be fair I've never tried a mating like that myself so can't speak from experience. But having said that I currently have a hob at least twice the size of one of my jills and I may well mate them next year and am not put off the idea by the size differential.)

[lurchers 2,768]

Polecat dogs are big to start with but I've seen massive one and wouldn't dream of using them.just do selective breeding to keep the size right mate in my opinion atb

[gerjan 7]

Thanks for all your replies.

 

Chicken man,

I meant like from 1 of the only surviving working lines. Ferreting was very commom in the 19th and early 20th century here. Most of the ferreters poached because of poverty.

When the economy grew after the war ferreting moved to the background, ferrets became pets instead of providers and people only bred them on size, the bigger the better...

 

To bad I need an vasectomised hob.. Vets here aren't really used to ferrets at all, do not provide Jill jabs to get them out of season and do not vasectomate ferrets only remove their entire testicles.

Don't want 3 litters either..

 

The One and Lurchers,

 

I know I should breed them on working capabilities and always keep the size in mind.

Ain't much ferreters in Holland, all I know have ferrets who are closely related to mine so had to go with an big, bulky pet line hob.

He works better than expected so I taught he might be breeding material.

 

Got to give it some time to think about what I'm going to do know.

Edited February 25, 2016 by gerjan

[Chicken_man 1,651]

Ah, didn't realize you are in Holland. What's the ferreting like there?

Any pics?

You got catch dogs/lurcher?

Be nice and flat, good runs for bolters.

Cheers

[gerjan 7]

Well it's hard to start ferreting.

Finding permission is harder than I taught because almost all land is already permission of shooters or the landowner just won't believe ferreting is even legal. Back in the day only poachers ferreted, probably because legal hunters used to be elite and looked down on ferreting.

 

Right now I've only got my grandfather's farm, it's more like a machine graveyard actually. Hard to find burrows, always underneath some broken down piece of farm equipment. Lots of rabbits from time to time but the poachers notice that to... I'm lucky if they leave 1 to bolt, sometimes you won't see 1 for weeks.

Hell of a lot of wild polecats in my region so can't ferret burrows with their signs. They tend to kill and rape ferrets, especially small jills like mine. For that reason my jills haven't been worked much yet and I only want to breed 1.

 

Without an hunting license you can only use dogs to find active burrows, while ferreting they have to be on a leash.

Lurchers/catch dogs are pets here, don't want be to caught hunting with them.

 

I am trying real hard to get more/better permissions but there's an rabbit disease here now so not many people need rabbit control. Most times ferreters here only ferret in places where guns are not allowed,accepted or any good like cementeries, tree nurseries backyards etc.

 

Ain't got pics but will make and post next time

[Chicken_man 1,651]

Hey mate,

You keep doing what your doing, push right through those elite hunters and crack on.

Get your permissions, and teach them about sustainable hunting.

See if you can get a dog going also, show the pet people what there for.

Good man, keep on trying :-)

Would be nice to see some pics and some write ups.

Atb