Ferreting fact or fable?

An old wives’ tale says that if you don’t breed from a female ferret she will die, but is this true? It’s a thorny subject, admits Simon Whitehead

The natural world is largely oblivious to our ongoing predicament as this uncertain year rolls on. In some cases it is thriving, but unfortunately large tracts of the UK countryside are being invaded by irresponsible urbanite recreational walkers intent on seeking exercise wherever they please. It is nesting and fledgling time, stock have young, and those of us who live and work rurally are being put at risk unduly.

There is never a good time to have a pandemic, but COVID-19 could not have come at a worse time. We are all feeling the financial and social effects, but for those of us with livestock, it is also the time of year where we are breeding our stock or, in the case of my ferrets, removing them from their seasons as well. This can be quite a controversial topic, especially with the need to socially distance ourselves. Playing devil’s advocate, the question should be, if we do breed, how can we get the new stock to their new homes?

Sensible planning

We must remain positive, plan for the future and be sensible. No one really knows what will happen or when, and when married to the limited breeding season, most of us are not in a position to miss a year. Having a sabbatical could cost us more than just 12 months waiting for kits. In terms of the adaptability of your rabbiting squad, this may put you back another year.

“Using hoblets in this way is becoming popular as one hoblet can remove a lot of jills from their seasons”

Ferreting, like many other areas of life, is full of old wives’ tales. One of the most famous ferret fables is ‘if you don’t breed her, she’ll die’, which refers to the female ferret, or jill, and her season. It was understood that if the jill was not bred from then she would die. We now know that it is the act of mating (coitus) that removes the jill from her season and not having a litter. So, what can we do with our jills?

Four choices

Well, you can breed from her, remove her from her season, neuter her or leave her be until September when she will naturally come out of oestrus. Many ferret keepers use a hoblet — a vasectomised hob ferret — to remove jills from their season. Using hoblets in this way is becoming popular as one hoblet can remove a lot of jills from their seasons during the summer months. This can be much more cost effective than using the ‘jill-jab’ from the vets, especially as a ferret can come into season up to three times a year, though the average is twice.

There may be a lot of disagreement over jills’ seasons and the thorny subject of removing them, but I cannot see the point in taking any chances when your ferrets’ health is at risk. I understand that we are all in different positions, even more so than usual this year. Money is tight and in some cases non-existent for nonessential items, and this may affect the nation’s pets, including ferrets.

Personally, I always use my hoblet to take mine out of season. When I was a lad, I lost one or two jills by not removing them from their season, so I no longer take the risk. A lot of people take this to the letter and just breed their ferrets irrespective of if there is a good home for the kits.

Keep it clean

If you cannot afford or cannot get a jill jab, and are unable to use a hoblet due to social isolation guidelines,

COVID-19 has hit at the time of year when ferret keepers are breeding their stock