food costs ?

[U.L.D.A 289]

stick the russel on the lead your areas got rabbits you from ww

[JRTMAD2k10 11]

Pets at home had a double hutch last week that was £100.

Easily big enough for two or three. Although they would need to be out for about four hours daily. Best to build a nice big run connecting to the hutch. Or do what I did and ferret prof the garden.( this can be very tricky) are you getting them to hunt or pets. Or a bit of both. My three prob cost me no more than a £4 per week on avarage. They thrive on chicken wings and drumsticks. Wings are about £1.70 per kg at morrisons. Also go shopping with your mum and look for meat that's been put in the cheep section. (mince,chicken,turkey,)

I personally don't use the dry food apart from a back up.

I used fleece bedding that you can get in primark or ikia for £2 each.

I don't use shreded paper as it takes a lot longer to clean the hutch. Instead mine have litter trays. One up and one down. With cat litter the paper type from pets at home. A 25kg bag would cost you about £10 and last at least a month.

Have you looked on any ferret forums. They have lots of help for people starting out.

You biggest out lay would prob be neutering. This can range from £30 to £70 depending on your local vets. But you would only be getting this done next year if you are after kits.

If you need more info mate pm me.

 

my main reason would to be going hunting with but would like as a pet two... my garden is pretty much secure the only place i could think of that would be a pain to get them would be under the shed... how quick are they ? i was hoping to do what you say you do with the food, try and feed them meat as much as i can and only use dry as a back up even... the hutch you describe sounds like the one for sale near me http://www.gumtree.com/p/pets/two-tier-wooden-double-rabbitguinea-pig-hutch/104869426 this it ? or something similar ? would maybe consider getting them spayed or is there any point when you can get the jill jab ? thanks for this info mate !!

[JRTMAD2k10 11]

stick the russel on the lead your areas got rabbits you from ww

 

whats that last bit mate ?

[U.L.D.A 289]

pm you

[Deano71 4]

If you get jills you could get them the jab, or if someone has a vasectomised hob. It would do the job. I must warn you hobs are rough lovers, lol

The hutch is better than the one on gum tree as it has a base!

You garden maybe look ferret proof to you but they dig under fences and if you had that hutch on grass they would be out as soon as your back was turned.They would defiantly go under the shed. Especialy if there are mice near by. Free food. Lol. But make sure no one has used poison out there at any point as a dead mouse would also mean a dead ferret!

They can be quick and don't always want to come back when you want them too. But food is the key here, if they smeel something they want they will come. If you do have them out on the garden then maybe a harness on a line would be good to start.

http://www.petsathome.com/shop/summer-lodge-double-hutch-by-sharples-n-grant-(available-in-store-only)-38775

 

[happyferret123 13]

It's cheaper to buy dry biscuits in bulk just keep it in a sealed container to keep it fresh. If you can talk to your nearest butcher they might put some of the scraps to the side for you from time to time. Which keeps the cost down. If you have the space for a chest freezer you can often find them for free really cheap on gumtree/freecycle which means you can easily store the stuff you catch in the winter.

I go to car boots and buy babies cosytoes for the bedding in winter they only cost pennies and they are fur lined and easily washable, and old cotton sheet for bedding for summer.

Underneath them newspaper- free

If you can get friendly with local office or doctors they can get you shredded paper.

 

Main cost is vets. Very expensive. Spent £50 today to get told my ferret only has a few more weeks/months left in her and gave steroid injection to help pain.

 

Jill Jab-£7-£30 Jill Spay- £40-£

Though Jill spay only have to do once. Jill Jab sometimes twice a year.

If you got male and female you would want both neutered as the male would be aggressive to female unless you separate them between April and September but easier to keep them together as they love company . two males would also both need to be done as can fight. Two jill= 2 jill jabs or two spays.

But should get more than one ferret as they love company, bit mean leaving by itself.

 

Just keep looking on gumtree/preloved/animal forums to get a hutch you can pick them up pretty cheap.

[JRTMAD2k10 11]

If you get jills you could get them the jab, or if someone has a vasectomised hob. It would do the job. I must warn you hobs are rough lovers, lol

The hutch is better than the one on gum tree as it has a base!

You garden maybe look ferret proof to you but they dig under fences and if you had that hutch on grass they would be out as soon as your back was turned.They would defiantly go under the shed. Especialy if there are mice near by. Free food. Lol. But make sure no one has used poison out there at any point as a dead mouse would also mean a dead ferret!

They can be quick and don't always want to come back when you want them too. But food is the key here, if they smeel something they want they will come. If you do have them out on the garden then maybe a harness on a line would be good to start.

http://www.petsathom...e-in-store-only)-38775

 

the hutch would be on concrete where my old dog run was, we used to have mice a while back so there could well be some out there best idea to keep on the harness and lead then mate

[JRTMAD2k10 11]

It's cheaper to buy dry biscuits in bulk just keep it in a sealed container to keep it fresh. If you can talk to your nearest butcher they might put some of the scraps to the side for you from time to time. Which keeps the cost down. If you have the space for a chest freezer you can often find them for free really cheap on gumtree/freecycle which means you can easily store the stuff you catch in the winter.

I go to car boots and buy babies cosytoes for the bedding in winter they only cost pennies and they are fur lined and easily washable, and old cotton sheet for bedding for summer.

Underneath them newspaper- free

If you can get friendly with local office or doctors they can get you shredded paper.

 

Main cost is vets. Very expensive. Spent £50 today to get told my ferret only has a few more weeks/months left in her and gave steroid injection to help pain.

 

Jill Jab-£7-£30 Jill Spay- £40-£

Though Jill spay only have to do once. Jill Jab sometimes twice a year.

If you got male and female you would want both neutered as the male would be aggressive to female unless you separate them between April and September but easier to keep them together as they love company . two males would also both need to be done as can fight. Two jill= 2 jill jabs or two spays.

But should get more than one ferret as they love company, bit mean leaving by itself.

 

Just keep looking on gumtree/preloved/animal forums to get a hutch you can pick them up pretty cheap.

 

think im going to do a bit more saving the money and get them both spayed then mate seems the better option... with the food it seems to be one person says no to one thing and someone else swears by it :s think i will go with bit of both to be on the safe side ha i hear what your saying about vet bills i will make sure i have some money just incase... i will deffinately be getting two due to that reason i have been told they like the company... will keep on looking til i see one that fits the job

 

 

cheers for the help

[pie-eater 377]

I feed mine anything I shoot usualy wood pigeon dove magpie or squirrel. In the ferreting season they eat mainly rabbit. If ever I get stuck without any wild meat I use chicken wings or thighs.

[Bunny Boiler 177]

I honestly don't spend a penny. During the winter months, they get rabbit meat that I catch myself with the ferrets or that are air rifled. In the summer, they get given smaller rabbit portions because I can't ferret, but I get free offal from my butcher. Pig lung and heart, which I cut into portions and freeze in bags. One bag a day, put in still frozen if the weather is hot. It's actually good for them because of the protein available, but also top them up with other none meat products such as eggs, often laid by my own chickens. If you can't air rifle for what ever reasons, the butcher will have an almost limitless supply of offal if you're nice to him (more than your ferrets can eat anyway). If he does want to charge you, maybe offer him some rabbits in the winter month in exchange?

 

Hope this helps,

Bunny.

[tomas 9]

I use dry i get it in a 10k sack for bout £12 and they have twice a week the frozen dog mince and if any of the family have chicken they have the carcus the mince is good ivpay 60p a pack. im only a newbie sept will b my first season so im still learning but the ferrets seem healthy and active. id keep 2 jills together and jills tend to bolt more often where as hobs tend to kill underground more

[Jamie m 668]

Yep can be a slow day ferreting with hobs to slow for me . Especially if its a big warren ie 100 holes plus .

[Malt 379]

My 4 cost me about £4 a week to feed on frozen value chicken portions from the supermarket, less in winter when there's rabbits available to them.

[whippet 99 2,613]

mate if you were closer i would give you a hutch and two kits, i just like to see youngsters giving it a go, surely someone can help this lad out. good luck bud

[Col_c88 41]

I've not read the posts in this so ill probabley be repeating alot of stuff already said however.. its really cheap if you look around..

 

firstly.. they eat pretty much anything you hunt.. then if you run out of game.. just go to the "oops" isle in asda or tesco or wherever you shop.. or the reduced to get rid of stuff section.. pick up some mince, chicken, turkey.. anything that isnt pork really.. I always have buiscut ready just incase so one bag usually lasts quit a while..

 

bedding i use shredded paper.. my misses works in a school so i get binbags full of it.. when its cold i use straw or hay from pets at home it lasts me ages as i dont use it often.. people say dont use it but ive never ever had a problem with it as long as you get the dust extracted stuff.... mostley though i use old clothes.. old pillowcases.. towels .. anything you dont mind loosing really

 

i think i go through wood shavings more than anything else but its so tightly packed you get quit a bit out of it.

 

I know my misses was concerned on the cost but really.. as long as you stock game up at the end of the ferreting season.. keep a bag a busuit just incase and buy cheapy tescos own mince etc. ... its REALLY cheap... oh and i stock up on ferret paste but thats cos im rubbish at putting collars on..

 

thinking of which collars and a locator will set you back a bit probabley....

 

good luck