Where and why?

[Brimmer 220]

Can anybody tell me why the albino ferret is so widespread, and where and why it's breeding has been made without question?

I have kept ferrets of all shapes, sizes and colours, but i have always found, the albino the easiest to work, and had the best results from breeding of any critter.

Always comes away after a kill, always easy to handle, and always to the word sticks with it till the end.

What's the history behind the breeding of these critters, and what makes the albino a bit more than the rest?

Any info please?

[Kay 3,709]

Can anybody tell me why the albino ferret is so widespread, and where and why it's breeding has been made without question?

I have kept ferrets of all shapes, sizes and colours, but i have always found, the albino the easiest to work, and had the best results from breeding of any critter.

Always comes away after a kill, always easy to handle, and always to the word sticks with it till the end.

What's the history behind the breeding of these critters, and what makes the albino a bit more than the rest?

Any info please?

 

There my favourite of all the ferrets , males especially . would never be without an albino male here , not sure of the history altogether , theres differeing accounts out there

[Brimmer 220]

Think it's something thats probs overlooked Kay, but there is a little difference in them both.

Personally think it may be the eyesight that is slighty less able than the polies, but not certain. Always the polies have the edge on snappiness, whilst the albino's maybee just a little dopey?

Don't really care in the field, had good of both, but maybee a better sucess rate in the albino's.

Albino's are up to the job no matter what, there must be a reason why they have been bred for so many generations, time after time?

Edited November 14, 2008 by Brimmer

[arcticgun 4,548]

Whilst both my ferrests are tame and dont bite, I do find the albino jill more placid than the hob polecat, hes a git of the first order its just his nature, that said he is mint a real character, my missus loves him to bits, my little girl thinks he should have his own show on CBeebies, the jill is lovely as well, you can relax when she is about in the house, but not the poley he is the sort who will find trouble anywhere. ( if my house ever burns down it will be his fault )

 

Neither have been worked yet, both this years offspring, going to get out on a small set next weekend though, cannot wait to see how they go, atb Richard

[Funfuret 1]

I would guess there's quite a lot of reasons why the albinos so common.

 

Way back, the first albinos would have been intensely breed because people like something that's a bit different. Then they were breed for fur and I guess white fur would have been in demand, e.g. it's been suggested that a lot of 'ermine' on robes was in fact ferret.

 

Also a white ferret is more easily spotted in the field so perhaps people focused on breeding albinos when they were breeding working ferrets.

 

Any other ideas anyone?

 

I did read somewhere that the high proportion of albinos in the ferret population indicated that they had been domesticated for a long long time.

[Brimmer 220]

Whilst both my ferrests are tame and dont bite, I do find the albino jill more placid than the hob polecat, hes a git of the first order its just his nature, that said he is mint a real character, my missus loves him to bits, my little girl thinks he should have his own show on CBeebies, the jill is lovely as well, you can relax when she is about in the house, but not the poley he is the sort who will find trouble anywhere. ( if my house ever burns down it will be his fault )

 

Neither have been worked yet, both this years offspring, going to get out on a small set next weekend though, cannot wait to see how they go, atb Richard

Let us know how they both perform please Richard!

[Funfuret 1]

I would guess there's quite a lot of reasons why the albinos so common.

 

Way back, the first albinos would have been intensely breed because people like something that's a bit different. Then they were breed for fur and I guess white fur would have been in demand, e.g. it's been suggested that a lot of 'ermine' on robes was in fact ferret.

 

Also a white ferret is more easily spotted in the field so perhaps people focused on breeding albinos when they were breeding working ferrets.

 

Any other ideas anyone?

 

I did read somewhere that the high proportion of albinos in the ferret population indicated that they had been domesticated for a long long time.

 

Anyway, I'm glad there are so many, would be without my bino boys

Edited November 13, 2008 by Funfuret

[Brimmer 220]

I would guess there's quite a lot of reasons why the albinos so common.

 

Way back, the first albinos would have been intensely breed because people like something that's a bit different. Then they were breed for fur and I guess white fur would have been in demand, e.g. it's been suggested that a lot of 'ermine' on robes was in fact ferret.

 

Also a white ferret is more easily spotted in the field so perhaps people focused on breeding albinos when they were breeding working ferrets.

 

Any other ideas anyone?

 

I did read somewhere that the high proportion of albinos in the ferret population indicated that they had been domesticated for a long long time.

Lots of what you said rings true there, a young pup can quickly tell the difference between a rabbit and an albino when bolting, but they do seem just a little less snappy than a poley.

Edited November 14, 2008 by Brimmer

[stealthy1 3,964]

Definitely the colour, most people I come across pick up the albino first, seems that they think it looks more friendly, in animals its not always how well they work, its how they look, you only have to look at crufts to see that, so my vote goes to looks that make them more popular, and the ancient fur trade that probably pushed for selective breeding on albino's, hence making them more popular in the first place.

[scothunter 12,609]

Poleys for me they work just fine and if handled properly wont bite.I have said this before but the worst bite i ever recieved was from an albino.Put me right off them.Also a poley looks the part ;)IMO

[Guest Magwitch]

The only reason I use the albino's is that they're easier to locate in cover..............

[Brimmer 220]

They are easier to spot in cover wandering off!

I have good number of poleys and albimo's, and have had for years. When you have a good one of any kind, there does not seem to be any difference in the working ability at all.

I've had bad bites off both as well!

Suppose the fir trade probably had a large part to play in the intensive breeding of them, it makes a lot of sense.

Does anybody think that the mass breeding will have come from a few bloodlines, or quite a few?

I wouldn't have thought the albino's were common animals?

[Kay 3,709]

They are easier to spot in cover wandering off!

I have good number of poleys and albimo's, and have had for years. When you have a good one of any kind, there does not seem to be any difference in the working ability at all.

I've had bad bites off both as well!

Suppose the fir trade probably had a large part to play in the intensive breeding of them, it makes a lot of sense.

Does anybody think that the mass breeding will have come from a few bloodlines, or quite a few?

I wouldn't have thought the albino's were common animals?

 

I think people just bred what they had in years gone by when they needed to get new stock, maybe its simply because albinos were more readily available then so they were bred from producing more albinos

[Brimmer 220]

Breeding across to poleys from an albino always seems to throw a few more albino's out, so don't suppose it was that complicated keeping them going once you had an animal to start with!

Cheers guys!

Edited November 14, 2008 by Brimmer

[droid 11]

The intriguing thing is that albinism is usually a recessive characteristic. That means that in an individual that has a dominant gene for colour alongside the albino gene, you will get the colour showing not the albino.

So they aren't that common in the wild. Especially so given that they are more visible and likely to be predated, or if a predator, less successful. So they are unlikely to contribute much to the gene pool.

 

Seems to me that albinism in ferrets is now at least partially dominant. Possibly because of selective breeding for albinos over many generations.

 

There's never a Crow around when you need one....