Ferts need some guidance on how to work a warren.

[Madcowz 0]

Have worked my ferts a couple of times now and they don't seem to work the bury properly. Yesterday they spent more time wandering off into the undergrowth than underground.

 

When they are underground they bolt very few bunnies (one yesterday) and spend their time popping out of a hole, looking cute then diving down another one.

 

Would my best bet to go with someone else who has experienced ferts so they can show mine how to work properly. Kind of like a ferret tutor, or just let them work it out for themselves?

 

thanks,

 

/Mad

Edited September 17, 2007 by Madcowz

[Big bald beautiful 1,231]

Are you trying them in good rabbit spots?

they will only work if theres the rabbits there to find

[Madcowz 0]

These are well used warrens crawling in bunnies.

 

/Mad

[ferret15 0]

they are still young, they should get the hang of it patients is a virtue

but there would be no harm in showing them how its done if the opportunity should arise

 

 

p.s i had some ones PET ferret handed in because it killed their neighbors Bunnie its in there blood

Edited September 17, 2007 by ferret15

[woodman 131]

they are still young, they should get the hang of it patients is a virtue

but there would be no harm in showing them how its done if the opportunity should arise

 

 

p.s i had some ones PET ferret handed in because it killed their neighbors Bunnie its in there blood

enter them one at a time,less distraction,are you feeding them rabbit?all the best

[Guest SJM]

Try entering them individually into small warrens that you know there are definately rabbits at home, maybe ones you have seen the rabbits sitting outside them or a dog has marked it. If the ferret keeps coming up, put your foot over the hole and wait a few moments to see if that persuades it to go back down. When I am starting a young ferret I put them in small shallow buries that I know are holding a rabbit or two, and I prefer not to use nets, just to let the ferrets wander into and out of the holes unrestricted. Obviously if your not using a dog though you will need to use nets. Once youve got the first rabbit, let the ferret come out of the hole and have a good sniff at it and a rag at it if its interested. You should be feeding your ferrets rabbits and they should be hungry but not starving the first few times you take them out, this should help awaken their instinct more quickly. Sometimes, no matter what you do or how patient you are, you will get a ferret thats just not got what it takes, best thing to do is a short sharp knock to the head and just keep and breed from the workers, thats the way I have always done it

[Guest The Big Fish]

Good advice SJM

 

Some have it, some dont and those that dont want to play the game should be dispatched to the warren in the sky, so they can polute the ferret gene pool no longer.

 

Saying that, some humans should go through the same process....

[Malt 379]

How old are your ferts? Some say they aint to clever until the second season.

[darren m 1]

dont worry MAD - got the same prob here , but the momma fert soon puts it right , she knows excatley what to do , i,m sure the little ones will catch on .

 

can you not borrow an experinced jill to use a few times to show them the ropes .

 

Darren .

[Guest Frank]

Mine are young at present and half work and half play. One is more seriouse then other.

Give them time. I give mine till Xmas, then if they dont get their arse in gear, their gone.

 

Frank.

[Kay 3,709]

To be honest i dont think its fair to expect a lot from baby ferrets

[gibby 0]

Your ferrets do go underground. And they have bolted bunnies. Thats half the battle won mate

 

If your ferrets are going down one hole and coming out of another, that means that they are doing there job. It just doesnt necessarily mean they are very good at it yet. Start them off in as small a warren as you can. I usually start mine off in anything up to about an 8 holer. This usually means that its not too much of a labrynth down there for the ferrets to find the rabbits. Remember, the rabbits dont want to bolt unless they have to. Sometimes they will go to a deeper level of the warren in the hope of evading the ferret. As your ferrets are just starting out they wont know how to find these lower levels.

 

If your ferrets go underground willingly they will soon smarten up. Once your ferret realises that there are actual living rabbits down there, e.g. gets up close or nudges one/kills one then there will be no stopping them!

[trappa 517]

i took a young polecat last year and she just stood and looked down the hole then looked at me as if to say im not going down there soft lad! Next time i took the experienced albino and she followed her and caught on straight away.

[stubby 175]

sort out a friday or saturday that we can come up hed's, and I'll bring the mums and dad up (foxy,vixen an buster) they will show erm the way