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Post by Sherry on May 21, 2011 21:26:11 GMT -5
And Basil and Cybill aren't your normal ferrets They are polecats If I remember correctly from the old forum, they are MUCH more active, athletic, and more intelligent than our domestic ferrets!
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Post by Heather on May 21, 2011 21:30:12 GMT -5
Polecat hybrids if I remember what Joan said (may be mistaken but yes). Smarter, faster, feistier fuzz. Something to keep you on your toes type fuzzes. Just love them ;D. Even more than many of the breeder ferrets. They will definitely test your ferret proofing skills ;D ;D ;D ciao
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Post by Deleted on May 21, 2011 21:30:29 GMT -5
Oh my...I remember now that you're in Austin. I'm in Houston with relatives in San Antonio and Austin Sorry about the little ones that died. I couldn't be a breeder for that reason There's a natural balance to everything, so I understand why it happens...it's still so sad though I am happy to know there's 8 healthy fatties Once I have my own property (won't be for a while though ), I'll definitely be contacting you about kits or retired breeders Do you accept des implants as an alternative to spay/neuter contracts? If I remember correctly, your ferrets have some polecat lineage? And if yes, because of their increased intellect vs. mill ferrets, you give first timers males (since they are generally more laid back)?
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Post by joan on May 21, 2011 23:20:23 GMT -5
Fearless, I've had a number of kit inquiries from the DFW area in the past few months and have referred all but a couple of them to Millie Sanders' shelter, as I will not sell a kit (or adult) to a first time owner...IMO, they're much better off with an early neuter MF ferret to start out with.
I breed only medium to dark sables from a background free of the dilute colors and white markings. The kits are priced at $300 on a spay/neuter agreement, with a $50 refund when I receive the vet's spay/neuter certificate. I'd prefer that they go through a heat/rut before being spayed or neutered, but it's not a requirement...the later they're altered, the better. At this time I would be reluctant to agree to a des implant as I don't think they've been followed long enough to know if there are any long term negative effects from using them to prevent the ferret from coming in rut/heat.
I've been breeding hybrids since 2005 as I really admire and enjoy their strong characters, high intelligence, agility, and athletic ability. They do require experienced owners and a much higher degree of ferret proofing, and are definitely not suitable for the majority of ferret owners as they require much more time and attention. And, yes, I will only place hobs with owners who have previously had only early neuters, as the jills tend to be too much of a challenge for most wouldbe owners.
I guarantee temperament, as well as health through 5 years of age re the typical ferret diseases (adrenal, insulinoma, lymphoma, and cardiomyopathy), as well as any congenital problems which might not be apparent at the time of sale. I'll likely be adding renal disease if it continues to escalate in the US breeder ferrets at a relatively young age. At this point, I'm inclined to consider it as a late developing congenital defect.
Basil and Cybill are UK imports, unrelated to my others, and are suppsed to be from generations of captive bred polecats. They're almost certainly hybrids, as they have the typical polecat body (small, stocky, and very well muscled) but have the lateral ferret eye placement rather than the frontal eye placement of true polecats. They both have excellent temperaments and a much higher bite/nip theshold than I've seen in most of my other hybrids, so I expect to see the same attributes in their kits.
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Post by Deleted on May 22, 2011 9:24:04 GMT -5
Joan, can wait to see the pictures of those kits.
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Post by Deleted on May 22, 2011 14:13:54 GMT -5
oh, i can't wait to see pictures of these babies. babies babies babies! ;D
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