|
|
Post by crazylady on Jan 9, 2017 14:40:47 GMT -5
Heather is correct in all she is saying a lot of old timers keep it in there heads ( good working ferret strains used to be hard to come by ) the old timers could also reel off how many kits where produced in litters and how many litters the jills had and also what sex ratio there was so they knew which jills where prone to throwing more jills ( jills where preferred for working hobs had a tendency to get distracted when working in spring !) this is why you would find most old times may have a dozen jills but only 2 hobs normally they kept a couple of hobs for breeding but also if a jill laid up underground before the magic ferret locator was invented lol they would place a collar on a hob to which was attached a line knotted every 12 inches they would then let the hob go underground while they held the line they could count how deep he had gone and how far by the number of knots that disappeared down the hole then the big dig began to find both ferrets and the rabbit lol no oversexed hob would ever go anywhere except to the jill lol and the old timers also knew who had been given say a hob from there litter and in return would expect a jill from the mating of there hob to a jill who was no relation to there lines this way the kit jill would go to the second hob ( who would be unrelated to the mother or father ) and it was a way of creating new lines yet retaining part of there own line mixed in lol sounds complicated doesnt it lol thats why I am so glad my dad
and granddad wrote everything down as I do heck half the time I forget how old they are lol take care bye for now
Bev
|
|
|
|
Post by nancyl on Jan 9, 2017 16:01:09 GMT -5
I can only go a couple of generations back on mine. Nicholai's parents were both wild trapped, one in the north of the Czech Republic and one in the south. Their backgrounds are a complete mystery but they are both beautiful individuals and likely full polecat. The UK lines fall victim to the working ferret people keeping everything in their heads and not on paper. I have parents names and that's it. The fellow who bred Kailen had tried to get info on the parents from the person he got them from and the man refused to tell him anything. So, there you go.
|
|
|
|
Post by nancyl on Jan 9, 2017 16:04:33 GMT -5
The American show breeders can give you a pedigree that goes back 20 generations and will have a dozen crosses to one or two individuals. And those lovely pedigreed ferrets will die by 3 of cardio or lymphoma. All because of all the crosses to that one or two individuals.
|
|
|
|
Post by crazylady on Jan 9, 2017 18:20:09 GMT -5
I know problems occur on the show circuit its mainly the quest for ribbons if a hob for example wins a few ribbons and a best of breed or best in class everyone wants a kit from that hob but people also forget problems can skip a generation and if there not 100% of background then the hob could be a smoking gun ( anything from crypto or cancers can appear ) and when it does then its too late as Nancy has said problem do appear when crossings are too close then you also have to ask yourself is this so called pedigree worth the paper its written on ! or is it the pedigree for this ferret or just a figment of there imagination to sell the kits quickly ? take care bye for now
Bev
|
|
|
|
Post by lorelei0922 on Apr 6, 2017 8:32:26 GMT -5
Thought I'd chime in as my name was tossed in  Hi Lily! Nice to see ya doing the research before deciding on a kit! I can certainly agree that a long line of information ( if its true ) is not always indication of a great line... Bev can tell you about 1000's of ferrets in the UK bred by individuals.. "old school worker boys" we call em... that hardly even NAME their ferrets, let alone keep years of history and details. Yet Uk ferrets in general despite this lack of Extra care, seem over all to do better health wise. We see a far lower rate of the big ferret illnesses and many of them have only become more prevalent now adays because the traditional care of feed raw.. keep outside in natural light and temps has changed so much in the past 10 yrs! OHH.. BTW ... as of Next year.. no problem importing to Canada from me... as we're headed back to Arkansas after the season is finished here in the UK... |
|
marid
New member
Posts: 33 
|
Post by marid on Apr 6, 2017 11:54:44 GMT -5
OHH.. BTW ... as of Next year.. no problem importing to Canada from me... as we're headed back to Arkansas after the season is finished here in the UK... I do not mean to intrude on this conversation but I saw this post! When will you be in the USA? : ) |
|
|
|
Post by lorelei0922 on Apr 6, 2017 15:17:46 GMT -5
headed back by Thanksgiving hopefully!
|
|
