Thanks for all of the replies to my request for hard references about
leaving a female ferret in heat.  In particular, thanks to Nancy Hartman
for supplying me with the name and author of "Biology and Diseases of
the Ferret" (by James G. Fox, D.V.M.), and to John Gaver for faxing
me the pertinent pages from that book.
 
My SO is also a zoo keeper, and through her I found that the plan of action
at the zoo is to keep the jill with a pair of castrated hobs.  The idea is
that this will cause a false pregnancy, thus bringing her out of estrus.
In "Biology and Diseases of the Ferret" (page 187) Fox mentions keeping
a female ferret with vasectomized hobs is an option for preventing prolonged
estrus.  Will castrated hobs have the same affect?
 
Thanks again for all of the responses.
 
Leonard Bottleman
 
[Posted in FML issue 0520]