Ferrets can be fun to keep as pets.If they were given the chance, they would want to climb all over you.It's not as simple to breed ferrets if you pair a male and female together.If you are thinking about buying a ferret, you need to be very knowledgeable about the breeding process and spend a lot of money to make sure the parents and babies are healthy.
Step 1: Pick which ferrets you want to breed.
It's a serious responsibility to breed ferrets.The ferret population could be adversely affected if ferrets are related or have physical health problems.Health problems in the babies could be a result of breeding closely related ferrets.Fetal problems for the mother include premature deafness, small litters, and death of babies.If you already have a male and female ferret, you may want to have them tested to make sure they aren't related.Discuss genetic testing options with your doctor.Take your ferrets to the vet to make sure they are healthy.
Step 2: There are signs that the ferrets are ready to mate.
The first spring after birth is when ferrets reach sexual maturity.Between six and eight months of age will be for males and between four and four months for females.When the days get longer and the temperature starts to warm up, it's time to start looking for signs that your ferrets are ready to breed.A swollen and enlarged vulvar is part of her external genitalia.There is a pink and watery discharge coming from her vagina.He will become larger when his testicles drop from his body.When your hob is ready to breed, his personal hygiene will take a nosedive.He drags his stomach through the urine to mark his territory.He will use oil to mark his territory.Male and female ferrets that are ready to breed develop greasy skin and become smelly.
Step 3: The jill should be in the cage.
Wait for the ritual to begin when you put the ferrets together.The ferret mating process is not romantic and the male will bite the female's neck and drag her around the cage.You can even hear the female scream.The biting is meant to release hormones in her body that will help her get pregnant.She needs to be bred to start egg production.The process can take anywhere from several hours to several days.You may want to separate the ferrets.Don't do this!The male ferret has a penis that is curved so that itlocks the female in place.Separating them will do more harm than good.
Step 4: The jill should be observed after the event.
The jill should be moved back to her cage.She will gain weight if the marriage was successful.She will start pulling fur out of her body.People who are pregnant make noises.It's possible to tell if the jill is pregnant after two weeks.This would be expensive, but you could have your vet do an abdominal exam.phantom pregnancies are when a woman acts as if she's pregnant when she isn't.High levels of hormones can cause your wife to be bloated and look pregnant.She will need to eat more as she approaches the end of her pregnancy so she can handle the energy demands of giving birth and nursing.If it wasn't successful, try again.Unless they are bred, gis remain in heat, which can lead to serious health consequences, including pyometra, bladder, infections, and anemia.If your female ferret is in heat, she should be bred or neutered.
Step 5: You should increase your pregnant woman's food intake.
A pregnant woman usually lasts about 42 days.The health of a pregnant woman can be affected by giving birth.She needs to take in more calories to meet her increased energy demands.Adding more dry food to her diet will give her the extra calories she will need during nursing.Ensure she is in optimal health by feeding her the highest quality ferret food.The diet for a pregnant woman should be 34% fat and 22% fat.Adding cooked meat to her diet will give her even more strength.There is a very serious condition called pregnancy toxemia if a pregnant woman doesn't eat enough.A Cesarean section is needed to save your ferret's life.
Step 6: You should put more water in your baby's cage.
Your pregnant wife will need to drink a lot more water to get ready for birth and nursing.She should increase her water intake by two to three times.She will drink more water from the dish if she puts her water in a dish.She will not eat enough food if she doesn't drink enough water.Your pregnant woman would not be able to produce enough milk for her babies if she didn't have enough food or water.
Step 7: The pregnant woman will need a separate cage.
The hob can stay with you through most of her pregnancies.She should be moved to her own cage about two weeks before the end of her pregnancy.There is fresh paper bedding in this cage.The bedding will be used to make a nest.It's a good idea to put her cage in a quiet part of the house so she can warm up before giving birth.Move her to a separate cage to increase her food and water intake.
Step 8: Give her privacy.
A woman is usually pregnant for about 42 days.Give your wife time alone with her babies for at least a week after she gives birth.You don't want your jill to eat their kits if they are scared or threatened.You will need to feed her.When she is not paying attention, put food and water in her cage.When you put the food and water in the cage, you should take a quick look at the mom and her babies because some of the kits may die after birth.If you see dead kits that should be removed, call your doctor.
Step 9: She was pregnant when you fed her.
She will need the same amount of energy as when she was about to give birth.She should be fed two to three times her normal intake.She will lose weight no matter how much you feed her if she has a large litter.She can't eat as much as she wants because of the large litter.
Step 10: Decrease the number of bedding changes.
After she gives birth, your cage will become smelly.If you want to check for neglected or abandoned kits, you should change the bedding.When you change the bedding, be stealthy like when you put food and water in the cage.The smell of the cage in an enclosed room could become unbearable.Keeping a door open will increase the air circulation in the room.
Step 11: The kits need to be handled.
The kits are only two inches long and are dependent on their mother.Their eyes and ears are closed, and they don't have any pink fur on their bodies.You can start handling them when they are a week old.If the jill doesn't seem thrilled with you being near the cage as she cares for her babies, you may have to wait longer than a week.She becomes scared and eats some of her babies if you are too eager to handle the kits.You can probably hold each one in one hand, because kits are so small when they are born.As the kits get bigger, you would pick them up by grasping them between their neck and shoulders with one hand and supporting their hind legs with the other.Place the kits back in their cage after a few seconds.Speak softly to the kits when they are about a month old.Don't interrupt feeding time to hold the kits.
Step 12: The kits should be fed.
When the ferrets are three weeks old, introduce the kits to the food.At this point, they will still be nursing.You should soak the food in water before feeding it to them because they still have baby teeth.It might be a good idea to put the softened food in the refrigerator.You could try feeding the baby food.Adding kitten milk replacer to the kibble will make it a little better for ferrets.The ferret food should be high in calories and low in vitamins and minerals.Chicken is a good example of a meat based source.Cat foods don't have enough fat to meet a ferret's nutrition needs.
Step 13: Wean the kits.
The kits are about six weeks old.You can start soaking their food in less and less water if you feed them completely dry food by this age.A kit will have its full set of adult teeth by nine months of age.The kits should stay with their mother until 12 weeks of age.Although they will be able to eat solid food and be more comfortable with human handling by six weeks of age, they should stay under their mother's care for a little while longer.
Step 14: The kits should be taken to the doctor.
The kit should be looked over by your doctor to make sure it is healthy.There will be checks for parasites, ear mites, fleas, and birth defects in the kits.The results of the physical examination will be used to make treatment recommendations.The kits will need to receive the canine distemper vaccine at two and three months and the rabies vaccine three and four months.
Step 15: Train the kits.
If you want to make the kits ready for adoption, you need to train them in a few areas, such as potty training and not to bite.The easiest way to potty train the kits is to watch where they go to the bathroom.Encourage them to use the litter box by placing it in that area.It might be a good idea to give them a treat each time they use the litter box.There is no dust in ideal litters.There are examples of recycled paper pellets.If cedar is present, the amount will be too small to cause toxicity in your kits.The kits can make a mess of the litter, so it's not a good idea to lump it.
Step 16: It's time to stop inappropriate biting behavior.
Kits tend to explore their new world with their mouths, which means they will probably want to bite or nip at everything.The biting and nipping establishes hierarchy with their litter mates.If the kit bites when you pick it up, give it a firm no.It may take a long time for the kits to learn that they are not supposed to bite you.Don't cuddle the kits until they learn not to bite.By the time they are old enough to be adopted, discouraging a kit from biting at a young age will help them become better socialized.When they become adults, well trained and socialized kits will not bite and nip as much.They will probably keep their toys and cage items away from them throughout their lives.