the price of ferrets

[Coneytrappr 30]

Quix, I do expect to be able to get ferrets for free, because there is a lot of poorly managed breeding around my area. I know that if I keep my eyes peeled there will be kits being given away, or dumped workers at the pound come summer. Cheap and dumped ferts need homes as much as ferts with a price tag on their head- perhaps moreso.

It doesn't mean that these ferrets are treated poorly or as disposable objects once I obtain them, though. I look after all of my stinkers the same regardless of how much they cost initially, which is well. Have never been stingey with vet care, housing or food.

[droid 11]

Sounds to me that both Quixote and Coneytrapper are coming from the same direction: respect and care for the ferret.

 

I particularly agree with quixotes' comment about unplanned/thoughtless breeding. Just because you can doesn't mean you should.

[The one 8,534]

Theres a lot of Bad Management in ferrets how many guys on here are urgently looking for a snipped hob as there jills are in season it could all have been prevented with a little fore thought last year ,and the easiest option is to breed them to cure that problem

[lapin2008 1,587]

Unfortunately ferrets are one of the most undervalued creatures around. If you think of the number of rabbits they will hopefully bolt over their life time then £20 is a very small amount to pay. Unfortunately we can not change the world. I think you will be lucky to shift them all for that price. As has been said a good home is better than any money. Good luck with them and hope they go where they will be appreciated.

 

 

Agree, if ferrets were more expensive then people may be more likely to look after them all through the year rather then turning them loose, killing them or whaterver when the season fhinishes, come into season. Its not as if they are much hassle or cost to feed (even if you go and buy proper ferret food biscuits stuff)

 

That said I won't be charging for any of my kits this year as people simply won't pay for them (or at least won't pay their true value). And if I am not convinced that any people interested will provide a 'good home' they will not be going anywhere.

atb

[Vissertje 0]

20 pounds sounds fine by me, allthough if I want a kit, I can get it from a mate of mine and he'll give it to me for free, just as he would with a dog. He does however select who gets his kits / pups. People who dont work them or dont work them properly won't get them if they would pay them 100 or 1000...

 

I also do some regular volunteerwork in a big ferretshelter, at which I am also a member of the board in this foundation.

For an adult ferret which is castrated, vaccinated (with Nobivac Puppy DP) and microchipped, we charge euro's. Ferrets younger than lets say 8 months are too young to castrate them so we charge 60 euro's for those. The regular vet-costs for castrating, vaccinating and microchipping here are higher than that so people never complain here. On the other hand most of the people coming to our shelter don't work their ferrets. Even though every once and a while we get some working ferrets here.

[comanche 3,130]

£20 is a lot for a youngster to pay when plenty of freds can be had for between nothing and a tenner ....But for an adult ,experienced ferreter and trusting that the little animals are from good stock and from a breeder who values his animals that extra tenner is hardly going to be a deciding factor. Especially when the cost is likely to be spread over a working life of six to ten years and the capture of hundreds of rabbits .

 

I tend to give mine away or do swaps with people I know . I've have two strains on the go for years .One is very laid -back (bomb-proof I think the horsey folk call it .) and the other produces freds that are a bit wizzier. I rarely bother working young from either strain until their second winter as the quiet ones don't seem to catch on to the game until then but from that point they tend to be good reliable if not flashy workers . The Wizzy ones tend to take a while to settle down and lose their playfullness but people I've explained this to have ended up with some hot ferrets .

 

Point of this ?

I softened this year and gave a little sandy hob -one I'd bred last year and kept for myself and had become a bit of a pet - to a lad I only vaguely knew who was desperate for a fred ,knew all about em,kept em before etc ....

He phoned me and said the ferret would'nt work and to gee it up he'd dropped it into a puddle to get it a bit more excited !!!!!!

 

I was really upset . That hob was a great little chap that I'd spent 9 months calming and "grooming " for my own use & this plonker actually had the audacity to admit he'd dunked it to wind it up a bit. I was pretty cool ,simply explained that he was using a virgin ferret and should take it easy and ,well he could always bring it back or phone to ask questions or borrow a book on freds. Spoken to him since and things are ok it seems .

 

Point of this ?

Next time I have spare kits they will as usual go for nothing to people I know but any that are sold will have to go to folk who can at least intimate that they value them & that will include a price that weeds out the "Got any spare kits mate?"brigade that tend to appear every October .

[j davies 8]

Even though they come from good working parents, do they come with a good worker gaurentee?

 

Of course not, and there is your answer,

 

At the end of the day until the are proven they are just another ferret, that others are giving away for free.

 

A proven worker is a different kettle of fish, i wouldn't sell my best one for £100, but would definatly pay £20 to get one.

 

But whatever you do with them John, Good Luck.

 

nice one nor me to tell you the truth i would not sell my 2 for a grand each and i mean that they work very very well and at night they in the house pisxxing the dogs off not just a wroking ferret to me but like my dogs member of the family to.

i still got 2 kits left from last year that the people that come to see them did not like the look of them so i said no way lol still got them nbeen working to and they good but they will be gone when some one comes that can look after them.

 

i bred kits last year and put them in the loot and had the ferret protection on the phone to bye some they come looked around seen i was looking after them and then told me who they were ( good thing if you ask me ) she liked them that much she took 2 with her,