Telling Male N Female Kits Apart?

[Furrosious ferreter 499]

Probably set myself right up on this one, but, how do you tell?

 

She had them on the 9th may and she is in a nest box i made.

 

I havent even looked (a quick peep while she was eating) in there as i dont want to annoy her, and she is under a blanket, there was 7 when born (she had them in the wrong place) so i saw then, before she moved them in to the nest box.

 

Could you tell me what to expect at certain weeks ie when they start appearing from the nest, when to put meat in for them etc

 

FF

[Jamie m 668]

Males two belly buttons Jills one ????

[TOMO 26,193]

2 week old,,,and you havnt handled them,,,,theres no good reason for that,,,,get them handled from day 2 in future...

 

sexing them will be easy now,,go out and pick them up and it will all be clear

[Furrosious ferreter 499]

So then, got in from work went out to the ferrets, fed them like i always do took the blanket out her nest and then got savaged by her??? Perhaps she dont want me in there im thinking.

 

Only 5 kits all look the same underneath and all brown eyed whites by the look of it...

 

So are hobs obvious with testies then if so ive got all jills.

 

What next?

 

FF

[ollieollie 766]

I suggest you get a book, simon whiteheads is good and will answer any questions you may have in future.

[Furrosious ferreter 499]

Yeah going to do that.

 

I thought i knew my ferrets quite well, spend time with them every day and dont get bitten, even the kids go in there and play with them, but i think she needs her own space, its her first litter also.

 

Ill try little bit each day until shes comfortable for me to go in.

 

Cheers

FF

[Jamie m 668]

Put ferret in ferret box with food ???????????????? then have a look ?

[The one 8,479]

if your worried pick her up rub your hand over her so its covered in her scent them feed her and have a look the ones with two belly buttons are the hobs jills will only have one , You wont see testicales till next summer when the hob kits mature and come into season i reckon you have 5 sandies , cinnamons call then what you will mate

[stones 23]

I wouldn't be bothered mate... you can't change them from a jill to a hob or vice versa... I'd wait till they start crawling out the nest box then have a look... a jill can be easily upset with a new litter and kill the lot...why risk it?

[Bobtheferret 1,248]

Personally I never handle baby ferrets until they're around 3/4weeks old, particularly new mums can get very upset you handling the kits and in extreme circumstances will even eat or abandon there own kits. No kit needs handling that early to make it friendly it's to young to even know what's going on. Each to there own but just don't see the point risking upsetting mum or the kits. Atb

[ginger beard 4,652]

give her a bowl of milky water then have a look

[Furrosious ferreter 499]

Cheers guys...

 

I sort of thought that i should have moved her first, straight after she had me.

Shes been fine with me today. Let me have a good look today and still think its 5 jills.

 

My plan for breeding was to get 3 jills and a hob to have vasectomised so as i could use him to take the jills out of season. As there arent any v-hobs near me.

I have 3 people lined up who would like one also. So looks like they will be getting a jill each and ill keep 2... happy days still.

 

To those experienced breeders, are there any early signs from a young ferret that shows good working abilities?

 

FF

[Sirblessed 2,511]

So then, got in from work went out to the ferrets, fed them like i always do took the blanket out her nest and then got savaged by her??? Perhaps she dont want me in there im thinking.

 

Only 5 kits all look the same underneath and all brown eyed whites by the look of it...

 

So are hobs obvious with testies then if so ive got all jills.

 

What next?

 

FF

I got a Jill that will not let you touch her kits, she turns into a she devil, and yet she is the most loving ferret I have, all the rest are fine with it. Like Bob, I wait a few weeks before I handle them, as soon as they start eating on their own, I start to handle them

[Sirblessed 2,511]

Cheers guys...

 

I sort of thought that i should have moved her first, straight after she had me.

Shes been fine with me today. Let me have a good look today and still think its 5 jills.

 

My plan for breeding was to get 3 jills and a hob to have vasectomised so as i could use him to take the jills out of season. As there arent any v-hobs near me.

I have 3 people lined up who would like one also. So looks like they will be getting a jill each and ill keep 2... happy days still.

 

To those experienced breeders, are there any early signs from a young ferret that shows good working abilities?

 

FF

 

 

No real way to tell some don’t come on properly until their second season some are ok from day one.

Hyperactivity is one thing I like in a ferret, young or old – the ones that never seem to walk and always run, harder to find than you might think A.T.B

[lifelong cumbrian 1,826]

Each to their own but i personally leave them alone for a couple of weeks, plenty time to handle them after that and you won't be stressing the gill out. like i say just my personal opinion.