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Post by goingpostal on Apr 4, 2011 20:26:36 GMT -5
Well just like anything else, you wouldn't just get a male and female and put them together, I'd start talking to other breeders and getting knowledgeable about bloodlines, genetics, colors, structure, etc. Get a couple quality bred ferrets and start showing, you need to prove your ferrets are good examples and learn ferrets inside and out before breeding anything.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 4, 2011 20:34:01 GMT -5
Heather, if you ever breed ferrets, I want one I second this
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Post by crazylady on Apr 6, 2011 13:37:38 GMT -5
I can honestly say in all the years of breeding and owning ferrets only 5 have ever left me ( all of whom went to Norway to improve the gene pool ( two reached the age of 9 ) and three are still alive hense the reason I have 94 ! I stand by my fathers words of if you cant keep them don't breed them ! ( and you must remember some jills have 13 in a litter !) my babies in Norway all went with a contract which states if for any reason the original owner can no longer keep them ( and all must be raw fed ) then they are sent home to me at there expense plus I receive monthly updates and if bred ( which a couple have been ) then a record of all births numbers sexes and colours is forwarded to me along with the name and linage of the other parent for my records along with any relevant info regarding health or health problems breeding is a life long commitment you helped create that life the moment you put hob and jill together its a breeders responsibility to follow it through until that kit passes to the bridge even if they no longer own it you have to take this attitude for the well being of the ferret as a species take care bye for now crazy lady
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Post by Deleted on Apr 6, 2011 16:34:39 GMT -5
heather, sign me up for one and since we only live a few hours away i could live with a few babies running around the house ;D
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Post by whipple on Apr 9, 2011 23:04:41 GMT -5
Heather I agree with you you 100% There is currently an ad in my local Kijiji looking for a couple of "breeder" ferrets. BYB drive me nuts!They are so different from ethical breeders, and if you ask me, are often even worse than pet stores. At least some pet stores take back unwanted ferrets (This is how I can across one I rescued years ago and rehomed).
Anyhow thank you candykitten, I think this world needs good breeders, especially in Canada where we have none!
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Post by crazylady on Apr 10, 2011 14:17:00 GMT -5
oh boy I pray the floodgates don't open in canada once byb realise there is a ready made market people are crying out for kits ! the problem often arises when good breeders sell kits on to people who decide hey I can do that and make a few dollars then problems arise and interbreeding takes place or no records are kept of who sired who and is there any relationship in lines and before you know it hey presto a heap of genetic and medical problems arise I cannot point out enough times how important it is to any would be breeder keep records and I mean in depth records if you get a problem in a line stop the line and let owners of any related kits know don't try and hide it or try and move the blame on to someone else ( ever heard people say well my kits are all fine it must of been the male I used from so and so ! ) if two breeders create a new line they are both equally responsible for anything that happens in the life span of the new line they have created only when breeders are open and honest with buyers and the buyers keep breeders informed of any problems will the health and longevity of the ferret be able to move forward just my two pennys worth take care bye for now crazy lady
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Post by whipple on Apr 10, 2011 15:03:03 GMT -5
I agree! This is a huge problem when it comes to dogs. The more I think about it, the more I would love to do this. I would have to say though, maybe one litter a year, maybe. And I would have to own my home first. Until then, seriously considering. Where would I find ferrets to start with though? It seems like few breeders even want to ship, which is understandable. And I'd only want ferrets from awesome lines being fed raw.
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Post by crazylady on Apr 10, 2011 16:50:42 GMT -5
Hi to get one litter per year you would have to have more than one breeding pair ! a jill should not be bred until she is two years old at least ( only then has she laid down enough viable calcium in her own body and to produce and feed healthy kits ) once she has given birth it then takes another full year to replace the calcium she has used when feeding her kits so realistically a jill can only be bred twice in her life once at the age of two and once at the age of four that is if you wish for healthy kits and have the welfare of the mum as a priority( one year in a ferrets life is equal to ten in a human so your basically breeding at the age of 20 and 40 ) when she is in her prime and coming to the end of her prime and not all jills make good mothers ( you find this out during the first phantom ) if she is aggressive or protective of her nest even though there are no babies in there forget it because if she was to be bred and you went any where near( even just to feed her ) or another ferret did she would kill and eat her young or she may simply reabsorb them in her womb while carrying them if she feels threatened or uncomfortable my father had a saying that holds true to this day put the best to the best and hope for the best take care bye for now crazy lady
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Post by whipple on Apr 10, 2011 17:11:53 GMT -5
Huh, well I wouldn't want MORE than one a year, lol. So if I don't even get one then that would be fine. The thing is, regardless where would I even get ferrets to breed?
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Post by crazylady on Apr 10, 2011 17:18:41 GMT -5
Phone around ask reputable breeders to be put on there waiting list ( be prepared to wait )and you need two separate breeders so you know there is no possibility of the kits you get being genetically connected ask breeders at shows if there is a possibility of being placed on there lists for future kits its all down to patience ( you learn this if your a breeder because you can go two or three years with phantom pregnancy after phantom pregnancy before you finally see kits even I go through this ! lol ) its all down to making the right connections and having jills who deicide ok this time I cooperate lol take care bye for now crazy lady
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Post by whipple on Apr 10, 2011 17:33:47 GMT -5
The thing is, nobody wants to ship to Canada, if at all .... except one breeder. On top of that, they all tend to be fancies. Meh, I'm not doing this for awhile if at all. But all of this chatting is causing me to like this idea more and more.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 10, 2011 18:22:54 GMT -5
You can be a reputable /quality breeder without showing your ferrets.
There are breeder who breeds strictly for the wins. Some breeders may brag about the number of finished champions they have bred over the years. Stop and think. Are they breeding to win or are they breeding for healthier ferret? Breed not for Ego. Learn all you can, novices breeder should know that they can’t go forward without knowing the past. Do your research and ask lots of questions. If that mentor/breeder can’t answer your questions then move on to someone else. Remember learning never stops.
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Post by Heather on Apr 10, 2011 19:44:52 GMT -5
Shipping to someone you don't know, shipping the little lives that you're ultimately responsible for, that you created is a very difficult decision to make. It takes a lot of thought and research about where you're going to allow those little ones to go. Breeders usually like to make personal contact with whom they're dealing with, that's what it's all about. Knowing who's going to get "your" little ones. I can be anyone typing or emailing to get a fuzz. I could be a BYB. How can you tell that you're little ones are going to a good home? You don't ship, you make face on face interviews. You do home visits. You have prospective ferrants come to your house and see them interact with your fuzzes. It's just so much easier for the breeder, you're less likely to make a mistake (not saying it doesn't happen, it does) It's so much less likely that you're little ones (remember the ones that you're ultimately responsible for for the rest of their lives) are going to find themselves in some nameless shelter, abused, over-bred or ignored and caged for the rest of their lives. Buying from a breeder is so much more than a purchase. It's a hopefully a friendship, a mentor, someone that you can turn to, trust and ultimately share the life moments of your little fuzz with. If you want a fuzz, you want to breed? I don't know of too many breeders who will ship if any. For breeding stock, not at all. Some may ship, if you're going to buy a one of their late alters. The only ones that I've heard of who will ship their precious bundles of fuzz without face on face are ones that create long working relationships with their prospective breeding partners (and that's what it becomes) That sometimes take years of work by both parties to ensure that you're indeed someone that they want one of their little ones to go to. As I mentioned earlier, there is no simple in this. There is a reason why breeders make it difficult, why they won't ship...it's so you will go the extra mile. If you will go the extra mile, if you will cross the border, meet with the breeder, spend the dollars to go there, then the breeder knows that you will probably go the extra mile for their little ones. It's really simple if you think about it . ciao
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Post by whipple on Apr 10, 2011 19:57:11 GMT -5
I totally understand the shipping thing, I would be just as cautious. I think by that point I would just travel to go get them. I've already told the boyfriend when I go to germany I'm bringing at least one fuzz home. I can't let that opportunity pass by!
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Post by crazylady on Apr 11, 2011 15:31:01 GMT -5
Hi whipple do you know what you will get in germany ? I do lots of ferrets that are interbred with Danish Swedish polish or finish blood ! its is all about colour at the moment the black self is the in colour so most will claim to have ferrets from top show lines from such and such ferretry lol the actual pedigrees you get wont be worth the paper they are written on after all how can you check ? ( this is where one to one contact over a number of years is a must ) you to a breeder in germany = dollars and once the ferret is gone from the country the breeder is no longer interested I travel all over the world every year and I see it over and over again at shows this ferret was bred from such and such out of such and such ( I think wow how many kits did this jill have because I am now in poland last month I was in denmark and saw 8 supposedly from the same parents bred in the same year lol ) every year I check on my babies in Norway while I am over there judging ( even though the owners know they cannot be shown at any shows I judge ) and yes I trust these owners but they know I need to see them with my own eyes for my own peace of mind because deep down these are still my babies ! one more word of advice whipple check up every detail before you dive headlong into getting a fuzzie from Germany because there are certain guidelines that must be followed injections passport size of flight cage length of quarentien time expense of vet checks on both sides ( in Germany and in canada before flying your ferret will need two health checks one 7 days before and one 24 hours before the flight and make sure it is given a certificate because without it it will not be allowed on the flight) not to mention import and export tax I have no idea how long the quarentien time will be from Germany ( we dont have that problem here as we are rabies free Germany is not ) good look with your quest it will be one expensive fuzzie lol take care bye for now crazy lady
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