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Coneytrappr

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Everything posted by Coneytrappr

  1. Coneytrappr
    That's not strictly true- I've had plenty of hob live together. They don't scrap once they've had their balls off. So if people aren't completely tight, it's quite possible to make it work. That being said, I had a jill until recently who would never live with any ferret save for one sibling. She was a problematic little cow.
  2. Coneytrappr
    Honestly I would either hold off on breeding until I was certain of homes or I would suck it up and make room for them, even if it was a bit of a hassle. I wouldn't kill them or shift them on to anyone I was not sure of. I really don't understand why it's largely the hobs that get knocked, either. A well bred hob will work just as well as a jill...and if they ain't as good as the jills, then the line isn't as good as what the breeder thinks it is.
  3. Coneytrappr
    Sure, it's management, but is it good managment? Reckon Quixote's thoughts were along the line that, if managed properly in the first place, there is no need to kill kits. It comes down to nothing but sheer convenience. I think you giving those ferrets a chance to prove themselves and then disposing of them is quite different to knocking newborn kits which will never have a chance to prove themselves. Those four ferrets could have been neither pets nor good workers, and a liability to own. And to live always being obsessed with food to the point of savagery was likely not in their best intere
  4. Coneytrappr
    Yes mate, anyone who doesn't agree with wasteful, unavoidable killing is obviously an anti. I've already explained why and how it is different. As for being unable to rehome hobs- why, exactly? Are the hobs being bred not good workers? If they aren't good workers...why breed them? Also, I'm going to have to call you on the Appeal To Tradition. It's a logical fallacy, as you should know. There's many things that have been done for thousands of years, it doesn't make them justifiable. Things must be considered for the impact they have here and now. And breeding ferrets when you'll only have to
  5. Coneytrappr
    Surely the answer is to not breed if there is no demand. Makes perfect sense to me. Rabbits are killed because, as I'm sure you are aware, they are pests which cause significant damage if allowed to go unchecked. They are also a good source of food. We are not in control of their breedings and therefore only have the option to reduce numbers through lethal methods. We are in control of domestic ferret breedings, therefore we can achieve a reduction in the number of unwanted ferrets by simply not breeding more until there is need of them, without having to kill anything.
  6. Coneytrappr
    If you need to cull then you don't need to breed. As for using it as a way to get jills out of heat....come on. That's Dark Ages stuff. Don't be so thrifty, the ferrets no doubt work hard for you. Get a V-hob and it's all sorted. If you don't have a need for a full litter and can't find enough people to take all the kits...then buy a few. As for my eggs, they are always fresh from my own birds. Edit: The wee rescued albino hob in my sig was going to be a cull...he was destined to have a meeting with a fencepost or bucket of water. Very glad I took him in as he has accounted for a lot
  7. Coneytrappr
    Think twice about feeding fruit, mates. Being obligate carnivores ferrets are equipped to handle diets with a very, very low carbohydrate content. Excess carbs and suagars in their diet has been linked to a certain type of cancer they can develop in their pancreas. Nor are they capable of actually digesting plant matter [unless the cell walls have already been broken down and partially digested in the gut of a prey animal] so they can not acess any beneficial nutrients in fruits or vegetables anyway. Basically fruits and vegetables are a food which are more or less completely useless to th
  8. Coneytrappr
    Not so mate, I thought the movie was grand and the book also. Fantastic. It didn't turn me off hunting at all.
  9. Coneytrappr
    They shouldn't lay up but then neither will a rabbit fed ferret who has been fed before working and isn't hungry. They may still sit in a stopend with a stubborn rabbit for a few hours though and if they do kill they may spend a bit of time ragging it around until they lose interest. And of course there is always the chance one will get stuck behind a dead rabbit... all in all there's no way to completely avoid waiting occasionally.
  10. Coneytrappr
    Fur and feather. Mosty rabbit. I knock the guts out and feed the rest whole. Also hares, mice, feathered things. Sometimes they get chicken frames, wings, necks.
  11. Coneytrappr
    cheers for reply isee your point when i had them years ago there was no dry food i used to feed whole but she wont entertain it il keep trying,dont no why i stopped going ferreting wish i hadnt forgot how much fun it can be,even more so now im not so young,cant wait for next year a t b They can be stubborn buggers. Just make up for lost time next season mate, I'm sure you'll have a fantastic time with that jill and any kits you decide to keep back. ATB, CT
  12. Coneytrappr
    Good write up, always nice to see folks who aren't afraid of the spade. A good bag of well earned rabbits.
  13. Coneytrappr
    Actually recent research has proven that over 90% of ferrets on a dry only diet will develop periodontal disease. This is because the hard texture actually roughens the enamel on the tooth, allowing tartar to get a grip. It would be in your ferret's best interest to allow them access to meat and bone, as the process of chewing this polishes the enamel and keeps the teeth in good order. I can post the research if anyone would like to see it. Countryman, I had a wee jill just like that. No raw meat. And, admittedly, I did not put in the effort I should have to get her eating at least a li
  14. Coneytrappr
    Leave her in season for a few weeks and then have her jabbed.
  15. Coneytrappr
    Coincidence. I caught a very young black several months ago...thus far, no bad luck. Granted, the rabbit is still very much alive and well in a hutch out the back, and pretty tame and happy at that.
  16. Coneytrappr
    The most vigorous and active ferret I ever owned was a small albino hob. He had more go than all of my poley ferrets combined and used his eyes just as much as they ever did. Nothing wrong with his ears either as he would be awake and ready the second I set foot into the yard, no matter how quietly I trod, regardless of whether I went through the back door or around the side. I could sneak up on the others, but never him. I recently aquired a poley jill who amost matches the vigour, alertness and altheticism of that hob. I sure wish I still had him...I am very picky about breedings but wou
  17. Coneytrappr
    i know they are just polecats mate the americans have some mad names for them the black footed ferret are nice we animals watched a documentry on them a while back brilliant watching them hunt would be handy in my ferreting team i wish :laugh: They are lightning fast, ey? I personally want one of these, they would be great fun even if it would destroy the house! And I wonder whether or not they could be trained to take down tree rats...now that would be a sight!
  18. Coneytrappr
    That's all American rubbish mate. 'Standard chocolates', 'standard sable' 'standard black sable'....all just polecats as far as I'm concerned. Never thought it was a good idea for them to focus so much on the ferret's jackets and give them all the fancy names...would hate even more for it to pollute the ferreting cummunity. The black footed ferrets are interesting wee beasts though. Very interesting to see them hunt and fantastic that they have been saved from extinction, at least for the time being.
  19. Coneytrappr
    Personally, I would not breed a ferret in it's first season. I think most ferrets are best judged by their second season's work and would like to see them more proven than they would be in their first season's work before having a litter. So I would wait until next season, TBH. But that is just me, and I am a real stickler for properly testing any stock before having it bred, whether it be dogs or ferrets.
  20. Coneytrappr
    she is about 30cm long i dont usaly dig i have seen me waiting an hour after the last rabbit has bolted nine and times out of ten she will come out with her face coverd in blood it happins almost every time im out Are you hearing a lot of rumbling or is it all quiet when she stays down? If you aren't hearing much commotion then chances are your jill is finding them in stopends and is toiling away at their rears, however rabbits in stopends can be very stubborn and many are apt to put their heads down and try to wait it out rather than bolt. Your jill isn't a bad ferret by any means-
  21. Coneytrappr
    My jills don't lack character at all. They are little spitfires and will get into anything within reach- they could keep me entertained all day. My hobs are all fairly laid back unless they are working. I like both.
  22. Coneytrappr
    In my younger days when I first started out I used to use a small bag to transport my jill around...never had any mishaps as I was fond of the wee jill and thus very careful...but in hindsight it wouldn't have taken much to have slipped, landed and crushed her as some of the ground I saw was a little perilous in spots. Knocked up a box and have never looked back. Save yourself the bother! That jill also used to fight the bag harder than any ferrets I've had since have fought the box...hindsight is a wonderful thing.
  23. Coneytrappr
    Pretty normal for them to bugger around a bit in the first season, she ought to come good next season.
  24. Coneytrappr
    Why do you keep them seperate mate?
  25. Coneytrappr
    How old is she mate?
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