First I would like to say, 'Welcome to the FML Annie'.  Second, I want to
say that this post is NOT meant to be mean or flaming, but a plea, not to
breed.
 
>MATING HABITS OF BUTTERMILK, BUTTERCUP,PATCHES & BANDIT:
>I am a new ferret mom.  I received 3 female fuzzy's for my birthday in May.
>They consist of Buttercup & Buttermilk who are albinos, and Patches who I
>think is a Siamese.  They are about 3 months old, unfixed and undescented.
 
After I picked my jaw up from the floor and checked to make sure all my
teeth were still in place, I am so angered that any one would sell 4
unaltered ferrets to anyone, not just you Annie.  Being a new fuzzie owner
of what 2 months, maybe 2 1/2 at the most and asking for advice for mating
behavior and breeding, tells me you haven't read many books or researched
any info... to be breeding or owning unaltered fuzzies.  Please for the
health and lives of your new fuzzie family, have them spayed and neutered.
The person who sold you these babies need their asses kicked far enough up,
to replace any brains they may have had.  I am so mad and upset, my blood
is boiling.  I'm sure, I'm not alone.
 
>My husband and 3 daughters think that it is great that I am into ferrets,
>since they love them too.  They are so playful, I just love to watch them
>run all over the house.
 
Annie, once you make them breeders, the fun you are now having will cease.
You will have entered a whole new world.  You will have 3 jills in heat
(not to mention a real smelly hob, that will leave his sent markings every
where), they will need special and very expensive health care support, way
before estrus, during estrus and pregnancy, then birthing.  Are you ready
for possible deaths of your jills, from complications arising from
breeding, anemia, c-section deliveries x 3, death of kits for one reason
or another.  Most seasoned breeders will agree with me, the heartache of
losing a prized jill is hard to get over, no matter how prepared and
knowledgeable they are.  Please have your fuzzies altered.  Having 3
pregnant jills can run into the $1k of dollars.  You can never recoup the
money by selling kits, no matter how experienced you get.  Are you with
me breeders on this?
 
>I want to breed them so I bought Bandit .I have never heard my other 3
>babies dook, but Bandit (who is 6 month old) does it constantly.  While my
>husband was holding Bandit I introduced Patches to him.  Bandit grabbed her
>ear and would not let go.  My husband had to force Bandits mouth open to
>get my poor Patches away.  She was shaking and trying to hide in my shirt.
>I have a 3 apartment cage that the girls go in at night (just to keep them
>safe from being stepped on by a sleep walker) so I place Bandit in the
>middle compartment, and the girls on both sides so they could get use to
>each other.  But he tries to bite the girls through the cage.  Can someone
>please tell me if this normal, or if it is some kind of mating habit ,are
>is he trying to fight them, or what.<
 
Bandit is reaching his sexual maturity, way before the little girls and yes
he his capable of hurting one of them seriously, at this stage.  It is rare
to be able to house hobs and jills together.  Even housing pregnant jills
together can be a problem.  Not all ferrets get along well, during
pregnancy they may be fine.  But the closer to delivery can take a serious
turn for the worse.  Some moms will cannibalize each others kits or some
will just steal kits from another jill and will defend the kits, with a
ferocious fight.  You will need separate housing for all.  A vet on call,
should an emergency arise.  So many things can and will happen.  Please
have your fuzzies altered.
 
>I really want them to get along, I'm scared to let him out while they are
>out .He loves to give hugs and kisses to the family ,but how do I get him
>to be nice to my babies?  And why don't my females dook?  I would really
>love to hear from anyone with any kind of advice pertaining to my babies
>welfare.
 
I will make myself available to help you.  Please have your fuzzies
altered.  It will be a great learning experience, to learn how altered
fuzzies versus breeder fuzzies react to each other.  Your Bandit will
always be more sexually mature than Buttercup, Buttermilk and Patches,
so your luck of having one big happy family is nil.  Please alter your
furbuts.
 
>Thank you for any help you may give New Ferret_Mom in Arkansas
 
I will help you regardless of your decision, but I'm praying you will have
all 4 altered.  What if any knowledge have you acquired in 2 1/2 months?
What books do you have or have read?  Give me more info than being a new
Fert Mom.  Please considered what I have written.
 
Ok breeders out there in FML Country, help me out with Annie.  For those
with the torches...blow out the flame.  No burning is necessary here.  If
anyone is to be flamed, is the person who sold unaltered kits to Annie.
Is the breeder by chance a FML member?  If so, I would very much like to
have you contact me.  Annie would you and your husband care to tell me in
a private e-mail who the breeder is?
 
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[Posted in FML issue 2735]