ages for breeding

Question
what age would my female ferret come into heat?
and what age would my male ferret come into rut?

thanks james

Answer
Hi James:

Your ferrets are considered 'adult' at approximately seven months of age. Males go into rut from about January to July and females into heat about March to September. Expect the male to become aggressive, quite smelly and very very aggressive towards your female.

Your female MUST either be bred OR be taken out of heat by an injection given by the vet or mating her with a vasectomized hob. A female ferret who is left in heat will die of anemia.

Please please be a responsible owner and separate them by about four months of age if you don't intend to mate them.

A six month old female is very very young to have babies; as she is still a baby herself. The babies will draw nourishment from her still-growing body and will probably shorten her life and/or cause her to be sickly.

Best to wait until she is AT LEAST one year of age to mate her properly.

It would be in the best interest of your ferrets if you get more information about breeding than I can give you in this short space. I beg of you to PLEASE read these few links and get as much information as possible far in advance so you can be ready to breed happy, healthy babies and keep mama and papa happy and healthy too?  Try these great links?

http://www.craftycreatures.com/forferretsonly/ferret_school/ferretschool_breedin...

http://www.craftycreatures.com/forferretsonly/ask_angela/breeding.html

Best of luck to your little ones!

Sincerely,

Jacquie Rodgers