Polecats or ferrets

[bandog 52]

What's the pro's and cons with both

 

My mate at work reckons polecats are better but herd people say there 2 small and take a kicking ?

[StevoSmith 147]

Errrm im pretty sure polecats are bigger than ferrets.....European polecats are anyway and generaly have more powerful jaws and heavier bone structure...i could be wrong on this but i have a mate who has both and polecats are a fair bit bigger....im sure other with more experiance will tell you more

 

 

I will add also that polecats are wild and ones who are in captivity are more nervy and dont like being handled as much as ferrets do....my mates is on its own as it does not like the company of his ferrets and try to attack them but likes to work the bunnies as much as his ferrets...it does however bite like fk lol....got few scars to prove it

Edited February 23, 2012 by StevoSmith

[tegater 789]

True polecats are much bigger, but polecat ferrets and the albino ones are both good little workers imo.

 

I have had very good workers in both types, and some not so good, but it is more about the hunt in the ferret, than the type.

 

I currently run both polecat ferrets and white ones, and have no preference with my current stock, other than their character.

[rob190364 2,594]

I reckon 99% of people that talk about their 'polecats' actually have polecat coloured ferrets, seen it loads of times!

Edited February 23, 2012 by rob190364

[bandog 52]

Cheers lads he said he only kept jills are pole cat jills small ? I will defo be gettin them as friendly as possible so if pole cats can be a bit harder to handle ill prob stick to ferrets I want to get my nethew in to it so him gettin bit wouldn't be good

 

Can u keep 2 or 3 jills together ok with no hob ? Am i right .....u have to let them mate once a year even if u don't want to breed so i would need a nutured hob once a year ??

[Col_c88 41]

good chance your mates on about polecat ferrets.. jills are usually smaller than hobs (ive seen some massive jills though) so you cant put it down to a small jills... my mates hob is tiny compared to the jill he mated it with last year.

your going to get bit at first if there younguns either out of excitment or nervousness but keep handeling them, letting them feed out your hand and just being around your hand will stop them.. also around your feet while your wearing shoes will stop them being nervous of that.

 

you can keep jills together fine.. and you dont have to let them mate once a year.. theres also the jill jab or spayed but ive heard spaying them can cause problems in either health or mentally. you want to find someone with a vasectomised hob (make sure you trust them to tell you the truth).. or its around £20 for jill jab i believe.

 

I know you didnt ask you can keep hobs together and hobs and jills but obviously when there all a bit randy it can start fights and what not.... its best to have ferrets kept together as they can get lonley... ive just lost the one i kept with my big hob (both castrated so no fighting ever) so will be after another then start the introdoction process again pretty soon.

[bandog 52]

Cheers again lads so if i had 3 jills they woukd be fine and it dont matter about there seasons if am not breeding wich I won't be doing there cheap a nuff to buy so ill leave the breeding to people who no what there doing and how old do they have to be till thete ready to work

[muddy210 34]

if you dont intend ever breeding them get them spayed is best option not bringing them out of season can lead to complications that are best avoided

[bandog 52]

if you dont intend ever breeding them get them spayed is best option not bringing them out of season can lead to complications that are best avoided

 

Thats what my mate said he reckons that he used to look in the country mans weekly and people advertise castrated hobs to cover the jills and bring them out of season

 

It might just be easyer to have 2 hobs insted ?

[lifelong cumbrian 1,826]

polecat ferrets can be just the same size as an albino, they are the same thing just a different colour. I have light silvers but will be putting 1 back to a albino.No difference working wise but i like a light coloured ferret just for the ease of seeing in cover. Had a few good black ones but like i say white ones are easier to see, best put on not in the snow before someone else does.

[bandog 52]

Cheers mate more info the better for me

[bobcullen79 1,495]

As been said, most "poleys" are just poley coloured ferrets. If your gonna work them with birds or dogs, I like whites so its avoids a bit of confusion for the dogs or bird.

[lifelong cumbrian 1,826]

if you dont intend ever breeding them get them spayed is best option not bringing them out of season can lead to complications that are best avoided

 

Thats what my mate said he reckons that he used to look in the country mans weekly and people advertise castrated hobs to cover the jills and bring them out of season

 

It might just be easyer to have 2 hobs insted ?

 

They are not castrated mate, a castrated one will not mate. The ones you mean are vasectomized, they will mate a jill but as it has been snipped will not be fertile. They have balls on castrated is balls off.

Edited February 24, 2012 by lifelong cumbrian

[bandog 52]

Ha ha ok pal cheers as u can tell never had them before am just trying to learn as much as pos before i get them thanxs again for the advise Boys

[CiaranMcalinden 9]

a few pics of my polecat hybrids, mother was a full wild polecat, hob was a polecat coloured ferret, got these from a lad that has wild polecats for release pogramme in scotland..