Breeding/line

[Hot Meat 3,109]

if you have 5 related ferrets, 1 jill (mum) 2 jills ( daughters) and 2 hobs (sons). and didnt want to use outcross, and it was the jills, (mums) blood/traits you wanted to lock in, question is how would you do it? breed bro to sis? or mum to son? or even both? both parents were unrelated to start with... so how would you do it? or would you go another way???

[vanman1 411]

Personaly id bring in an unrelated hobb!

[Tiny 7 1,694]

Bred both and cull hard....

[Bosun11 537]

One hob lines mum, one lines both daughters.

 

From the mum/son litter keep one hob, from the bro/sis keep only jills.

 

Both hobs, first and second gen, could then be put to any second gen jills as you want..... Make sense..??

[Tiny 7 1,694]

Yip thats the sort of thing I had in mind B........

[Hot Meat 3,109]

cant justify another hob, an i wont use 1 i aint used for a few seasons, got 2 here so a 3rd aint an option, idealy id pick best of these 2 and deal with other, but they as good as each other so ill be keepin both

[Hot Meat 3,109]

aye bosun that makes sense and was along lines i was thinking of going, glad it makes sense to others lol ill get mate to run on few hobs and ill keep all jills and 2 older hobs... truth is its fooking hard work finding decent ferrets these days, most worked well when i was a lad

[Bosun11 537]

cant justify another hob, an i wont use 1 i aint used for a few seasons, got 2 here so a 3rd aint an option, idealy id pick best of these 2 and deal with other, but they as good as each other so ill be keepin both

Ok, then breed off the other before it goes and do the same with the hob offspring you keep back. Simply keep related hobs only to breed and then let them go.

Using the same hob on everything, because thats all you want to keep, 'could' lead to problems, not just physically but mentally too and damage ability IMO.

 

Edit - Wrote that before I seen you other post HM...

[The one 8,397]

Breed the mother and son and see what you get the brother sister might be a little too close but how many kitts are you looking for ?. your no going to need to breed three litters etc for a couple of kits

[polecat29 4]

I'd breed the mother and son and keep the best hob and put it over one of its anties then a hob of them back over the old jill. I personaly woulden't breed brother to sister tried it few years ago and had a few problems.

[Country Joe 1,411]

I would use an outcross if you can find a good worker not easy,I started ferreting 45 years ago, and in my opinion there were a lot better workers around then.

I knew nobody who kept them as pets, all were workers, and any kits I brought in, I had no problems with.

You didn't have to worry about keeping a line, as you could pick up good working stock easily.

not now, if you have a good working strain, you need to keep hold of it.

good luck with your breeding policy.