Lovely jill, bites when working

[jusar whippets 10]

Err, very confused here chaps, i have a 6month old Jill, she's handled everyday and when at home in the court she doesn't bite at all and plays and i can hold her for ages, the problem is when i take her out working, she's fine for the first few holes, and then she turns into a right nightmare by biting and hissing at me when i go to pick her up out of a hole.

 

She has drawn blood on me now on the last three times whe have been out. I can get her out of the ferret box and she's fine, it's just that she turns very very nasty after a few holes. Even to the point where i have to pick her up by the tail to stop her going crazy and being savage. Even putting her on the ground away from the rabbit holes, she is arching & hissing and trying to attack me or anyone who is with me.

 

When i get back home and i open the ferret box to put her back in the court and she is back to normal and all playful and gentle and licks me?

 

I'm proper confused here and if she carries on with this lark, then she will have to go.

 

Any ideas?

[The one 8,529]

Really dont know mate i think it could be excitement is she getting rabbits when she's working? i know the answer for me a ferret you cant put your hand down to is no use to man nor beast

[FightTheBan 1,147]

Give her time mate, shes still young. Try not to snatch at her when working and only pick her up when shes right out the hole or else she will skulk.

If she likes the carry box try to encourage her out into the open with the box and she should calm down a bit.

I had this problem with two of my jills last year, one came better in time and is now an excellent wee ferret, the other got the bullet.

All the best

[blacktabs 3]

I agree some get a bit keen on the hunt they dont see to well well mine dont at least so she could be striking at movement being new to the game.

Try to make sure you go to pick her up by the neck so she cant turn round on you not hard just firm enough to grip her.

You say she gets worse as she does more warrens if youve got more ferts try her on one then box her up for a bit then do two etc just take it slow with her sounds like she will be a cracker if you can sort her out atb.

[jacrabbit 0]

try taking a bit of fresh meat with you and giving her a bit when she comes out a hole. like a reward for her. she may be having so much fun down the holes that she dose not want to come back to you. but if you have a nce treat she should enjoy coming back to you more

[shepp 2,285]

I have one like that, the biting has carried on to when at home now, if i hold her for more than 30 seconds she grabs my hand with her feet and bites.

She is 2 years old now and i think she's very close to a one way trip out with a 12 bore, shame really because she produced a litter of eight very docile ferrets.

Shepp

[jusar whippets 10]

Cheers lads

 

I'll try what you have said and see how she goes. I belive that i need to work all of my ferts, otherwise theyt are getting fed for nothing and i don't want pets, i want hunting companions, so if after the next 4 or so outings and she's the same then she will have to go. I can't have any aggressive animals around my family or when hunting.

[RaiderBoy 19]

i think all ferrets are like this just some worse than others i had the one in my avitar about a year before starting to work her and she never even nipped or went to bite and on her first day she bolted 3 out of the first warren and then nothing all day until we hit a really hot burrow that we bolted 4 out of when it was all covered and i picked her up she went for me and just barley touched my finger with her teeth before realising what she had done and stopped and she hasent done it since. i think its just that your ferret is too young and hasent matured yet i have one thats just coming up to a year now and she still chases feet and play nips every so often with more handling and more expirience i think she will gorw out of it, until then use a heavy duty gardening glove to cushion the bites.

 

Richard

[The one 8,529]

i dont think its to do with age its maybe all to do with handling them they shouldn't bite the hand that feeds them

[jacrabbit 0]

remember there are always ferret rescues if youn dont want your ferret. and a working ferret should also be a pet as the more time you give them the more you bond and the less they bite. my hunting companions,are my pets. and thats what makes hunting so much fun.

[John-B 4]

She's 6 months old, she's got no experience, she might be getting a little bit scared or excited when working warrens, give her a chance, don't make any sharp sudden movements when she is exiting the hole, don't be scared to pick her up just take it nice and steady and give her a nice little stroke and talk to her when you do pick her up, she will sonn learn what hunting is all about but be patient and give her time

[moocherboi 8]

i currently have a jill that was exactly the same as that. although she would be a handful at home too on some occasions. I just worked and worked her, even though she was young i put her in large warrens. her 1st season was hard for me be careful when to pick her up, but i just left her to her own devices to a certain limit. let her go in and out, wonder around the above ground. ( staying close to the warren) if she showed any sign of being un happy about me picking her up. i left her and tried later on, until she was happy. she is now 3 and it took 1st two seasons to really settle, but she is a cracking working, so could not be more pleased.. butit took time and patience..

 

This worked for me, its just my view on it.. some may not agree with it or some might say they would of shot it. IF it works, its works...

 

hope you resolve your problem.

[j davies 8]

try taking a bit of fresh meat with you and giving her a bit when she comes out a hole. like a reward for her. she may be having so much fun down the holes that she dose not want to come back to you. but if you have a nce treat she should enjoy coming back to you more

 

thats one thing i would never do mate thwey get used to it and in time want come out at all with out them . mine comes out when the hole is empty and evan goes back in her box will post vid tomo to show you

[j davies 8]

i currently have a jill that was exactly the same as that. although she would be a handful at home too on some occasions. I just worked and worked her, even though she was young i put her in large warrens. her 1st season was hard for me be careful when to pick her up, but i just left her to her own devices to a certain limit. let her go in and out, wonder around the above ground. ( staying close to the warren) if she showed any sign of being un happy about me picking her up. i left her and tried later on, until she was happy. she is now 3 and it took 1st two seasons to really settle, but she is a cracking working, so could not be more pleased.. butit took time and patience..

 

This worked for me, its just my view on it.. some may not agree with it or some might say they would of shot it. IF it works, its works...

 

hope you resolve your problem.

 

your idear is right best to waste one year doing it and you got 9 more good ones

[gnipper 6,589]

try taking a bit of fresh meat with you and giving her a bit when she comes out a hole. like a reward for her. she may be having so much fun down the holes that she dose not want to come back to you. but if you have a nce treat she should enjoy coming back to you more

 

 

remember there are always ferret rescues if youn dont want your ferret. and a working ferret should also be a pet as the more time you give them the more you bond and the less they bite. my hunting companions,are my pets. and thats what makes hunting so much fun.

 

Hang on a minute, didn't you only get your first ever ferrets a week or so ago? Have they been near a rabbit hole yet?

 

 

 

 

As for the ferret biting it will either stop or it won't. A nip as you pick them up whilst out in the field because their adrenaline is going or youve startled them is one thing but actually screaming and spitting is a bit worse. I had a big silver hob who was the same, like a kitten at home but a wild animal after the first couple of holes, my mate saved him from being pts thinking he was a bit of a ferret whisperer but he just stayed the same although you could tickle his chin through the wire in the cage. My mate persevered though and I offered my services for delivering the coup de gras everytime the fecker went nuts but he thought it was a fixable problem. After a summer lay off he was tried again and really went to town on my mates hand so he did what needed doing, 2 years too late. I reckon some of them are just born to be schitzo.

Good luck with the jill