some advice!

[kristian 9]

Just after a little advice! Am looking to get my first ferret soon, I've been out a few times with a mate ferreting but fancy getting my own got a carry box and cage sorted and just wondering what age is a good age to start a ferret working? am hoping to maybe get a kit very soon and hopefully have it working next year? what tips do you have for training it? am i right in thinking try to handle it as much as possible? and whats the best thing to feed them? Cheers guys and gals look forward to learning from you

[Ron Weasley 83]

My first piece of advice would be to read up a bit first!

 

I'll do my best to help you out based on what you've just asked though.

 

1. I'd get two ferrets, not one. Ferrets are very sociable creatures and like company. Imagine being on your own all the time.

 

2. I'd go for jills (female) and if you don't intend to breed them, I'd suggest you get them spayed by the vet. This will cost a few quid, but will be money well spent. Alternatively, when they come into season, it's generally accepted that they should be brought out of season by being mated with a vasectomised hob (male) or being given a "jill-jab" by a vet. I seriously advise against breeding them with your lack of experience. Far far too many ferrets are bred each year for no reason at all. I've kept ferrets for 12 years now, and I've not been brave enough to attemp to breed yet.

If you'd prefer to get males (Hobs), get them castrated. They'll live happily together without fighting and wont need bringing out of season!

 

3. If you pick up this year's kits, I'd say you'd be ok to work them mid next season, this is a contentious issue though, and I'm sure others will disagree with me. When starting youngsters off, I just take them along with me, and let them have a run through the burrows once I'm fairly certain that it's been cleared by the more experienced ferrets. I just introduce them slowly, and work them with more experienced ferrets to show them the ropes as it were.

 

Rather than get kits this year, why not get in touch with your local ferret welfare society? They always have ferrets that need rehoming (as a result of the aforemention needlessly bred ferrets), and you'll be able to get a more mature ferret that is ready to work right away. That way too, you'll have someone on the end of the phone to advise you should you have any problems.

 

4. For me, ferrets don't need training to bolt rabbits. That's natural. They do need handling and attention though, just like any other animal. There's no such thing as a bad ferret, just a bad owner, so spend time playing with them and handling them, earning their trust and vice versa.

 

5. As for feeding, they should be fed raw, whole carcass as much as possible. Whether that's rabbits (which hopefully, if you're working, you'll have plenty of), pigeons, pheasants, chickens- basically anything! I shoot what I can, catch what I can, pick up what I can from local markets (loads of cockerels can be picked up at the end of a livestock market for tuppence), take road kill (fresh, obviously) and everything else suitable! I just take the guts out of most things...this is more to help keep my ferret court clean than for the ferret's sake!

Of course there may be times when you can't provide this, then there are a few alternatives. (complete dry ferret food, tinned cat food, cat biscuit, mince beef etc). These are all acceptable, but I would not want my ferret's diet to me made up of just these things, and they only get them very occassionally when I can't get hold of some real food!

And to state the obvious, whatever you feed, it's vital that there is always a supply of fresh drinking water.

 

I'm sorry if I've overwhelmed you mate, I've just tried to set out what I see as fundementals as clearly as possible. Feel free to PM me if you want any more advice.

[kristian 9]

My first piece of advice would be to read up a bit first!

 

I'll do my best to help you out based on what you've just asked though.

 

1. I'd get two ferrets, not one. Ferrets are very sociable creatures and like company. Imagine being on your own all the time.

 

2. I'd go for jills (female) and if you don't intend to breed them, I'd suggest you get them spayed by the vet. This will cost a few quid, but will be money well spent. Alternatively, when they come into season, it's generally accepted that they should be brought out of season by being mated with a vasectomised hob (male) or being given a "jill-jab" by a vet. I seriously advise against breeding them with your lack of experience. Far far too many ferrets are bred each year for no reason at all. I've kept ferrets for 12 years now, and I've not been brave enough to attemp to breed yet.

If you'd prefer to get males (Hobs), get them castrated. They'll live happily together without fighting and wont need bringing out of season!

 

3. If you pick up this year's kits, I'd say you'd be ok to work them mid next season, this is a contentious issue though, and I'm sure others will disagree with me. When starting youngsters off, I just take them along with me, and let them have a run through the burrows once I'm fairly certain that it's been cleared by the more experienced ferrets. I just introduce them slowly, and work them with more experienced ferrets to show them the ropes as it were.

 

Rather than get kits this year, why not get in touch with your local ferret welfare society? They always have ferrets that need rehoming (as a result of the aforemention needlessly bred ferrets), and you'll be able to get a more mature ferret that is ready to work right away. That way too, you'll have someone on the end of the phone to advise you should you have any problems.

 

4. For me, ferrets don't need training to bolt rabbits. That's natural. They do need handling and attention though, just like any other animal. There's no such thing as a bad ferret, just a bad owner, so spend time playing with them and handling them, earning their trust and vice versa.

 

5. As for feeding, they should be fed raw, whole carcass as much as possible. Whether that's rabbits (which hopefully, if you're working, you'll have plenty of), pigeons, pheasants, chickens- basically anything! I shoot what I can, catch what I can, pick up what I can from local markets (loads of cockerels can be picked up at the end of a livestock market for tuppence), take road kill (fresh, obviously) and everything else suitable! I just take the guts out of most things...this is more to help keep my ferret court clean than for the ferret's sake!

Of course there may be times when you can't provide this, then there are a few alternatives. (complete dry ferret food, tinned cat food, cat biscuit, mince beef etc). These are all acceptable, but I would not want my ferret's diet to me made up of just these things, and they only get them very occassionally when I can't get hold of some real food!

And to state the obvious, whatever you feed, it's vital that there is always a supply of fresh drinking water.

 

I'm sorry if I've overwhelmed you mate, I've just tried to set out what I see as fundementals as clearly as possible. Feel free to PM me if you want any more advice.

Mate that is a good post and what looks like very good advice! Thank you for taking the time to post a reply more people like you are needed on this sight to help beginners like myself. I will look into rehoming from welfare society as i was only reading the other day on here about a place in newport which isn't really that far from me that had rescue ferrets. Thanks for the advice i'll let you know how i get on

[The one 8,494]

Good advice but i'd go for thre ferrets 2 jills and a snipped hob ,i think three's a nice number for working a big burrow

[whippetmike 3]

My first piece of advice would be to read up a bit first!

 

I'll do my best to help you out based on what you've just asked though.

 

1. I'd get two ferrets, not one. Ferrets are very sociable creatures and like company. Imagine being on your own all the time.

 

2. I'd go for jills (female) and if you don't intend to breed them, I'd suggest you get them spayed by the vet. This will cost a few quid, but will be money well spent. Alternatively, when they come into season, it's generally accepted that they should be brought out of season by being mated with a vasectomised hob (male) or being given a "jill-jab" by a vet. I seriously advise against breeding them with your lack of experience. Far far too many ferrets are bred each year for no reason at all. I've kept ferrets for 12 years now, and I've not been brave enough to attemp to breed yet.

If you'd prefer to get males (Hobs), get them castrated. They'll live happily together without fighting and wont need bringing out of season!

 

3. If you pick up this year's kits, I'd say you'd be ok to work them mid next season, this is a contentious issue though, and I'm sure others will disagree with me. When starting youngsters off, I just take them along with me, and let them have a run through the burrows once I'm fairly certain that it's been cleared by the more experienced ferrets. I just introduce them slowly, and work them with more experienced ferrets to show them the ropes as it were.

 

Rather than get kits this year, why not get in touch with your local ferret welfare society? They always have ferrets that need rehoming (as a result of the aforemention needlessly bred ferrets), and you'll be able to get a more mature ferret that is ready to work right away. That way too, you'll have someone on the end of the phone to advise you should you have any problems.

 

4. For me, ferrets don't need training to bolt rabbits. That's natural. They do need handling and attention though, just like any other animal. There's no such thing as a bad ferret, just a bad owner, so spend time playing with them and handling them, earning their trust and vice versa.

 

5. As for feeding, they should be fed raw, whole carcass as much as possible. Whether that's rabbits (which hopefully, if you're working, you'll have plenty of), pigeons, pheasants, chickens- basically anything! I shoot what I can, catch what I can, pick up what I can from local markets (loads of cockerels can be picked up at the end of a livestock market for tuppence), take road kill (fresh, obviously) and everything else suitable! I just take the guts out of most things...this is more to help keep my ferret court clean than for the ferret's sake!

Of course there may be times when you can't provide this, then there are a few alternatives. (complete dry ferret food, tinned cat food, cat biscuit, mince beef etc). These are all acceptable, but I would not want my ferret's diet to me made up of just these things, and they only get them very occassionally when I can't get hold of some real food!

And to state the obvious, whatever you feed, it's vital that there is always a supply of fresh drinking water.

 

I'm sorry if I've overwhelmed you mate, I've just tried to set out what I see as fundementals as clearly as possible. Feel free to PM me if you want any more advice.

 

 

Some great advice there ron but lol there is always a but with me lol i start them at the start of the season there fully grown and rarein to go also i would never put the in a empty warren what would be the point it would just get them running round empty warrens all day put them in with an experienced ferret they will chase the rabbits out and once the warren is empty lose interest and come out just how you want them to just like a dog they need reward

[kevegg 0]

Kristian-you have a pm.

 

Kev.