Hutch Bedding Question

[onthehunt 40]

Hi guys, last week I took my ferret to the vet only to be told that his sneezing and runny nose was due to him being allergic to the woodshavings used in his hutch. the same thing happened with my last ferret too so I ended up using newspaper but this creates a very messy affair My question is does anyone use straw/hay and is it a safe alternative for ferrets?? I want to try it because it is cheap like woodshavings and will not pay though the nose for 'posh' bedding you get in some pet shops.

[Furittus 35]

Barley straw, for 35 years and had nothing but good clean healthy ferrets .

[Furittus 35]

Also when the jill takes a rabbit or any other form of flesh into the kits, the shavings are inclined to stick to flesh, I personally don't like this, saying that some lads that do use shavings have never had a problem with that, I guess its down to each individual, I give the straw a good shaking before I put it in the sleeping quarters, this gets rid of most of the chaff and the dust, plus I think the straw is warmer in the winter.

[The one 8,493]

I like shaving there cheap, aborbant and easy to dispose of , But if you cant use them and need to use either hay or straw try to but treated stuff as the hollow stalks can harbour pests

[onthehunt 40]

Okay will look today in my nearest equestrian store and see what they got

[onthehunt 40]

Have now just bought some hay and straw so will see how it goes

[Jamie m 668]

Shavings from the equine supliers are dust extracted , a bale lasts for ages to ,

[GreyRake 108]

Mine are kept indoors, perhaps there's a risk of you smelling musky (iv had no bad feedback, but my hob has no balls) but I stress pet fleeces are the way to go, poundland or whatever. Fleeces just need shaken then machine washed, easy.

 

Fleeces for the nest box, a hammock for the heat, lino for the floor and a plastic box for the shit. Think that's my set up for life, indoor, or out....

[onthehunt 40]

Mine are kept indoors, perhaps there's a risk of you smelling musky (iv had no bad feedback, but my hob has no balls) but I stress pet fleeces are the way to go, poundland or whatever. Fleeces just need shaken then machine washed, easy.

 

Fleeces for the nest box, a hammock for the heat, lino for the floor and a plastic box for the shit. Think that's my set up for life, indoor, or out....

Yeah in the summer when the hobs are in season they tend stink to high heaven! worse than in winter so he's kept outside during this time. he did have fleeces and beds especially made for ferrets but I've taken them away for now as they tend to trap his smell and exacerbate his odour perhaps it doesn't help me that he's always refused to use a litter tray/plastic box but he does have his shit areas so... Anyway he is now set up with the hay in the sleeping area and straw in the rest of the hutch.

[Ideation 8,216]

Old Towels are a great alternative, same with old t-shirts etc.

[BORDERSCOT 3,816]

Barley straw and wood shavings (big bale lasts months)...used to get sawdust every Friday from local joiner's when I was wee ...

[GreyRake 108]

Yeah, I'd never even attempt to keep an entire hob indoors. I've enough of a battle with a eunuch and two jills haha, I won't argue with the guys who say they belong outdoors hahaha, it's an on going battle.... But playtimes are good fun if litter trained.... Anyway

 

that being said, if you can use fleeces (or towels/tshirts) and then just shake and machine wash it should save you money in the long run. They dry quick as after if hung on the line.

[joe14 98]

I use fleece blankets aswell, not many in this weather though, i put more in or take them out as weather changes.

I think you will need to change everything mate, bedding and litter. If you put him a blanket in its bed and put in a cat litter tray in the hutch

and you could use paper cat litter stuff in the tray, they usually get the hang of it.

 

Never realy understood realy why people put shavings everywhere, it makes a mess, i use shavings in their trays, and they have a bare

concrete flor, slabs, lino in hutch's.

[The one 8,493]

A four inch piece of wood on the bottom of the wire will stop them throwing shavings every where , but do you wash the blankets weekly ?.

[GreyRake 108]

True, don't need much bedding in this weather. My b*****ds are spoilt haha, have a memory foam mattress on the bottom hahaha should have seen the GFs face when I came home with that.

 

Wood pellets are the cheapest and most preferd ferret litter. Newcomers may dig in it but should get board after a while. Main thing is to pin the tray down somehow. Older ferrets can be hard to 100% train but kits are a breeze given the time. From then on they train each other. Just stick it where they go and move the missed craps into it, should almost do the job. Can't beat a daily pour then refill, 1 minute, 1-2 daily depending on ferret numbers. £10 a month for 2-3 ferrets.