From:
sukie crandall
Date: 2004-06-02 03:42:42 UTC
Subject: hours of real darkness
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-id: <E6D278CE-B446-11D8-BD75-000A95CD182C@optonline.net>
In looking up something for a person who has experienced some very
serious problems when trying breeding this year I encountered the PDF
at
http://www.ferret.org/pdfs/newsletter/95symposium.pdf
It perhaps answers the question one why some folks on the other side of
the pond report some jills not always coming into season and thus not
having problems since the use of artificial light is more rare where
ferrets are kept for many of them and sleeping boxes are more common
than here:
>According to Dr. Bell, if a healthy, whole jill is kept in optimum
breeding conditions (14 hours of daylight to every 10 >hours of
darkness), she will come into heat at approximately 4 months of age. If
a whole jill receives 8 hours of >daylight each day, she should come
into heat at approximately 1 year of age. A jill will not come into
season if kept in >12-hour light cycles.
Notice also, past posts of Dr. Jerry Murray on how 14 hours of real
darkness (not just dimness) in each 24 looks like a useful approach for
avoiding or delaying adrenal disease.
There is also a great tip for figuring out when rotovirus may be
attacking young kits in the PDF at that newsletter address above and
more.
Breeding ferrets can be very tricky (The person for whom I looked up
the info has a jill with what may be her second potentially life
threatening complication in just days and all the kits died. The jill
had one emergency surgery and depending on the organism involved now
may rapidly need a second one to have a chance.) so before thinking of
breeding a person needs to learn about the possible complications,
which genetic markers say a ferrets should not be bred, the subtle
signs of illness in kits, what is contagious, and far more. I wouldn't
try it, myself, actually, I think. At least I sure haven't been
tempted to breed in 23 years with ferrets in the family.
Anyway, I thought it might interest some folks that the light cycles
may explain a difference which has been noticed between continents in
the past.
End of ferrethealth Digest
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