Newbie Looking For Some Advice

[devon flighter 421]

im looking for a bit of advice for a newbie ,ive never kept ferrets before so please dont assume i know ! probably easier if its just basic questions to start feel free to explain: ( i should say they are for working) and i want to get the housing done first

 

is it best to keep a few together ? if so how many is best ?

is it ok to keep a hob with jills other than when is season?

how often do the need to be mated to stop any problems ?

how much would it cost to get a hob vasectomised ?

how much room do they need per ferret ( please dont say as much as possible "remember i m a complete newbie")?

is it best to get youngsters ?and at what age would they start to work ?

do all ferrets work ok or is it essential to get them from working stock ?

what size nest/sleeping box is needed?

recommend me a good book or two to get me going

 

i have a small open fronted shed that i can build a court in any links to housing other than the last one on here would be good

[tsteve9999 456]

Starting from the top.

 

Yes they are happiest with other ferrets around them

 

Yes, males and females live together quite happily

 

I've always been told that jills need to be brought out of season each year, but others seem to get by letting their jills come out of season on their own.

 

I've just paid 60 quid but prices vary enormously so shop around

 

Just my opinion but at least 6 feet by 2, that will hold a hob and 2 jills happily

 

As long as they are hand tame it doesn't really matter how old they are, I've got an old jill here that I found one summer and she is one of the best I've had. I start mine as soon as the season begins, just in small warrens and don't expect too much from youngsters, they take a little while to learn.

 

Most work to one degree or another, but it's like with dogs, some seem to be naturals. My mate has the only ferret I've ever seen who wont work at all, the thing is completely useless. That one came from working stock but the hob I gave him this year that didn't has turned out to be red hot.

 

My nest boxes are about 12 inches square by 7or 8 high. 3 ferrets fit in there easily

 

No idea of a book, but to be honest if you search through the posts on here there wont be anything you cant find.

 

Good luck, Tom

[Chicken_man 1,651]

I'll be getting my young hob done soon, so you can use him.

I know lads near by you gonna have litters this season, off some of my stuff I gave away in past, so can sort you out if you want.

Sounds good with shed idea.

When's the lurcher coming? They go hand in hand mate :-)

Atb

[devon flighter 421]

cheers ts ,cm that permission i said about looks like coming off and where i said about us going for a day seems to be holding good numbers and there seems to be a bit of rabbiting accessible locally,gona build a court or whatever next to the stick shed at side of dog run if you remember ! its undercover was thinking of a multi story sort of thing across the back wall to save space ,recon 3 is a useful number to keep ? if we get the bootroom built this year the plan is to get the wooluf in there and that would leave the kennel free ,all stuff in the pipeline but i gota have a dream and a plan

[Chicken_man 1,651]

I like it young man :-) shall I get your name down for kits?

Atb

[The one 8,463]

They are social animals so you can keep a few together

Yes I run them mixed till the hobs come into season and start to try on the jills

Last few years the jills have came into season 4/5 times each

It varys to where you live you need to shop around

Work on 6x2x2 for two ferrets

If you get kits your not getting somebody elses problems , there like kids they all start at different time but don't hurry them

All ferrets work to some degree you better your odds getting them from working stock

Just make it big enough for them to sleep in make it bigger and more so kits will crap in it

Each to there own with books mate some are good some are toilet paper

go for the shed the bigger the better LOL

[devon flighter 421]

with accommodation if i had a 2 story area linked with a ramp say 5x2x2 possibly 5x3x2 high,each story (shed area im thinking about is 5' wide and open fronted) do you think that would be ok for 3 ?just thinking out loud and trying to plan for the future "if i had a hob i could separate them when needed " . so they dont come into season with the weather or time of year/season then ? do they need mating every time they come into season ?.ill ask more later rather than expect a tomb of a reply were still away from getting them but i want to be prepared first then there are hopefully no panics once they are here ,it would be good to start them going for next season

[The one 8,463]

You might be better seeing if there's anybody nearby with ferrets you might get a day out with them and ask them your questions as you think of them

[devon flighter 421]

You might be better seeing if there's anybody nearby with ferrets you might get a day out with them and ask them your questions as you think of them

cm where are you we need a meet

[Chicken_man 1,651]

No worries mate. I'll arrange a day. Will txt you later.

I have somewhere that needs numbers bringing down.

Atb

[devon flighter 421]

is it not a bit late now ? suppose needs must if required though! ive gone back into sports mans mode from fox control mode, changing times for me as you know just had a measure of the available space lol broodies on the horizon as well

[Chicken_man 1,651]

is it not a bit late now ? suppose needs must if required though! ive gone back into sports mans mode from fox control mode, changing times for me as you know just had a measure of the available space lol broodies on the horizon as well

As stated, Mr Farmer man wants rabbit numbers reduced, if not someone else will and permission lost. All other places I leave about now to keep stocks up.

Atb

[Wardy 6]

It looks like most of your questions have been answered but I found this a good book when I first got ferrets

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Complete-Guide-to-Ferrets-James-McKay-Paperback-Book-/141911999765?hash=item210a9d4515:g:rTUAAOSwe7BWzRQ3

[devon flighter 421]

cheers wardy

[jok 3,211]

Just a little clue as to your whereabouts might help getting you a day out.I've had one or two visiting of late