Ferret Kits...

Not strictly a farmed animal but we keep ferrets at our farm anyway. As well as helping us keep down the population of unwanted pests they are a great way of introducing students to handling and caring for small animals...

We have three adult ferrets; Scratch who is a gill (Female) and two brothers called Max and Paddy (Male ferrets are called hobs). Ferrets are obligate reproducers meaning that when a gill is fertile or in season she must mate otherwise she will remain in season and become susceptible to infections. As Max and his brother Paddy are getting on a bit they tend to go through the motions but have not produced a litter with Scratch in a long time. That is until recently. Scratch had an unexpected litter of four healthy and very adorable ferret kits.

When born ferret kits have no fur and are completely blind. They stay with mum slowly growing for about 6 weeks when they are weaned and take solid food...