June asked... "why breed"?
 
At first, I was going to be flip and say "why not"or "why do humans breed"?
Then I thought that June, having asked so politely and obviously honestly
not knowing, deserved a more indepth response.
 
It's actually a hard one to answer.  A lot of what *I*, personally, get
from breeding is intangible.  I can't describe it.  Breeders often do not
go into the positives of breeding, mainly because there are people who do
not understand the very many hazards involved, instead thinking them the
result of 'stonewalling' or similar, and decide to breed as a result.  Many
people can, and do, breed unscrupulously, and that is something these fine
animals, adults and kits alike, do not deserve.
 
However, since you asked...
 
Why do I breed?  (I can only answer this for myself, and even then find it
hard answering fully)
 
The better breeders will breed because they want to improve the breed.
They want healthy kits, turning into healthy adults.  They want those
healthy adults to live long and happy lives with good owners.  In order
to do this, they must first breed these kits.
 
Breeding in not just a case of putting a boy ferret in with a girl ferret
and having kits appear and all grow old and happy together.  Male and
female are chosen carefully so that they do not have any problems (e.g.
blindness, deafness, behavioural difficulties, genetic defects, illnesses
etc) Often, these ferrets are also chosen for not only their superb
temparament, but also their body structure, coat, colour, and their genetic
background (colours/coats/structure etc in parents, grandparents and
siblings) The male and female are put together when they are both in full
season, at which time, the breeder *hopes* the female became pregnant.
 
The following six weeks are a time of nurturing the female.  Often they are
left with the other ferrets until the latter half of the pregnancy at which
time they are given more one-on-one attention.  It is at this stage, the
first benefit of breeding appears (oh okay maybe not the first, but...one
of many <G>) The jill tends (not always but tends) to become more friendly,
loving, cuddly, than 'normal'.  I have had hyperactive cuddlers and placid
cuddlers (the former is fun to watch!!) with my pregnant jills.  During the
last part of the pregnancy the jill will usually shed.  I just adore
running my hands over them after such a shed.  One jill in particular shed
to the most gorgeous downy coat it was like the soft, soft fur of an angora
goat or rabbit.  Even to the fine crinkles in the fur!  It's almost like
touching air.  Those of you who have petted chinchillas may know the
feeling <G>
 
At the end of her pregnancy, the jill will often try to drag my fingers
into the nest box.  She has determined that my fingers are her kits, and
nothing will dissuade her in that opinion.  It's a joy to be so accepted
that you are considered not only family, but a son or daughter to one of
these little guys!  (Not sure if the bigger fingers are sons and the little
ones are daughters, or what!)
 
When the kits are born, it's wonderful to hear their little squeaks.  LOL
Frustrating, sure, after a week or two of it!  But that newborn kit squeak
is a sound all it's own.  It's a triumph of life over outstanding odds.
Face it, at that age, they're smaller than the 'mouth' of a teaspoon.
It's a miracle they survive the birth, especially if it's an inexperienced
jill with her first litter who thinks that she's needing to visit the
litter pan!
 
There is joy in watching the kits show their first downy white fur, joy
in watching colour first appear, joy in watching the kits accept you as a
caregiver, joy in seeing the jills so accepting of you that they will allow
you to take the kits without protest.  There is joy in seeing the kits take
their first step, escape the nest box for the first time, and use the
litter pan (well that's a joy any time!) There is joy when their
personalities start to show, and joy when they start to wrestle despite
their eyes still being tightly sealed.  There is joy in that first crack
showing part of one tiny eye.  Joy in watching the rest quickly follow
suit.  Joy inhaving the kits swarming toward you when you come to bring
more food.  There is joy when the kits swarm to you instead of their mama,
even some measure of joy when they start treating you like "just a big
ferret"
 
Most of all, there is the joy of seeing that kit with their new owner, the
joy of seeing that owners own face up with their own joy.  There is the joy
of hearing reports about those kits as they grow up and grow old.  The joy
of hearing of their successes, and even their failures.
 
There is a *lot* of heartache in breeding.  But even more, there is a lot
of joy in it as well.  This isn't something that can be explained.  It is
something that is LIVED... and not everyone can, or even would want to,
live it.
 
Sam
[Posted in FML issue 2569]