Noisy Ferrets

[Polkey 70]

Hi all, looking for some advice. In the last few weeks 2 of my three jills have taken to scratching at the chicken wire on their hutch which is the most annoying sound ever. They are incredibly persistent, the neighbours are complaining and now the wife is insisting they go. Im having to let them out at night which is fine as we have a high walled enclosed yard but its not practical as a permanent solution. They have a reasonable sized hutch and plenty of stimulation and get out plenty but seem to have got in the habbit of making a fing racket.

Any one got an insight as to why they are doing it or an alternative to chicken wire. I was thinking about drilling loads of holes in a sheet of perspex but think it might be a bit warm.

[Malt 379]

I've had ferrets escape from behind chicken wire before now, the more they work at it the weaker it will get. You can get mesh from most garden centres with small square holes that might be more suitable..

[bunnywhacker 7]

I feed mine last thing at night once eaten with big bellies go straight bed and sleep right through night

[Bunny Boiler 177]

The front of my hutch was galvanised steel that a friend had left over from a project of his. It was a couple of mil thick and inch spaces. It doesnt flex at all, so the only noise is their claws coming down it, not the spring of it too. Mine are now in the garage in some large rat cages that I joined together to make a huge cage.

 

Atb, BB

[The one 8,463]

Thing is your chicken wires crap they bite a bit first time it rusts second time they bite it it burst's they have a hole and there out , I think your ferrets need some stimulation toys etc why would they suddenly start scratching on the wire ?. and ive a few ferrets here that scracth the wire mostly the hobs when trying to get to the jills and you hardly hear them have you got them under a window ? can you move them away to the furthest part of the garden ?.

[stubby 175]

Id say hungry or bored

you say you have had to let them out at night, surely that answers your question, your feeding them a meat diet? which gives them lots of energy for running around warrens after rabbits,

BUT

if they are only going out 1 day in 7 theres your problem, they need to burn off all that energy

get some plastic bendy tubing, loads of it

if you have a small garden and the wife wont let you make something permanent, at least you could set it up each night and remove in morning, if thats too much hassle, get rid of the ferts, its the joys of keeping a living animal, unlike a gun that will stay quite all week, and only make a noise when you want it too

[foxtails 272]

iv got exactly the same problem, my 2 jills have never done this before, its really annoying,i feed last thing at night, but then they scratch all through the day, i handle them loads, have put pipes down, a hammock a ball in theyr hutch, they get bored very quickly, im thinking its somthing to do with either breeding season or bordom ?

[Stretch177 39]

I would say boredom is probably the cause. They need to be let out of their cage and have a run around the garden. Mine get let out for around 1-2 hours almost everyday if the weather lets me, running around, going through pipes, play fighting with each other and the dogs. Mine have acces to a 4 tier hutch which is connected to a 6x6x6 run/shed, which has pipes everywhere, hammocks, toys, balls, ferret wheel etc and they still get bored eventually if the are left enough. Try changing the layout of the cage every now and then aswell, keeps them interested, i often change the position of the hammock, put it higher, lower, further to the left/right, move the ferret wheel, logs, tree branches etc, they jump around all excited exploring the new layout, they love it. I would also definitely change the mesh to a weld wire mesh instead of the chicken wire, too easy for them to bite through and great escape artists they are.

[terryd 8,383]

if they sense any weakness or flex they will have a go but if the mesh is solid they don't seem to bother

[bobcullen79 1,495]

Are the jills in season? I always though they were trying to get off to look for a mate? Mine went through a phase last year at the beginning of their season, even the hob.But then I bred them. This year I brought them out and Ive not had any scratching. (Don't have a hob either)

[Polkey 70]

Some good advice, cheers all. I normally leave food down all the time for them so will change that and see how it goes and get rid of the chicken wire to. I think I might have to completely change the two level hutch to a court and hope the extra space helps.

[GreyRake 108]

Id say bordom too, perhaps a bit more space would help too. If I have mine in the smaller cage they do that alot, but if they are in the bigger cage with the tubes and balls they don't. Could you add a run or something?