How can I tell if my hob is in season?

[Skiff]

So I know I need to get Poro Neutered and I also need to get Jinx spayed, I know how to tell if/when Jinx is in season, but how can I tell if/when Poro (my hob) is coming into season. I only ask as when I feed them now, Poro seems to have a diminished appetite, he used to snatch the chicken wing and run off to a corner or dive into the bowl, but now he sort of sniffs and nibbles but then walks away. Is this relevant to coming into season?

Also, how soon do I need to separate him and Jinx or get her spayed? Can she get pregnant without coming into season?


 

[nancyl]

It could be but the usual first indications are increased smell, the coat starts getting greasy and the big one (pun intended) is the testicles start to enlarge. If they're still small and sort of squishy he's not in rut yet. As they come in, the little soft peas grow into walnuts. And no, a jill won't get pregnant till she's in heat. The vulva swells so the hob can penetrate. Without the swelling it's unlikely he could get in.

[Skiff]

Ok, so that means that I can wait until the new year to get Jinx spayed. On the subject of Hobs in season though, is he going to be ok to keep in with 2 spayed girls? I know they can apparently get more aggressive towards other Hobs, but he isn't gonna start bullying the girls too badly is he?

[Heather]

Oh, he can and very possibly will pester the daylights out of your sprites. No, he can't get them pregnant, but he can cause ulcers by pestering them so bad to stress them into making them ill. He can also injure them by trying to have sex with them. Some hobs are ok. My hobs are older and I'm seeing if they can stay with a sprite but I'm doubting it. She likes them as friends right now, but they're just starting to get their stink on, and I can catch a wiff of them every now and again. At the moment the boys are being polite but I'm going to guess they will eventually make her life miserable which is why they're only allowed to be friends instead of cagemates. Tico was so miserable to Lady Morgaine (whom he had been living with) that I separated them. She was happy to see him gone.
ciao

[Skiff]

That's good to know, but I worry about separating them, I separated Minx for 2 weeks when she had her spay and when she went back it was like Jinx forgot her, I guess this would be different as they could still play together. They seem to be getting on fine at the moment though so don't think I need to separate them just yet.

[crazylady]

Hi skiff do you have them indoors ? ( increased lighting can bring them into season early ) feel your guy and see if his testicles are down if they are that's a sign he is coming into season as is the reluctance to eat ( he should be gaining weight at this time of year and sleeping more ) my kids are kept outside with natural daylight hours yet a couple of my crazy kits who are not a year old think ok it might be breeding season lol boy are they in for a surprise when the snow hits lol I think there bits will be tucked up pretty fast lol the problem is if a jill smells intact hobs in season it can trigger them to start coming into season ( males always seem to come in first and females follow ) so watch your girls carefully they will give off a musky smell on there necks and then they will come in so check your jills daily he will become more interested in them once they begin giving off the musk from there necks take care bye for now
Bev

[Skiff]

Hi Crazylady, my guys live outdoors. None of them have started to give off any musky smells and I have checked the girls, they aren't showing any signs of coming into season. He is eating, he just does not seem to be excited about food. When I take food out hes just as excited as the others, but when I give him a chicken wing he just sort of picks at it, whereas the girls dart off into corners with theirs, he just looks around as if hes bored.

[Heather]

You may have mentioned it but at a glance I didn't see it....how old is your boy? I found that my guys started to level off and consume the more "proper" amounts that more adult ferrets were eating. They still ate well but there wasn't the kit gusto that was noted. I noticed this in my hob before his sisters reached the limits of their ability to inhale food. Are you keeping track as to how much he's eating?
ciao

[crazylady]

Hi skiff at this time of year some males show lack of interest ( I find my hobs look at chicken wings as if to yeah right where is the good stuff lol) jills tend to like wing tips ( cut you wings in half when feeding )try him with some minced meat and see if he eats that often they eat more if they can simply swallow it down and go back to bed lol ( I call it winter chomping lol ) let us know how he is progressing take care bye for now
Bev