What should I know about breeding my Ferret?

Mating takes place in the spring and summer. Jill ferrets do not seem to prosper if unbred. They come into season in the spring. This is easily recognized by the swollen condition of their genital parts. The jill should be placed with the hob who demonstrates a violent courtship. The hob should be removed when preganacy becomes physically noticeable.

Two litters each year is quite common. Usually 6-8 kits are born hairless and blind. Mothers are extremely nervous and should not be distrubed for at least four weeks, as cannibalism is a common reaction. The kits' eyes open after 20 days and they begin to eat solid food.

Pregnant jills that are off-feed late in the gestation period are susceptible to pregnancy toxemia, a life threatening condition. If they are carrying large litters they need adequate diets. If the mother becomes malnourished or doesn't eat regularly, her system can break down quickly making her week and lethargic, have black tarry stools and shead her coat in handfuls. Without immediate medical attention, these adnimals will die. If a pregnant jill doesn't eat, you may want to try soft food such as warm baby food and make sure she gets nutritional supplements. One of the common reasons for not eating is a change of food. So restrain from alternating your jill's diet until the kits have stopped nursing.

When kits become three weeks old, nursing mothers may lose weight. The jill and her kits can be offered a high calorie, high protein, palatable pelleted diet, softened with warm water. Just because kits eyes may not be opened, they can still "smell out" the food. As they grow, ample water must be offered or they will restrict their intake of solid food, causing them to develop respiratory and intestinal ailments.