Amateur Ferrets

[liftboy1 0]

I once knew a guy who had 2 lovely albinos and they were from pet stock. He used to put his ferrets in holes and constantly worry about losing them, he used to tie string by the yard to them he worried so much, and he never let them work and got rid of them because he thought they were crap workers. The young lad who had them put loads of time in with them and they turned out top workers, so good they were lead ferrets when he has kits to show them the ropes. And as for the fool who gave them away now attempts to ferret with a polecat, MWOAH!!

[john rust 45]

[liftboy1 0]

He is the only guy I know who has a ferret that goes in a hole and pi**es off with the rabbit and I dont mean a lay up!!! And he uses a akita as a marker dog.

[rob190364 2,594]

He is the only guy I know who has a ferret that goes in a hole and pi**es off with the rabbit and I dont mean a lay up!!! And he uses a akita as a marker dog.

Really?? Hey, I've got a mastiff...maybe I don't need a lurcher after all! Ha ha

[rob190364 2,594]

Update on my amateur ferrets...

 

I took them out yesterday without taking purse nets to hit as many burrows as possible and to try and get my ferrets to understand what they are supposed to do. First burrow we came across I put them both in and stood back, they went in and came out 30 seconds later as usual but this time I just left them to wander around and sniff around a bit and then go back in the warren, gave it 10-15 mins and then moved on to the next one. I did about 4 or 5 warrens without having a bolt but rather than only being in the warren for a couple of minutes them began to gain confidence and on the 5th warren the jill was staying in there for a good 5 or 10 minutes and the hob was covering some decent ground by going down one hole and then coming out of another a good 15-20ft away a few minutes later...to me this was a success as on the previous hunts he kept coming out of the same hole or a hole a couple of feet away

 

So on to the 6th warren. It was a row of about 8 holes along a bank. I put the hob down the end one and then walked along to pull the jill down one of the middle ones, as I was just about to put her in a rabbit ran to the entrance but saw the jill at the entrance to carried on running along the burrow, a second later my hob went bombing after it (unbelievably fast for such a porker!!), I was over the moon

 

So I put the jill down to run after it aswell but she still didn't seem to be grasping it. She came out a little bit further along but now I knew a rabbit was actually in the burrow I was going to persevere until they managed to bolt it...perfect training opportunity!! I took her to the other end of the burrow and put her in and she suddenly started digging at the side of the burrow like a loon, I let her dig for a few minutes and then picked her up to see what she was doing....there was the rabbits head just inside the hole she had just dug. It turned and went back in so I put her in and she went steaming after it.

 

A good 10-15 mins passed with no sign of either ferrets or the rabbit, then the jill popped up at the hole the rabbit had initially ran past. I put her back in the box and used the ferret finder to try and find the hob, I found him in the middle of the warren and left the ferret finder on to see if he was moving, he didn't move and as I listened at the entrance I could hear him crunching away on the rabbits. I gave it a few minutes and then started digging but a few minutes later he appeared with blood on his face.

 

I know it's not ideal for them to catch rabbits underground but this is a major step forward for my little amateurs, it all seemed to click and for the first time they really gave the impression of knowing how to work, can't wait for the next outing. I'm going to give them one more session without nets and then after that I'll get some proper quality purse nets and a long net and sling those stupid 4oz nets that keep getting tangled.

 

Thanks to everyone for their advice on sticking with my ferrets and giving them practice without nets, I know it's only one warren but I can't wait to get them out again tomorrow....HAPPY DAYS!

 

PS. I've ditched the dried ferret food now and have them on tinned cat food and chicken scraps (and hopefully rabbit carcasses soon) so fingers crossed my little porkers will soon be lean, mean working machines!

[liftboy1 0]

Just a bit of advice boy, I would stick with dry rather than catfood as I doesnt contain a high enough meat content, well they usually dont anyway. I had mine on dry for a bit but stuck them on rabbit and whatever my raptor catches like pigeon and magpies. Ferrets are like an investment, stick with them and you won`t regret it.

[rob190364 2,594]

Just a bit of advice boy, I would stick with dry rather than catfood as I doesnt contain a high enough meat content, well they usually dont anyway. I had mine on dry for a bit but stuck them on rabbit and whatever my raptor catches like pigeon and magpies. Ferrets are like an investment, stick with them and you won`t regret it.

I want to give them the best I can, as mentioned in previous posts though giving them even the smallest amount of dried ferret food results in them being overweight....is it a case of carcasses are essential for a healthy fit ferret??

[liftboy1 0]

Day old chicks are quite good, the more flesh they get the tamer they seem to be. I just wouldnt contemplate feeding them cat food. I know that If they are kits and arent working yet its difficult to get flesh but chicks are only 10p each or invest in an air rifle.

[The one 8,481]

Doc are just a egg covered in fluff mate they never had a chance to build up muscle etc and the fluff can annoy the mucus in the ferrets throat

[liftboy1 0]

Oh right, been told they are fine. But il stick to your comment there. Am I right about the catfood?