ferrets not eating rabbits????

[arthur 0]

I am pretty new to this game but i love it. rain hail or shine i love it.

 

My question regards the fact that the ferrets, one hob one jill brother and sister, will no longer eat the rabbits they catch.

As they were both young they were not out catching them until recently so i started buying ox heart, lots of nutrients protien and fat, and cheep! The first rabbit i caught with them got gutted and chopped in two and one half put in that night. Two days later its still there so the dogs got it and the ferrets got heart, which they wolfed down!

 

Have i spoiled them or what? I have tried since but to no avail, they just will not eat the rabbit?

 

If anyone has any experience with this please help. Or am i worrying about nothing. They are in good health and the ox heart does not cost much.

 

Cheers,

 

Steve.

[ianrob 2]

I am pretty new to this game but i love it. rain hail or shine i love it.

 

My question regards the fact that the ferrets, one hob one jill brother and sister, will no longer eat the rabbits they catch.

As they were both young they were not out catching them until recently so i started buying ox heart, lots of nutrients protien and fat, and cheep! The first rabbit i caught with them got gutted and chopped in two and one half put in that night. Two days later its still there so the dogs got it and the ferrets got heart, which they wolfed down!

 

Have i spoiled them or what? I have tried since but to no avail, they just will not eat the rabbit?

 

If anyone has any experience with this please help. Or am i worrying about nothing. They are in good health and the ox heart does not cost much.

 

Cheers,

 

Steve.

Aye I've had that Steve. I think that unless they are brought up with a rabbit eating mother, perhaps they lack the skills needed to get at the meat. You'll probably find as I did, that if you fillet off the meat and chop it up, they'll wolf it down. I don't worry though, as they're less likely to lay up if they kill. Though you could argue that they're better staying so you can dig. I've currently only got two hobs, one would eat one more tattie than a pig, they other is a picky eater and half the weight, but both work well, so why worry.

[pigeonphill 69]

sometimes they get use to eating one thing and dont take to change well dont feed them for a day or two and when there hungry there soon start to eat rabbit. plus rabbit will be more of a ballanced diet for them .when not feeding rabbit ,pigeon,rat exc... i would recommend feeding dry ferret food

Edited December 9, 2007 by pigeonphill

[skycat 6,173]

Liver and heart alone are not good at all: far too high in protein and an unbalanced diet: no calcium for one. Leave them half a rabbit, if they leave it for a few days then replace it with another: they'll eat it when they get hungry and they do need the whole carcase to get a properly balanced diet.

[martin 332]

Just feed them 'James Wellbeloved' ferret food.It is brilliant for ferrets,and,I have been feeding solely that ever since he started producing it.I have had 12 yr old ferrets with all there teeth,so,I don't think anyone can argue about the quality. Plus you don't get the problems with flies in the summer either.

[pigeonphill 69]

Just feed them 'James Wellbeloved' ferret food.It is brilliant for ferrets,and,I have been feeding solely that ever since he started producing it.I have had 12 yr old ferrets with all there teeth,so,I don't think anyone can argue about the quality. Plus you don't get the problems with flies in the summer either.

james wellbeloved is fine but bloody dear, if u have alot of ferrets .dodson an horrell make one called chudleys ferret and at just over 20 quid for a 15kg bag is nearly half the price

[lamperman 12]

give them nowt but rabbit they will eat it you have spoilt them

 

give them dry food in the summer

[poacher9991 10]

MAYBE THEY ARE VEGETERIAN NOW .BEST OF WITH DRY FOOD ANYWAY JAMES WELLBELOVE

[suluki 2]

i feed my ferrets dry food in the summer because of flys! all game in the winter rabbit/hare/phesant/pigeon/deer any thing i come across!!!

[Hob&Jill 258]

Flys are not around at night

[suluki 2]

yes but they are in the day when i feed my ferrets!! plus i dont hunt in the summer as i would be killing young and any game in the freezer come the summer goes on the BBQ!!!

[Guest little_lloyd]

'Veggie' furrets

 

Mine would have it out your hands,,... I give them all sorts Rabbit ,, Pheasant, Squirrel, Pidgeon, , Maggpies , Jays, etc

[andy s410c 61]

When i got my 2 jills @ 10wks old in july there where eating rabbit no problem.I changed there diet to pet mince due to me working long dayshifts 7 days a week unable to get out with the gun due to being knackered .It did take a day or two for them to get back into the rabbit after eating easy for a couple of month now they get fed day old chicks & rabbit.Im sure they,ll eat it when there hungry enough...

[Meerihunter 7]

Arthur are they the ones you got from me? I've never come across this all mine including your kits were/are fed entirely on rabbit with the odd pheasant or venision scraps. Are they possible getting too much?

 

Regards

 

Mark

[mooster 1]

I find "little and often" is the trick. My jills are funny with whole carcass butif i leave a few bits of rabbit chopped up (bones,brains,fur etc) they will eat it if they are hungry.

I gave mine some pigeon carcass chopped up two days ago.(i usually feed them rabbit about 9pm).

The next evening they were out waiting for their feed as usual.I checked for stored up bones etc and found the little buggers still had a secret store of pigeon livers,legs,wings etc.

I got the impression they had decided to store the pigeon and come out for the usual rabbit so I did not feed them last night.

Guess what? not a scrap of pigeon left this morning!

Again I say,if they are hungry they will eat.....bit like fussy kids really!!

Good luck and don't worry!