outside ferret run

[Col_c88 41]

ive been wanting to make a place for me ferrets to play and excoricse whilest there not working and while its hot there not stuck in the shed.. also so they socilize with each other since there currently in seperate hutches cos' they fight in closed space.. my plan is..

 

5ft long, 2ft wide, 3ft tall.. a door on the top and 1.5ft of some kind of shade where i can put a bowl of water (or a bottle since they tip the bowls over).. base will be concrete slabs as we have stones outside and they will easy dig there way out of that.. it will be made from 4x2 so its nice n strong. there will be tubes and rope inside.

 

first question.. is this big enough for 2 big hobs to play and not fight?

second.. what could i use as a mesh for the sides and top? the stuff i have on the hutches is too expensive to buy 27ft worth of (i would imagine)

third.. what kind of sheeting could i use as a shade for the described?.. i thought corrigated sheet, the type you get on a roof but my misses pointed out that on a really hot day that it would just get hot and heat up the area too much..

fourth.. what else other than tubes and rope could i put in to keep them entertained and excorsized?

 

 

thanks

[B.P.R 2,798]

I made a run mate, it was basically a wooden frame, about 7foot long, 3-4 foot wide and about 4 foot high. I just covered the lit in mesh and made a wooden door 1/3 of the top on top. I used plywood. If you made the door maybe 1/2 the length of the roof then that would provide enough shade?

 

As for thing inside, I had an old piece of plywood and put top on the four corners and attached it to the roof, it's like a platform that swings a little. A cardboard box with ripped up newspaper is their favourite. Blankets hanging from the platform for them to climb up. Cat toys hanging from the roof. Tennis balls with rope through them hanging about. Plastic bottles with stones in. Ramps, tubes, sandpit?

 

There's loads of things mate. Depends how much you want to spend and how much time you have got. I just made mine for a bit extra space outside the hutch. And in shit at DIY haha. Good luck mate. Think outside the box with toys

[Col_c88 41]

lol ive got loads of time im on the sick .. and my job is DIY pretty much (ceramic tiler/plasterer) ..

 

thanks for the ideas.. i like the sandpit idea gives them somewhere to dig i guess

[fcuktheban 140]

Have you had them togehter in a larger area togehter? Could be after all your hard work they still fight. I finished fixing up my shed for mine and they still don't get on together.

[B.P.R 2,798]

Well you will probably know more about DIY than me then. You can't go wrong with wood though, ferrets like anything to play with. As long as it smells of something, they can dig in it, get muddy in it or get lost then they don't care how much it costs or what it looks like. Atb

[B.P.R 2,798]

Next year when we move, I'm hoping to buy a shed and make it into the ferrets home with an outside run attached. I was thinking about separating the inside into 4 different compartment that can easily be joined together or separated by a Catflap size wooden slide. I have to do this as my hobs are ok together but they fight in season and my only jill is and old girl and likes her space away from the active young lads. If only money was something that grew on trees.

 

I will get there one day.

Edited June 19, 2011 by Veedublee

[Ideation 8,216]

Make the run as big as you can.

 

If the hobs want to fight it dont matter how big it is, they will fight (if their balls are down).

 

 

Find decent mesh from somewhere, don't use chicken wire (maybe some cut down harris panels?).

 

Sheeting - just use some plyboard or wood mate and paint it white if your worried.

 

As for keeping them entertained, there is no limit, mine have rocks, logs, balls, ropes, tubes, bamboo bushes, water trays, soft toys, whole eggs, feathers, wellie boots, flower pots, boxes, shoes, dead animals, skins, skulls, antlers, and turf. Amongst other things

[Dameize 7]

the run im building is like 3ft long 2ft wide and about 1.5-2ft tall. it actually looks a decent size. Wether or not they will be happy in there i dont know but if they arnt I can always modify it in the future.

[B.P.R 2,798]

I covered mine in that mesh stuff I just posted about. cost me a feckin bomb!

[dave1600d 35]

mine live in a shed 2.5metres long by 2 metres wide....theres the floorspace then up the tube to the next level{a shelf with wooden border to stop em falling}either side,,,then a tube up to the 3rd level where theres the hammock that the sleep in,,,,on the second level theres another box where they can sleep....trouble is,,they shit in every corner almost so it has to be cleaned out n disinfected everyday,,,,theres a fan from an old air soccer game of my sons on the inside roof to keep em cool when its hot..theres mesh on the windows that open to stop em getting out,,,,,in fact i think il move in,,its better than my house,,,

[The one 8,488]

if getting mesh is a problem try the stuff on porto cabin windows

[B.P.R 2,798]

if getting mesh is a problem try the stuff on porto cabin windows

 

Leading him astray haha