Dear Kylie, and to others who may be contemplating breeding small litters.
 
Here's what we've done to produce litters as small as only 2 kits.  This is
a bit of a drag because it requires constant observation of the mating
process.
 
Since we have no idea of the number of ova the female is going to ovulate to
be fertiilized, we can't very well approach litter sizing by trying to
inhibit her fecundity; i.e., controlling the number of ova she'll produce.
So we go another route.
 
Instead, what we can control(?) is the sperm count of the ejaculate of the
viripotent male.  Viripotent is defined as being capable of causing
embryonic pregancy (as opposed to inciting a pseudopregnancy - a false
pregnancy).  The objective is to reduce the total sperm count per volume of
ejaculate, so that some 24 to 36 hours after copulation, when the female
ovulates, her ova are bathed in a "very dilute spermatazoic bath," so that,
in effect, there aren't enough of those wiggly-tailed guys around to get to
all of the "man-hungry" ova.  Or the pH has rendered most of the sperm
immobile.  Don't know which is the case here.
 
At second stage estrus (vulva hugely swollen to about the size of a green
grape and the more or less constant discharge of a clear, colorless, and
odorless fluidic light syrupy drops from the vulva - to the extent that her
hair between her hind legs is constantly wetted - an isolated male (this
male should not have been able to smell this SSEF (Second Stage Estral
Female) prior to introduction to the female) should be caged with her in
such a manner, that no matter where copulation takes place in the cage, both
mating ferrets are easily accessible.  Be prepared for a long vigil: 4+ hrs.
 
This stud ferrets designated V1and V2, should be experienced, healthy,
vigorous and nutritionally hungry vasectomized males, as close in size as
possible to the female's proportions, but not the same sized.  Monitor the
copulatory activity and be particulary careful to guide the male organ away
from the anus of the female.
 
Do not get alarmed at the downward "hooking" of the end of the male organ,
and its articulation.  Also by aware that the male organ is boned; that is,
it has a bone internal of its body, and for that reason is fairly easy to
guide to the proper orifice of the female.  Apparently the male organ
actually hooks over the edge of the cervix at full penetration and becomes
locked into the uterus.  Hence the male cannot withdraw until ejaculation
occurs and the ejaculatory discharge is pumped convulsively directly into
the uterus.  This is considered a most efficient method of internal
fertilization.
 
Permit the hour to two hour copulation to reach it natural conclusion, being
ready, at the first sign of V1's penile withdrawal to remove V1 from the
cage and immediately repace him with V2, the second, slightly hungry
vasectomized male.  Repeat the above, doing everything you can to get V2's
penetration as quickly as possible.
 
Do whatever is necessary to restrain the female from moving around very much
during the time that she is not vaginally engulfing any of the three penile
organs.
 
It is vital that upon withdrawal of V2, that VP1 (ViriPotent No.  1) be
immediately placed with the female, who(the female) by this time is usually
fast asleep.  (You married guys know this.) Do whatever is necessary to get
VP1 into the female as soon as possible.  Then you can relax and finally go
to bed.
 
It should be obvious that what we've done here is to dilute the ejaculate of
the VP with the ejaculate of V1 and V2.  Although the total number of
spermatazooa is the same as it would be without the ejaculatory
contributions of V1 and V2, somehow, all that fluid seems to fool Mother
Nature into a response consistent with the theory that the VP's sperm count
is exceedingly low.  Birth canal pH drastically changed?  Thusly fewer ova
are fertilized than would otherwise be the casel.
 
As I say, I'm not sure exactly what's going on here, but it works very well,
and the 2 or 4 kits born are large and robustly healthy.
 
Glueck auf !  [G.] Good luck !                               Edward
Frettchenvergnuegen Lipinski,
[Posted in FML issue 2129]