Dear Lynn - I am so sorry your lost Squeek and so sorry of the problems you experienced in this breeding. Please accept my condolences for the little boy you lost and I will say a prayer for him. Would also like to comment. Bear with me, my comments are usually long. I happen to agree with most of what you have learned since this unfortunate experience on birth defects - specifically neural tube defects. And I think Dr. Williams is correct - especially since he has had the opportunity to see follow on neural tube brith defects from same breeding hobs and in breeding light colors to each other. This, and in an attempt to avoid other problems, is why I do not breed "fancy colors to fancy colors". For instance, this past season I bred a blaze to a black sable, a German sable to a panda, sables/black sables to mitts, and so on. The closest I came to breeding like colors was chocolate to cinnamon. However, the hob in this case (German descent) is well proven with large litters and healthy progeny. He has just had his last round of breeding in and out of house since breeding hobs are retired at three years; and jills are retired after three litters. Also, since I breed for black sables - black sable to black sable or sable. But birth defects can occur no matter how much care you take - sometimes just defective egg/sperm. The worst case scenerio - is your tragic experience. You did not mention what color your jill was - assuming she was light color? But this is not the only reason you might see birth defects of any type including neural tube. This can happen anytime. Although I have never experienced this, IMO, every breeder is apt to see it at some time -- birth defects happen. Also, IMHO, I do not think that neural tube defects are caused by too many vitamins - but the opposite might be the case. It might be related to folic acid deficiency or B-Complex deficiency - but there is no research (that I know of) to support this. I do give my breeders NutriCal and Felovite II and will not go on here - wrote an article on lactation in which I comment on diet and if you wish to see it - can be accessed at http://www.acmeferret.com/voice and will be writing another article on fetal development, development of kits, nutrition, etc. in the near future. All of what I write is in my opinion and experience - especially on lactation article since it departs from some commonly held concepts --- don't bother to flame anyone -- what I wrote works. Here in the U.S. we do have a small gene pool and this is why in recent years breeders have started importing ferrets to strengthen lines. I like the German ferrets and have started with Australian. Others like English and New Zealand imports and the important thing here is - new blood! And the variation of blood lines does work - at least for large litters and big kits. In just six breeds alone this year, I had over 50 kits - not my intent - and not from leaving the jills with the hobs too long. One very fertile hob was bred to one known fertile jill once - one hour visitation - and produced 13 kits! Sigh. And a late breed with a jill that was bred out earlier in the season and falsed, was bred with a fertile hob and produced 11 kits, 10 that survived. Another sigh. Most breeders I know take great care with their breeders. No one wants problems. The object here, after all, is to produce healthy kits that grow into healthy ferrets with hopefully, long lives. It is a big responsibility. What happened to you is a heart-breaker. And something that we work hard to prevent - and should. Many are critical of those of us who breed - because there are so many shelter ferrets. It is hard work and expensive; and we do so because we love ferrets and want to give people a choice alternative. All my breeders are pets as well and the cost of care runs between $400-500 a month for normal care (not including vet bills, etc.). No breeder that I know, like any rescue operation, makes a profit. Short comment here on rescue -- of course there is danger is keeping your rescues! One reason I have so many ferrets. Also, when you breed, ever so hard not to keep kits! When one makes the choice to breed, we always invite heartbreak and we have all been there in one way or another. Every time we breed, we place our jill at risk. When things go well - it is a true joy; when things do not - it is very hard, and only another breeder can truly understand. I pray that if you continue breeding, you will not have another problem like this. I am glad you wrote about your experience and I hope that by your doing so, and by your research into the problem, it will help prevent this problem from happening with others. With respect, Meg [Posted in FML issue 1812]