More pics of little kits!!

[LanczSpringer]

Thought I would post a few pics of my little kits!

They were bred from my hob named Bracken to my gill named Flitch
They are from a long line of working ferrets (not working with hawks yet though)
I got Bracken from a old time netting man that I have know for some time, you should see the size of him (Bracken not my friend see pics)

Flitch came to me from another mate who was getting shut of them after years of netting!

Flitch initally gave birth to between 6-7 but after a few days we had a look in and there was only 3 gills left.
I think shes more experienced and knows how many kits she can successfully raise and culls the weaker one off.

Cluney an albino gill also gave birth to 8 kits but unfortunately they all died. I am not sure what from but it looked like they had been suffocated by mum.
Its her first little and I am not sure if shes knows what to do yet!

The kits are now 2 weeks old, have a look at the pics and see the "Black kit" shes stands out from the rest of them her skin is much darker than the other kits never see a dark skinned ferret yet even dark ferrets have pale skin tones!

[LanczSpringer]

The kits

[Sighthound]

Are you sure they are dying or is the hob eating them?
No Jill will cull her litter for the reason you described.
Jills will kill the whole litter sometimes if of a nervous type if they get disturbed. Over the years I have had Hobs I could leave in with the young and others that would kill a litter without hesitation

[LanczSpringer]

No it defo wasnt the hob or the other gill as they are all seperated in their own pens!

None of the litters were distured for the first week, so it isnt that either.
It makes sense that the mother culls the weakest to allow the stonger members to survive. I have in heard of this happening in other peoples littlers.

As you say the hob will take the young but this is why they were all separated prior to birth!

The other gills little was not harmed in any way, so she didnt attack or eat these they were just blue little things, shame really!

[Sighthound]

......sorry I thought the Hob was still with the Jill :oops:

It makes sense that the mother culls the weakest to allow the stronger members to survive. I have in heard of this happening in other peoples littlers.

I would however question this. I've had two Jills that have reared 11 and 12 kits respectively. If your jill is receiving enough food (which I am sure she is) then she should not need to 'cull' any of her litter. Partial infanticide is very rare in nature in females of any species.

[LanczSpringer]

I see your point!
She always has more food than she needs. Thats the good thing about feeding dry food, this is also topped up with a little meat, rabbit and mice beef when theres a little left after our tea!

But why would you say that she has killed two to three (not sure of the exact nymber of kits that she had)?

[Sighthound]

......to be perfectly honest I have no idea!,
perhaps they were born weak, died and she ate them.
I've kept the little blighters for 27 years and they still surprise me,
great looking litter though and to be honest the smaller the litter the better, they grow up stronger and don't put a drain on the mother.
I would never let one of mine have such a big litter now and would cull them myself at a few days old. My jill who had 11 was in poor condition for months after they were weaned but the one who had 12 kept her condition :shock:

All the best

[LanczSpringer]

Another pic of the kits getting playful now but not had too many little nips yet!

[Shaun Byrne]

Watch out bunnies!! lol!

[LanczSpringer]

thats the one!! lol

With the three new gills, (fingers crossed) my new male HH and poppy (cocker spaniel) they are have it hard! ;-)

[Shaun Byrne]

Hows poppy doing Lancz?

[Ian Wileman]

Hi mate. Are they Champagne or DEW's?

[Coedhirion]

is the grey kinda polecat colour ferret in the middle of last pic the same ferret as the grey one in photo of them when they were younger????
In earliest pic it looks like a 'silvermit' you got there!! is it a hob or gill???
Lotsa people queue up for silvers as they like the dark eyes an they are real pretty. Some silver hobs are infertile, but worth keeping as its cheaper than having a vet give one the 'snip' so if it was mine I wouldnt get rid of that one!!! silvermits make £10 each even around here, worth breeding!!! :lol: :roll:
Even black eyed whites are easier to find homes. Real nice ferrets you have there !!!!!!!!!!!!

[Ian Wileman]

Hi Coedhirion. I think it is the picture mate. That middle one is a polecat. The two on the outside like like champagnes. I have a litter growing now from a silver jill put back to a polecat and have got 4 polecats, 1 DEW and one silver from it. I have sold the DEWs I have bred this year for £15.00 each. Polecats, mits, champagnes and others for £5.00.

[LanczSpringer]

Hi they are as ian says a poley and 2 champagnes.
I am trying to find a link that was on here a while ago about ferret colors, was it you ian that put it up here?

P.S. H4wka poppy is doing great just sent you an email as my PM aint working

[Ian Wileman]

http://www.falconryforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=4279

Is this it mate?

[Ian Wileman]

http://www.ferret.org/events/colorchart.htm

or is this the one you mean?