I have received a number of emails from many of you commenting on how
much you enjoyed the video. I am glad so many people liked it. My
reason for doing it was to share some of the experience with all my
ferret enthusiast friends.

Mom and little ones continue to do well. This afternoon, they had grown
so much I hardly recognized them from yesterday. When I weighed them,
they had all gained a lot from Tuesday. On average, they have gained
5.5 grams in just 2 1/2 days. This is good. They are also starting to
darken a little. I expect mostly sables from this litter.

I was able to sex them today, and it looks like I have 4 girls and
2 boys. I also wanted to say that while what was on the video is
representative of a normal delivery, there are many things that can
go wrong, and end up requiring a trip to an emergency vet's office.
Ferrets - at least my jills - seem to like to go into labor sometime
after midnight - when most regular vets can not be reached by phone.

The video showed the upside of breeding ferrets - the joy of the birth,
but, I feel compelled to temper that with some of the downside. Almost
every private breeder I know has run into some problems along the way.

So, what can go wrong you ask? Well, you can get 2 kits trying to enter
the birth canal at the same time. They can get jammed in together, and
if that happens, a C-section may be required. You can get a breach
birth. While those can be difficult, they can usually be handled at
home and without a vet's help. You can get a situation where the
umbilical cords of 2 or more kits get tangled together. Sometimes when
that happens you end up loosing a kit. If the jill is only carrying 1
or 2 kits, the hormone levels may not be enough to induce labor, and it
may have to be induced chemically or the jill may need a C-section. If
there is an extremely large kit in the litter, it may be too large to
fit through the birth canal. And, after the birthing is over, there may
be retained placentas. Often this is not a problem, but on occasion it
can cause the jill to develop a uterine infection and possibly even a
pyometra. Breeders have to be aware of all these potential problems,
be able to recognize the signs, and know how to handle them.

And, the range of possible problems does not stop with the birthing.
Jills can develop mastitis, and unlike dogs and cats, the type of
mastitis ferrets often get can be fatal if the infected mammary gland
is not surgically removed. There are other problems that can arise,
too. Breeding ferrets should not be taken lightly. Anyone considering
doing it should take the time to educate themselves, and also should
work with an experienced breeder mentoring them. I am not as
experienced a ferret breeder as some others, and yet I have experienced
my share of tragedies. Still, when I look back over the years, my
successes have far outweighed the tragedies. I did loose one jill to
complications of birth - despite getting her to the emergency vet and
into surgery as quickly as possible. It was a hard thing to deal with,
and I almost decided not to breed any more.

And, even with the successes, there is the problem of placing the kits.
You become very invested in these little ones, and it becomes very
important to make sure they go to only the best possible homes. I
suspect that anyone who operates a shelter can tell you how hard it can
be trying to screen potential adopters. I am going through all of this
because I don't want people to see the video and think, "I want to
breed ferrets and see the cute little babies". That is not a reason to
breed ferrets. Responsible breeders are involved in breeding ferrets
because they want to try and improve the health and temperament of the
animals they produce. Yes, we all love the babies, but that should not
be a primary reason for anyone to start breeding ferrets.

And, money should not be a reason, either. Most private breeders do not
make any real profit from their breeding activities. By the time you
consider the expense of caring and feeding a litter for 9 or 10 weeks,
plus any veterinary care, any money received from selling kits is
offset of the expenses of producing them.

I apologize if I sound like I am preaching, but I don't want people
to jump into something unprepared. Obviously, those of us who breed
ferrets get something out of it, or we wouldn't do it. And, I imagine
what we get out of it varies from breeder to breeder. For me, what
makes me happiest is when I can raise a beautiful little ferret and
find him or her just the right home. And, if the new owner keeps in
touch, and sends me pictures and updates on how the ferret is doing,
then I can feel good about having brought a wonderful companion into
that person's life. Because even though the kits go off to live in
other homes, and become someone else's companion, they are still and
will always be my babies.

Danee DeVore
ADV - If your ferret hasn't been tested, you don't know!
For more information visit:
http://www.ferretadv.com
ADV - Find out how you can help:
http://help4adv.terrabox.com/

[Posted in FML 6269]