Hot Ferrets

[Spana 0]

Hi, I have adopted two lovely Jills and have been told that ferrets don't mind the cold but can suffer in the heat.

 

My concern is that although the weather is not to bad now it may get hotter as the summer months progress, and our garden gets the full sun throughout the daylight hours and is a bit of a heat trap.

 

I don't really want to bring them into the house as the currently have a lovely run with plenty to do and if I brought them in they would only have a small hutch.

 

Any tips on providing shade for the run and hutch? what do you do?

 

With the terrier I would just let her have a swim in a pond or something

[Malt 379]

Just make sure they've got plenty of shade from the sun, and lots of fresh water. I put a pan of water in my run on really hot days, but they just dive in it and slosh all the water out of it!

 

I made some blocks of ice too last year, they seemed to enjoy those.

[Guest flapper]

i give the dogs ice too, cant watch them play though as the sound of ice goes right through me. try and put some pipes in the run so they can go in them

[masmiffy 82]

Try to get some clay drainage pipes for em to get in and if you can get hold of 'greenhouse shade'

Drape it over the front of hutch it helps!

Failing that an old pub brolly!

[Funfuret 1]

I've heard of people putting up mini-marquees over their sheds and runs on really hot days to make there is plenty of shade, but another way to keep a shed/hutch cool is to sluice the outside with water now and then, because as the water evaporates it'll cool the shed down.

 

Also, you can freeze up a 2L plastic bottle containing water, cover it with fabric, and pop that in their nest box to provide a cool spot. The ice in the bottle stays partly frozen for up to several hours.

[Spana 0]

Ta for all your replies, I had better make room in the chest freezer for frozen water bottles and ice cubes.... can't you tell I am hoping for a hot summer

[The one 8,483]

Thats all i do get four two litre bottles three quarter fill them with water freeze them and put two in the bed area them next day swap them for the frozen two ,and if you have a airy run they will sleep there if there to hot

[stubby 175]

pick up an old butler sink from e bay, and plumb them in a swimming pool, they love it, plus lay on the cold enamel drainer

 

[welshdragon 6]

Thats all i do get four two litre bottles three quarter fill them with water freeze them and put two in the bed area them next day swap them for the frozen two ,and if you have a airy run they will sleep there if there to hot

 

same here thats what i do

 

W.D

[v-max 2]

You can get 500ml juice bottles fill them 3/4 full of water & freeze them & put into the ferrets once done. Get 2 or 3 & rotate them.

[ferret15 0]

you have some spoiled ferrets there stubby your set up just keeps growing and growing.

mine are in a 6 x 8 court

i use the ice bottles as well they lie on it next to it etc and when cool move away, and i hose the court roof and walls to keep it cool for longer and i put an old washing up bowl with cold water in the morning they love to swim

we have a south facing garden so it gets a lot of sun something i discovered buy accident is that if i hang a couple of blankets on my washing line i can create shade at anytime of the day. so simple.

[stealthy1 3,964]

I have a couple of cheap peices of board gloss painted white, I just place them ont top of the felt to reflect the heat, put two bricks on top to stop it blowing off, you can use them year after year.

[dytkos 17,804]

I have a mist spray bottle (a quid or 2 from your local garden centre) filled with cold water. When it's hot I give the ferts a spray with it. They love it! and do the ferret boogie! Cheers, D.