keeping feerets warm through winter?

[foxtails 272]

hi guys, iv got my ferrets in a cage in a 5ft plastic shed type thing,in theyr sleeping quarters theyr bedding includes shavings at the bottom,loads of hay and old clothes ect but am worried when the frost and snow comes it wont be warm enough, i want to insuate the shed or the hutch, apart from one of those silver blanket things that keeps them cool in the summer and warm in the winter, does anybody have any ideas of how i can insuate my ferret cage and shed and keep them warm through the winter months? thanks in advance. fts

[pipa 299]

Line it out with polystyrene sheets, it keeps it cool in the summer and warm in the winter, but to be honest plenty of hay or straw is sufficient, the biggest killer is wind chill so make sure the hutch is sheltered from wind

Chris

[stubby 175]

ferts can withstand the cold, its heat in the summer that kills, if you have more than one fert, they all pile in and keep each other warm

 

I have inside and outside quarters in my ferts court, inside is shavings,hay,straw and towels, yet Ive had them sleeping overnight in a hammock outside with snow on the ground

Edited November 11, 2012 by stubby

[leec 132]

double or treble um up they keep each other warm

[Kay 3,709]

Your better off adding extra bedding , they can drag out what they dont want if they get to hot

[seamlfc00 5]

ive put a shoe box with a small hole in the top filled with newspaper in the hutch,seems to do the job.

[skycat 6,173]

Look at a healthy ferret's winter coat: double coat, super insulation properties. Obviously a ferret on its own will need plenty of bedding to make a nest deep inside. I prefer straw to anything else. Hay can get very musty and hot and 'sweaty'. Shavings can't be turned into a nest. We pack the nest box fairlyt loosely full of barley straw and the ferrets tunnel inside and hollow out a nest. There's no way they'll ever get cold like that. Any sleeping quarters need to be fairly large to allow a decent amount of straw, which equals good insulation. I guess the nest boxes in our court are around 60 x 40 x 40 centimetres, and are raised off the floor of the court by a wooden shelf. They also have the choice of different levels, going up to around a metre high: they tend to use the higher boxes in summer, and when it gets colder get down to ground level.

[The one 8,467]

As said the ferret are fine with the cold its the heat they dont like as long as there sleeping quarters are draught free they will be fine my lots sleeping in there runs and it was below minus last night there in a big ball of shaving's and are happy enough

[joe14 98]

I just use fleece blankets from poundshops, they have about 7 of them in their bed box that is in the shed. On bottom i use newspaper and vetbed. They are always warm. Bang blankets in washer once a week.

[spazzy paddy 127]

my wife gets shredded office paper for nowt, just put loads in and they are happy plus my hutches are in a covered run and well out of any wind and rain.

[RogerTheCat 3]

I built my sleeping boxes quite big about 30cm by 30cm. In the winter I put a shoe box stuffed with straw into the sleeping box and then pack straw around it. On cold days I have found five ferrets in one shoe box all nice and toasty warm.

[AndyKelly 251]

barley straw from the local farm at £2.50 a bale it lasts for ages. so you can chuck extra in at very little cost

[cairnsy22 3]

if fed plenty of birds and rabbits etc and sum straw and shavings in for bedding they make thier self the warmist of nests atb cairnsy

[Peter Leemooch 160]

my old man always said worry more about the inside than the outside no amount if insulation will matter if the beddings not up to it

[Malt 379]

I have 4 in together and they always eject any extra bedding I try putting in with them no matter how cold it is.. They keep themselves warm no problem if you have multiple ferrets.. Just remember to check on the water bottles and make sure they are kept defrosted..