From:
"Danee DeVore"
Date: 2009-03-12 05:33:01 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Baby update and some afterthoughts on Birth of a Litter
To: <ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com>
I have received a number of emails from many of you commenting on how much
you enjoyed the video. I am glad so many people liked it. My reason for
doing it was to share some of the experience with all my ferret enthusiast
friends.
Mom and little ones continue to do well. This afternoon, they had grown so
much I hardly recognized them from yesterday. When I weighed them, they ha=
d
all gained a lot from Tuesday. On average, they have gained 5.5 grams in
just 2 =BD days. This is good. They are also starting to darken a little.=
I
expect mostly sables from this litter.
I was able to sex them today, and it looks like I have 4 girls and 2 boys.
I also wanted to say that while what was on the video is representative of =
a
normal delivery, there are many things that can go wrong, and end up
requiring a trip to an emergency vet=92s office. Ferrets =96 at least my j=
ills
=96 seem to like to go into labor sometime after midnight =96 when most reg=
ular
vets can not be reached by phone.
The video showed the upside of breeding ferrets =96 the joy of the birth, b=
ut,
I feel compelled to temper that with some of the downside. Almost every
private breeder I know has run into some problems along the way.
So, what can go wrong you ask? Well, you can get 2 kits trying to enter th=
e
birth canal at the same time. They can get jammed in together, and if that
happens, a C-section may be required. You can get a breach birth. While
those can be difficult, they can usually be handled at home and without a
vet=92s help. You can get a situation where the umbilical cords of 2 or mo=
re
kits get tangled together. Sometimes when that happens you end up loosing =
a
kit. If the jill is only carrying 1 or 2 kits, the hormone levels may not
be enough to induce labor, and it may have to be induced chemically or the
jill may need a C-section. If there is an extremely large kit in the
litter, it may be too large to fit through the birth canal. And, after the
birthing is over, there may be retained placentas. Often this is not a
problem, but on occasion it can cause the jill to develop a uterine
infection and possibly even a pyometra. Breeders have to be aware of all
these potential problems, be able to recognize the signs, and know how to
handle them.
And, the range of possible problems does not stop with the birthing. Jills
can develop mastitis, and unlike dogs and cats, the type of mastitis ferret=
s
often get can be fatal if the infected mammary gland is not surgically
removed. There are other problems that can arise, too. Breeding ferrets
should not be taken lightly. Anyone considering doing it should take the
time to educate themselves, and also should work with an experienced breede=
r
mentoring them.
I am not as experienced a ferret breeder as some others, and yet I have
experienced my share of tragedies. Still, when I look back over the years,
my successes have far outweighed the tragedies. I did loose one jill to
complications of birth =96 despite getting her to the emergency vet and int=
o
surgery as quickly as possible. It was a hard thing to deal with, and I
almost decided not to breed any more.
And, even with the successes, there is the problem of placing the kits. Yo=
u
become very invested in these little ones, and it becomes very important to
make sure they go to only the best possible homes. I suspect that anyone
who operates a shelter can tell you how hard it can be trying to screen
potential adopters.
I am going through all of this because I don=92t want people to see the vid=
eo
and think, =93I want to breed ferrets and see the cute little babies=94. T=
hat
is not a reason to breed ferrets. Responsible breeders are involved in
breeding ferrets because they want to try and improve the health and
temperament of the animals they produce. Yes, we all love the babies, but
that should not be a primary reason for anyone to start breeding ferrets.
And, money should not be a reason, either. Most private breeders do not
make any real profit from their breeding activities. By the time you
consider the expense of caring and feeding a litter for 9 or 10 weeks, plus
any veterinary care, any money received from selling kits is offset of the
expenses of producing them.
I apologize if I sound like I am preaching, but I don=92t want people to ju=
mp
into something unprepared. Obviously, those of us who breed ferrets get
something out of it, or we wouldn=92t do it. And, I imagine what we get ou=
t
of it varies from breeder to breeder. For me, what makes me happiest is
when I can raise a beautiful little ferret and find him or her just the
right home. And, if the new owner keeps in touch, and sends me pictures an=
d
updates on how the ferret is doing, then I can feel good about having
brought a wonderful companion into that person=92s life. Because even thou=
gh
the kits go off to live in other homes, and become someone else=92s compani=
on,
they are still and will always be my babies.
Danee DeVore
ADV - If your ferret hasn't been tested, you don't know!
For more information visit:
http://www.ferretadv.com <http://www.ferretadv.com/>
ADV - Find out how you can help:
http://help4adv.terrabox.com/
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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