First time next season.

[airgunner106 0]

Hi everyone,

 

 

Im going to work my jill next season for the first time any tips or advice on preparing her atall or what to expect.

 

 

Airgunner106.

[mexlad 189]

make sure you have a locator mate,give it a small feed before you go.

[airgunner106 0]

Cheers gonna get the MK3/MK1 and collars with birthday money and feed them rabbit the night before

 

 

Cheers.

[judge2010 196]

how much are those locaters?

[jenksi87 3]

depends which one you get mate. mexlad got a mk3 with 2 collars for £

[judge2010 196]

is that bran new mate?

[jenksi87 3]

no mate. a mk3 new with 2 collars is about £170. expensive bit of kit, but worth there weight in gold. no amount of fieldcraft can help when you get a kill in a stop end, but with a locator u know exactly where and how deep to dig. better than waiting hours on end or blocking up and going back the day after. especially if your permissions some miles away

[Ideation 8,216]

Hey Matey,

 

 

First things frist - handle her lots and have her on the floor when your walking around and doing stuff so she gets used to running about your feet and being picked up. Also get some tubes for her to run through of a decent length and spend time letting her run through them and picking her up when she comes out - dont snatch her but do it calmy and gently but firmly if that makes sense, or rather with confidence. This way you will avoid skulking around the hole later. You can also drae a net over the ends of the tubes so she gets used to coming through the mesh.

 

When you first try her out start her on a small warren where your pretty sure there is something home. Net up carefully and try not to make much noise. Let the warren settle a bit and then collar her up (get the mrk3) and set her by the hole. Let her go down herself. dont force her. When she goes down stand quietly and listen for the movement underground.

 

If/when a rabbit bolts, dispatch it quickly and drop it by the hole for her to find when she comes out (she will probs be on its tail!) - give it a wiggle and let her have a rag. This was she associates a rabbit bolting with a dead rabbit, a good reward and is more likely to bolt rather than try to kill them. Remove the rabbit and set her by the hole again, she will probably go straight back down. She may look for the rabbit she bolted but thats expected as she is young. In time she will only show briefly at the hole when a rabbit bolts and then head back to work the rest of the burrow.

 

For her first trips, dont over work her or overmatch her with a too large warren.

 

Feed her well the night before and then give her a light meal an hour or so before she will be worked. This reduces the chance she will kill and if she does she is unlikely to eat and will probably move on.

 

Its also handy to take some water for her and keep her topped up if she gets thristy - this way she diverts no time into finding a drink when down below.

 

Also i would recommend ferretone which is a vitamin sub that they love - this will help you collar her up.

 

Any more questions give me a pm, if you were closer i'd take you out.

 

atb

 

Jai.

[jenksi87 3]

that about sums it up really

[airgunner106 0]

Thanks everyone.

 

Also Ideation thanks for your adcive that has helped me alot. Ive always wonderd how i could help about the picking up part because everytime i take her into my outhouse she runs around and jumps like mad and everytime i go to pick her up she runs away and jumps in the air ready to bite and i thoght this is what she would do when i worked her. But i will get the tubes and let you know how she gets on mate cheers.

 

 

Airgunner106.

[jenksi87 3]

she needs plenty more handling before you work her then pal. if not you will never get her back out once entered. as ideation said, get sum ferretone off e-bay and put a couple of drops on your hand when you go to handle her, let her lick it then pick her up. keep doing this and she will be fine with you picking her up in no time

[Ideation 8,216]

How old is she mate - most of my ferrets are a bit mental around the 8 month mark to 1 year - they do the ferret war dance, rag my socks, climb my leg and bite at my hand- however if i put my hand down they rattle their teeth at it but dont actually bite. They are just playing! Yes they look like they are having a melt down but they are just happy. They settle down. Do all the handling like i said, try the tubes and use some ferretone on your hand so your hand is a wonderous tasty thing (to lick not bite) and you should be fine,

 

Also i have a wee silver jill here who is just about 1 - shes mental, does the crazy war dance when you have her out, not all the time but at least once every play session. However - work her all day and shes as good as gold - shes just a mental little f*cker but she knows when its play time and when its time to go to work.

 

One last thing - try sitting down on the floor and letting her run over you climb you and jump on your lap and explore the folds of your cloths, put a bit of ferretone on your hands also and just run your hands over her while she licks and let rest on your hand, just so eventually your hands are perfectly normal.

 

Now my ferrets run to be picked up and you can whistle them like wee dogs.

 

By the time you finished you'll be putting her down your trousers

 

atb

 

Jai.

[airgunner106 0]

HAHAH thanks so much mate really helped also she is between 1 and half - 2years not sure because she was a rescue but i will get the ferretone. Sounds great mate will get some tommorow off ebay cheers.

 

 

Airgunner106.

[Ideation 8,216]

Aye man just put PLENTY of time into her and she will come good. You can also use 'Beaphar' Vitamin/Malt paste which you can get on the net or from 'Pets at home etc' its for cats and ferrets and is a multi-vitamin and anti hairball paste which the love like the ferretone. It comes in a tube and is a paste and so sometimes a bit easier to work with. I use both for different situation and give the paste everyday for general health. (I'm a wee bit ferret obsessed - when they are kits a do ALOT of hand feeding so they get stupidly tame and obsessed).

 

atb

 

Jai.

[airgunner106 0]

LOL haha ok mate thanks again will deffinatly get some then . Now just need to find some permission but i know this gamekeeper form my mums work so i will ask him if he knows anyone with rabbits.

 

Airgunner106.