Absolutely Gutted

[Sam H 80]

Monday evening I had seven six week old kits all full of beans checked on them yesterday after work and six of them are where dead in the nest box leaving me with a little Jill and the mother, they had all eaten the same food (a pigeon) Iv had a couple out of one litter die before but much younger than six weeks old. I haven't done anything different from previous years. The hutch was clean and dry they where drinking water from a dish and eating well. Anybody ever experienced this before? Any ideas what could have happened so I don't have it happen again.

 

Cheers Sam

[stealthy1 3,964]

Not heard of that before, sometime you'll lose the odd one at 6 weeks, but not that many one go.

[johnpee 214]

Happened to a mate of mine last year kits where around 5 6 weeks old litter of 8 he went out one morning and only 1 was alive it was middle of summer we think It was the heat that did it

[The one 8,396]

could be the heat ?, if there eating the same grub you can rule that out the only way to know for sure is a orthopsy

[Aussie Whip 3,827]

Doubt it would be the heat,I"ve had kits born in 40 plus heat and not lost any.Dead birds spoil quick in the heat, so might be that.

[Sam H 80]

Not sure about heat it's pissed it down for the last two days, been muggy but rain should have kept the hutch reasonably cool. Any ideas how much for an ortopsy?

[desertdog 149]

Bit of back luck there,been breeding ferrets for a lot of years now,and I've come to the conclusion,they are not as easy to breed and keep as fellas would have you believe,for the last three years I've bred none,and now I have two litters,just hope they all come good,I've taken to feeding late evening in the summer,because of flies,wasps,etc,done nothing different until now,for 40year,I think its just bad luck,some years I've done well,reared 3 litters and lost none,last year I lost all my workers and had to buy fresh stock, I don't think I'd worry about an ortopsy,take it as it comes and start again, I always feed fresh meat,and make sure they clear It,you can always give them more,atb dd

[Furrosious ferreter 499]

Just a few ideas...

 

Was it a wood pigeon or ferral or dove as some ferrals can carry some nasty parasites in their gut and maybe the survivor didnt eat it or the mum.

 

Was it fed fresh or was it frozen first?

 

Pigeons store food in their crop could it of been something in there?

Maybe a pesticide?

 

Have you checked for fleas and ticks?

 

FF

Edited July 12, 2017 by Furrosious ferreter

[runem 533]

Monday evening I had seven six week old kits all full of beans checked on them yesterday after work and six of them are where dead in the nest box leaving me with a little Jill and the mother, they had all eaten the same food (a pigeon) Iv had a couple out of one litter die before but much younger than six weeks old. I haven't done anything different from previous years. The hutch was clean and dry they where drinking water from a dish and eating well. Anybody ever experienced this before? Any ideas what could have happened so I don't have it happen again.

 

Cheers Sam

when i was a young lad , i came home from school to find 7 dead ferrets and two still alive , they were all meat fed whatever i could pop off with an air rifle , it was a real mystery as to why they had suddenly all died .

A couple of weeks later my mum was complaining about the flies , near the cage and those that ventured into the house , SHE WAS GETTING TIRED OF SPRAYING INTO THE CAGE WITH FLY SPRAY.

That was my mystery solved , maybe yours could be that simple.

tHAT

[rabbit demon 301]

Birds can build up toxicity in their system from certain poisonous seeds and berries. This has no effect on the birds but secondry poisoning is possible and does happen to people from time to time. Would never know for sure without an autopsy and toxicty tests done.

[Sam H 80]

Just a few ideas...

Was it a wood pigeon or ferral or dove as some ferrals can carry some nasty parasites in their gut and maybe the survivor didnt eat it or the mum.

Was it fed fresh or was it frozen first?

Pigeons store food in their crop could it of been something in there?

Maybe a pesticide?

Have you checked for fleas and ticks?

FF

It was a woody and it had been in the freezer about two weeks. No fleas or anything as I could see. Bad luck by the sounds of it.

 

Cheers Sam

[desertdog 149]

Keep going sam,there are some good lads out there with young uns,don't know what county your in,I'm sure I may have a couple spare,