Bloody Ferret!

[Malt 379]

I've got a problem. My jill has always been a bit skitty, regardless of how much she's handled or worked. At one point a few months ago, she came damn close to getting on the wrong end of a .22. At the 11th hour, I felt pity and gave her one more chance. So I then made a point of handling her several times daily and she got better at being picked up, ie she didn't struggle so much, but you still had to be carefull as if she got the chance, she'd still bite & draw blood, for instance if you accidently put your free hand too close. I could put up with this as she isn't a bad worker, even though almost everytime she gets taken out, she usually kills. The problem is, since my hob went missing, she seems even worse. I feel the .22 solution is starting to look inevitable. I mean, what use to me or anybody is a ferret that you can't even check for ticks, etc, and likes to make you bleed? And yes, she gets plenty of raw meat & bone, infact thats all I feed her.

 

Just like to hear some thoughts off of some of the serious guys on here, not the messers, what would you guys do?

Do I do nothing, and keep getting chunks bitten out of my hands (like I've had tonight.) just because she's a good worker? Or do I do the inevitable? Answers on a postcard please.... (or PM)

[Malt 379]

Do you sugest I smear the whole of my hands and forearms in mustard as well will? You say give it to someone with the time to tame it? I've been trying to tame it ever since I've had it from a kit. Tried the dominance thing, tried hissing, tried putting my hand out in a fist so she has less to bite, tried feeding her by hand, tried spiting on my hand, she just licks the spit, then bites me for good mesure. Believe me mate, I've tried everything that has been suggested on here before, what I've read elsewhere and what other people have told me. No matter what I try, I just can't trust her. I think she's just a nasty little c***. But your welcome to have her for nothing if you think you can do better Will.

[Guest Ditch_Shitter]

Your welcome to have her for nothing if you think you can do better.

 

 

And that about sums it up too.

 

Frankly, if a ferret persistantly tries to bite me? I Whack it. End of. Only ever happened with shit I've bought in though. Never had a problem with anything I've bred myself.

 

Saying that; Once an individual ferret has bitten us once, we often as not become - even unconciously - wary of the b*stard. One of my old mentors ones bit him - only a kit - and there after terrorised and lept at him! I just laughed and picked her up for a cuddle and a wander all over me. He was So glad when I took her home with me.

 

Then I once bought a big old poley hob who liturally had me by the throat! I couldn't get near him the next day so took him back. Bloke who sold him to me handled him like he was a puppy and offered my money back. No way! I simply took another hob. I understood perfectly well that the problem was now between myself and that ferret. Other one I had off him was perfectly ok.

 

But, what ever. Ye have a biter. Give it to the first person who suggests a way of curing it. If no one wants it? Whack it.

 

It's a piece of piss to sit typing out this and that sure fire remedies. But it's a miserable existance for both you and the offending ferret.

[FUBAR 0]

I have to agree with Ditchie ,soon you are going to have to stick your hand down a hole when your hand is covered with blood to pull a rabbit out, ask yourself the question will you have 100% confiedence in her not to bite you ??? .If the answer is no then I would start looking looking for another pair of ferrets . 2 youngsters that you can put the time into them and know that they shouldn't be biters.

Is it fair to pass this jill on to another person who might be less experienced ?

[Guest Magwitch]

I was given a small silver jill which was very nippy but plenty of handling as paid off shes now one of my team of hedgerow hunters so soldier on

[stubby 175]

plus, she's never bit me

[woz 260]

if your having a good days ferreting its like playing twister..theres rabbits bolting all over the place.you've got both feet blocking holes, trying to get a rabbit clear of a net to reset it and a ferret wondering off into the under growth...i want to be able to grab the ferret and stick it in my pocket without fear of being bitten.if i cant its got to go...

[lorelei0922 2]

I've got a problem. My jill has always been a bit skitty, regardless of how much she's handled or worked. At one point a few months ago, she came damn close to getting on the wrong end of a .22. At the 11th hour, I felt pity and gave her one more chance. So I then made a point of handling her several times daily and she got better at being picked up, ie she didn't struggle so much, but you still had to be carefull as if she got the chance, she'd still bite & draw blood, for instance if you accidently put your free hand too close. I could put up with this as she isn't a bad worker, even though almost everytime she gets taken out, she usually kills. The problem is, since my hob went missing, she seems even worse. I feel the .22 solution is starting to look inevitable. I mean, what use to me or anybody is a ferret that you can't even check for ticks, etc, and likes to make you bleed? And yes, she gets plenty of raw meat & bone, infact thats all I feed her.

 

Just like to hear some thoughts off of some of the serious guys on here, not the messers, what would you guys do?

Do I do nothing, and keep getting chunks bitten out of my hands (like I've had tonight.) just because she's a good worker? Or do I do the inevitable? Answers on a postcard please.... (or PM)

 

 

after reading the posts so far i agree its easy to sit here and type all the suggested remedies around but if its not working for you .. its not.. being a softy and girly girl lol.. my suggestion is if you're looking to give her up... look up a local rescue. A good rescue is going to be experienced with biters for any given reason, abuse, fear, just plain stubborness,or being unhandled. They'll do everything they can to get her handleable and rehome her to someone confident in handling her. If that dont work.. send her down here to devon.. had a great time hand taming a wild kit this spring... she now loves me to pieces.. still bites the hubby though lol

[lorelei0922 2]

i would never give a ferret too a rescue lying scum the lot of them

i tryed too bye 3 jills at the start of last year got asked some questions

"how big is the area you intend too keep tehm" = a large shedwith pipes hammacks the lot

"do you have any other pets " = a dog

"are you intending too hunt with the ferrets" = yes

well im sorry but thats why ferrets go missing because younge people cant be bothered to find them after working

well my opinion but i would rather knock a head then give a ferret too bunny hugging bell suckers that call them fuzzies and spend all day telling you how feeding them raw is creul and about bones splintering and about how too correcly handle them iv had ferrets for a while now mate i reakon iv got a fair idear

and finaly the woman says "as these ferrets have been kept inside i feel its in the interest of the ferrets that they sleep inside and are only allowed out on dry warm days :o well end of rant

 

 

please note i DID say a good rescue.. there are some out there that aren't idiot "fuzzy lovers" .. but hey we're each entitled to our opinion.... lots of bad blood on either side of that fence i'm thinkin

[reddog70 236]

got a biter myself at moment, gifted me from a mate that never handled from a kit ..[bANNED TEXT] worked for me is fill eye dropper with cider vinegar offer hand gloved optional if she bites sqirt vinegar in her mouth she is starting to tame down great now and getting the message taken nearly a week but able to handle without getting bitten though still a bit hissy ...might be worth a try..cheers

[allgame 0]

my to kits were biters because i hand feed them suprisingly they decided to eat what they smell instead of what they see any way a mate suggested soap so when i was away my old man decided to cover his hand in saop whille still holding the block and give them a pat and see if it worked it didnt insecond he had to male kits hanging of his hand he drop the soap and shock them off the ferrets then hurriedly fought till one of the ferrets got the soap ran to his corner and quickly ate it i guess it was the wrong flavoured soap lol

[Kay 3,709]

was she also the same this time last yr? maybe hormonal if she is nearing her season

[Guest bigredbusa]

since a kit hey and no change ?

 

i know what i would do , no room for biters around me

[Malt 379]

was she also the same this time last yr? maybe hormonal if she is nearing her season

 

She wasn't born this time last season Kay! She's been like it ever since I've had her from a kit. When I got her, we had a few from the same litter. Two of her sisters live on the estate by me, and one of my mates down the road had a Hob. Out of the four, there's only one of them that you can completely trust not to bite you, and that's my brothers jill, next door but one to me. I think that they must have been bred from biters. Even when they're playing with anything, their first instinct seems to be to bite the object as hard as they can. They'll chase any thing that moves, bite first & ask questions after. My polecat Hob from a different litter, was totally different. He'd sniff at something first, then whack it with a paw, then gently bite it, before he went full on with it. I think that's the problem with her, if she sees something move she tries to kill it.

[gnipper 6,533]

:headshot::