feeding ferrets

[dicky82 1]

I feed whole or part carcasses which i hang in the court - lets them have a play as well as feed, keeps the food off the ground and stops them dragging the whole caracass into the nest boxes. The main diet is rabbits and woodies - however its important to note that rabbit carries very little fat and so will not bulk on weight but will maintain. Pigeon however does carry fat and so is good for building them up - i pluck the feathers off the breasts and leave the guts in. I gut the rabbits.

 

A big chest freezer is handy - everything you don't sell, eat etc through the winter goes in and should keep you going over the summer. As you have two i would chop up the rabbits into quarters before freezing so that its less hassle for you when defrosting. Also freezing stuff for two weeks will kill any worms etc.

 

Another good tip is get hold of a local chicken farm and get them to supply you with day old chicks - I picked up a couple of bin liners recently for a few quid. They are a really handy size for feeding kits especially.

 

Eggs are a good source of protein. I recently got an idea off someone else - to take the little plastic ball out of a kinder surprise, drill a hole in either end and then fill it with egg. The ferrets knock it about like mad to get the egg out.

 

Mine also get trout.

 

There is also nothing wrong with the odd bit of Cat food and dried ferret food.

 

As has been said they are carnivores so bread is f**k all good to them, and they are also pretty lactose intolerant so milk isnt so good unless its lactose free kitten milk.

 

I would also avoid pork due to the salt content - no good for them.

 

I also avoid roadkill - you can never tell why it got killed on the road and many creatures are hit because they have been slowed down by poison etc.

 

And tell the guy you got them off that he living in the past and REALLY harming the ferrets. Imagine feeding and baby carnivore no meat - would you expect them to develop healthily and to their full potential. They end up stunted, malnourished little things.

 

The extreme reaction you got is because feeding ferrets bread and milk is THE cardinal sin of ferret keeping and something most of us thought/hoped had been stamped out.

 

Check out the thread also running that lists some good books for more info and put up where you are from and someone might take you out for a days sport and some learning when the season starts.

 

atb

 

Jai.

 

thanks for your post jai, im having great fun with them, im hoping to source somw roosters and that from a poltry farm soon, unlike britan ireland is having some pretty gash weather so im bieng pretty slack in shooting woodies. . . will do my best to get out over the week.

[Ideation 8,216]

I feed whole or part carcasses which i hang in the court - lets them have a play as well as feed, keeps the food off the ground and stops them dragging the whole caracass into the nest boxes. The main diet is rabbits and woodies - however its important to note that rabbit carries very little fat and so will not bulk on weight but will maintain. Pigeon however does carry fat and so is good for building them up - i pluck the feathers off the breasts and leave the guts in. I gut the rabbits.

 

A big chest freezer is handy - everything you don't sell, eat etc through the winter goes in and should keep you going over the summer. As you have two i would chop up the rabbits into quarters before freezing so that its less hassle for you when defrosting. Also freezing stuff for two weeks will kill any worms etc.

 

Another good tip is get hold of a local chicken farm and get them to supply you with day old chicks - I picked up a couple of bin liners recently for a few quid. They are a really handy size for feeding kits especially.

 

Eggs are a good source of protein. I recently got an idea off someone else - to take the little plastic ball out of a kinder surprise, drill a hole in either end and then fill it with egg. The ferrets knock it about like mad to get the egg out.

 

Mine also get trout.

 

There is also nothing wrong with the odd bit of Cat food and dried ferret food.

 

As has been said they are carnivores so bread is f**k all good to them, and they are also pretty lactose intolerant so milk isnt so good unless its lactose free kitten milk.

 

I would also avoid pork due to the salt content - no good for them.

 

I also avoid roadkill - you can never tell why it got killed on the road and many creatures are hit because they have been slowed down by poison etc.

 

And tell the guy you got them off that he living in the past and REALLY harming the ferrets. Imagine feeding and baby carnivore no meat - would you expect them to develop healthily and to their full potential. They end up stunted, malnourished little things.

 

The extreme reaction you got is because feeding ferrets bread and milk is THE cardinal sin of ferret keeping and something most of us thought/hoped had been stamped out.

 

Check out the thread also running that lists some good books for more info and put up where you are from and someone might take you out for a days sport and some learning when the season starts.

 

atb

 

Jai.

 

thanks for your post jai, im having great fun with them, im hoping to source somw roosters and that from a poltry farm soon, unlike britan ireland is having some pretty gash weather so im bieng pretty slack in shooting woodies. . . will do my best to get out over the week.

 

 

No worries pal - was raining here in wales today. Quite good as it makes the woodies sit tighter in the trees. They were even sitting on the telegraph wire in my garden.. . . . . . Ferrets fed!

[dicky82 1]

ferrets fed but phones down in the wales area

[Ideation 8,216]

ferrets fed but phones down in the wales area

:whistling:

[kieran 17 0]

i give mine rabbit roo and a egg and some dry food i just gut my rabbits and leave the fur on i was told a bit of skin and fur in there diet is good

[dicky82 1]

i give mine rabbit roo and a egg and some dry food i just gut my rabbits and leave the fur on i was told a bit of skin and fur in there diet is good

 

ive eaten that roo when i was in oz, was ok, the ozzy lads used to slag us saying we were eating dogfood, coz they used it with the dog nuts for their pooches.