Advice

[*ferrifleboy 19]

Hello i have in the past had hob ferrets, but this winter jack frost (i believe) claimed the life of my latest, he was around 6yrs of age. What is the average age of a ferret??

I have only ever kept hob ferrets. I'm hoping you ferreters with experience can hopefully put me straight on this i once heard.. If a Jill is not bred when in season or lined by a vacectamised hob, can she die or is this nonsense? I need to ask as i am looking to buy my next ferret and as the last hob often laid up due to his size, i'm considering a jill but dont want to be breeding.. Thanks in advance for helpful replies.

[Kay 3,709]

Hello i have in the past had hob ferrets, but this winter jack frost (i believe) claimed the life of my latest, he was around 6yrs of age. What is the average age of a ferret??

I have only ever kept hob ferrets. I'm hoping you ferreters with experience can hopefully put me straight on this i once heard.. If a Jill is not bred when in season or lined by a vacectamised hob, can she die or is this nonsense? I need to ask as i am looking to buy my next ferret and as the last hob often laid up due to his size, i'm considering a jill but dont want to be breeding.. Thanks in advance for helpful replies.

 

Average age is around 6 /7 mark , jills need bringing out of season , using various methods , running her with a vasectomised hob, speying which is permanent or a jill jab, hormone injection , or allowing her to have a litter

[joe14 98]

Yes she could get aplastic anemia and go down hill very fast and die

Safest thing to do is to get her spayed for a one off cost, or you can have her jabbed but that

would mean having to jab her every year and some vets wont do it more than once.

Edited April 18, 2009 by joe14

[*ferrifleboy 19]

Thanks to both replies i will consider a spayed jill or maybe another hob.. Thanks to the site for help in more great advice.. Happy Hunting..!

[Kay 3,709]

Thanks to both replies i will consider a spayed jill or maybe another hob.. Thanks to the site for help in more great advice.. Happy Hunting..!

 

If you arnt ever going to breed then speying seems the most ovious route to go

[dytkos 17,800]

Thanks to both replies i will consider a spayed jill or maybe another hob.. Thanks to the site for help in more great advice.. Happy Hunting..!

 

If you get one from a ferret rescue place, they will be speyed/nuetered whatever the sex. Vet checked etc, for about a donation of a tenner. I have 3 all top workers. Value. ATB, Cheers, D.

[Coneytrappr 30]

I generally hope for a ferret to make it to around ten. I have an eight year old jill and whilst she is no longer working, she does still like to have a run about and get into things.

Yes the jills do need to be brought out of season. If you never want to breed then the easiest optiion would be to have her spayed, one procedure and then you never have to worry about it again. Doesn't effect their working ability at all either.

[The one 8,479]

ive got three sandies out of four i got 8 years ago the other one died last winter i reckon most of mine live to double figures but after 8 years i only use them for a odd days ferreting .

a jill wont die if shes not mated but it can be rough on them

Are you only looking at the one ferret ??? because there socail animals and i'd go for two jills and a snipped hob nice number to work all but the biggest burrows and them if you want to you can breed from the jills later borrowing somebodies hob