older ferreters only

[byron 1,185]

for the older lads/lasses in your opinion are todays ferrets better workers than yesteryear, and can you still get good marking ones

[stubby 175]

fraid I cant answer, Im not that old

[Guest bigredbusa]

i wish i had the ones i worked 15 years ago , within 5 years in of only breeding workers i had a great little team .

 

now im starting from scratch but what i have isnt far off from many moons ago( i was lucky that these come from good working stock) so to your answer NO i think they are about the same

[T78 4]

i agree. i started ferreting about 18 yrs ago and the ones i have now are as good if not better than any ivr had!

[trader 0]

for the older lads/lasses in your opinion are todays ferrets better workers than yesteryear, and can you still get good marking ones

I STARTED FERRETING ABOUT 30 YEARS AGO AND I KNEW OF NO ONE WHO KEPT THEM AS PETS. NOW DAYS I WOULD ALWAYS ASK IF THE PARENTS HAVE BEEN WORKED. I HAVE ALSO NOTICED A COUPLE THAT I HAVE HAD STARTED TO PACE BACK AND FORTH THROUGH BOREDOM. FERRET HUTCHES ARE GETTING TO DOG KENNEL SIZE NOW AND PEOPLE SPEND A LOT OF TIME WITH THEM WHERE AS I SPENT LITTLE TIME WITH THEM APART FROM THE FERRETING SEASON AND APART FROM THE ODD PIPE THERE WAS LITTLE ELSE IN THERE HUTCHES AND I WITNESSED NO ADVERSE PROBLEMS, NOWDAYS I THINK FERRETS HAVE EVOLVED TO NEED MORE STIMULATION IN THE HUTCHES I HAVE ALWAYS PRIDED MYSELF ON WELL MADE CLEAN ACCOMADATION AND GOOD FOOD BUT I DONT THINK THIS IS ENOUGH FOR THE MODERN DAY FERRETS. MENTAL STIMULATION IS NOW IN MY EXPEIRENCE IS NEEDED AND IS SOMETHING THAT I WILL ADDRESS WITH NEW LARGER ACCOMADATION BEFORE MY NEW STOCK ARRIVES TRADER

[keeper 51 78]

for the older lads/lasses in your opinion are todays ferrets better workers than yesteryear, and can you still get good marking ones

having not worked worked ferrets in ernest for a few years now its difficult to assess recent

stock but i would venture to say ferrets of 40+years were of better working stock as very few were

kept as pets

and yes i am an old git but my memory has not gone yet

at least i dont think so

Edited March 14, 2008 by keeper 51

[john hubery 9]

Whilst out with the dogs on sunday, we talked about this very thing and agreed that 35to 40 years ago ferrets where better like as already been said almost all ferrets where workers no pets, you would get some ferrets that would bite and some that would sculk at hole entrences but all would work, in our team this year two young jills after many trips out and been given many chances still show little intrest in work other have made exellent workers, folk are today breeding for colour and the pet trade, I have seen ads in local papers young ferrets to pet homes only, in years to come some of these ferrets will find there way back in to working lines, ask youself if you wanted a working whippet would you buy a ped show whippet or a coursing strain, yes some show dog will work but if your honest with yourself I think we all know the answer

[pritch 335]

I have to agree i used to get my ferret off a lad who did a lo of ratting & they where far better have had stock off a few people & none of them are a patch on my old stuff just got to keep looking.ATB Pritch

[sue 1]

i think my ferrets are better today than when i first started,for one my gills are more bigger and stronger and with them having plenty of room to run about during the seasons when not working the extra room provides great exercise to keep muscle tone

[pritch 335]

i think my ferrets are better today than when i first started,for one my gills are more bigger and stronger and with them having plenty of room to run about during the seasons when not working the extra room provides great exercise to keep muscle tone

improved stockmanship is to be applauded days of a shity little hutch & being fed on bread & milk i hope are long gone but i think we are talking about the attitude or working instinct ,before ferrets where common as pets an ify worker would have gone the way of the dodo now people are breeding for colour, size & showing never having seen a rat or rabbit hole. Now if you new this up front ok its a chance you take but why are silvers, chocolates & Christ knows what other colours being bread its a long & slippery road we tread. YIS PRITCH

[whin 463]

had ferrets for three decades and can mind the slops people used to feed them we fed ours fish dog meat rabbits anything but slops they got porridge sometimes , in the summer lots of fish , my freinds father was a butcher they got scraps of him rabbits wernt poular in walking distance yrs ago more hares and roe same now from my old stomping ground , and we had to use shanks pony to hunt ,so we raked every were for a rab done quiyte alot of ratting years ago as there were lots of carrot feilds etc ,and in winter the rats a had warrens had some great sport got a greyhound at twelve had amongrel terreir older mates had a lurcher we tortured hares for yrs until the built a big bloody by pass [bANNED TEXT] through our hunting areas , al the best as for feerets being pets no we all worked them and still do dont notice the diff then than now we culled then as now if useless , or if not suitable we gave them away, the only diff is there more rabbs now we have cars and can kill more , but as for feild craft there less now with bleepers etc , i donr believe haveing ferrets as pets but some people close to me do , never had apet anything they all hunted something from isnce we were kids