Crow
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Everything posted by Crow
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Having an albino back in it's line does not have an effect on how much white it has in it's coat! I can't understand this infactuation with tiny ferrets. Ferrets (wild polecats and stoats) have levelled out at a size best suited for the job they do. I want a ferret that will shift a rabbit not suffer from a few minutes hard work. There are also potential problems ahead when breeding off tiny jills. Crow
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Don't walk to her! As soon as she makes her catch call her then start walking away from her. Even if you have to keep walking around the same field wait for her to come to you - she will eventually. Whatever you do don't walk towards her - at the moment she's training you
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Disturbing inaccuracies that the Police have endorsed.
Crow replied to inan's topic in Lurchers & Running Dogs
That article is a few years old now, and yes it is full of inaccuracies. In fact, it had more inaccuracies relating to the Hunting Act and there was a thread on it at the time because I started it (being one of my local forces and all that ). I'm proud to say that I at least got the bit about it being illegal to hunt all mammals with dogs taken out, along with a few other pieces of bullshit. However, I couldn't get them to budge on the rest! -
Nothing wrong in training your ferret to do tricks if you're that way inclined! Not my cup of tea, but it does show how good some people are at training animals!
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OK, try this one: 1) Think of a number, any number you want but just bear in mind you may have calculate with it! 2) Double that number and write the answer down. 3) Now add 42 and write the total down. 4) Now you've got a total half it (i.e divide it by two), again write the answer down. 5) Lastly, take away the number you first thought of (in 1 above) and write you result down. Earlier I went through the same process, trying to predict what number you would end up with. Check this link to see how I've done! > Your Number <
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Mine seems to get them comfortable before she retrieves them: Crow
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Hearing is not as good as it could be I'm afraid. Now, their sense of smell
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You're right, most inherited problems have nothing to do with looks - that's why they are not particularly important to those who breed for conformation rather than constitution (and you surely aren't denying that there are many breeds out there that have problems caused in the pursuit of the perfect 'type'?). That's why I think the amateurs at the KC should be got rid of, and the true enthusiasts who know something about the origins of the breed be left to bring the breeds back to their former glory. Crow
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Deafness is an inherited trait in some colourings. In America where they have dozens of colour types and descriptions (unlike over here where we have 5!) it is estimated that over 50% of 'Panda' marked ferrets are deaf whilst an estimated 95% of Blaze marked ferrets are deaf. It is also believed that (in this country) more people own a deaf ferret than know it! Crow
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Would they really care? After all, as long as it looked OK! To my mind the KC have ruined many good breeds and created nothing more than animals that fit the fashion of the day. Take the English Bull Terrier for example. Some t~~t at the KC decided that the flat forehead was no longer what is required but a rounded lamb-type head was instead. Why? Look at the Bulldog - f~~ked. And we could go on and on and find animals with all sorts of problems to do with hearing, bone growth, breathing, etc, etc. To my way of thinking if we want to save dogs breeds then the first thing that should be don
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How old is she? And more importantly what colour is she? And don't worry about her working abilities as ferrets (especially albinos) have pretty bad hearing anyway, mostly using other senses to hunt.
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Mounting is a sign of dominance that dogs start to exhibit at an early age. They'll try it with their litter mates, furniture and your leg if given the chance. Whilst it isn't an issue if it does it to your other dogs it is an issue if it does it to you (or your family) and you should stop it the moment it starts. By that I don't mean castration or anything like that, more a quick/sharp command of 'no' along with a hard stare and the baring of your teeth! As far as your dog should be concerned you are the pack leader (the alpha male) so put the dog in his place, and get you family to do the sa
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Both books (especially The Complete Book Of Ferrets) are well worth a read. Both are readily available across the internet somewhere, most probably on a well-known auction site!
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Honestly mate, once you're told that you can't damage it any further then go for it. As Molly said, you won't recover sitting on the settee However, when you do get out there watch for interference when using the Mk1 locator Play's havoc when your mate is trying to locate the ferret and you're standing right next to him Crow
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Thanks people Yes, even if I do say so myself I think she's a lovely dog. I have often described her as probably the best dog I've owned - I'm beginning to think I should drop the probably! As for my leg, its getting there although the ankle is still twice the size of the other and has very restriced movement (so wellies are out of the question ). But it is healing better than the surgean thought. He reckoned I'd still be walking with sticks in July of this year - I dropped them ages ago Anyway, out again tomorrow for some more open-air physio but this time with the ferrets.
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Some people get a bit bogged down with the 'hemp needs so much looking after' attitude. Treat your nets like your ferrets - look after them! There's no need to preserve them with anything, just make sure you hang them up to dry properly. If you're out alot then rotate your nets. And, don't leave then hanging in a window in direct sunlight either! Hang them in an airy, dry place and give them time to dry and you'll be ok. Hemp will last longer than most peoples interest in ferreting if it's looked after
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Muzzle However, I would be interested to see your muzzles for greyhound ferrets
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Last night I ventured out for my first proper lamping trip since my accident. I say first 'proper' trip because although I have been out twice before they were just for very quick walk-outs on land (very public land) where every Tom, Dick and Sally run their dogs. One of those trips didn't even produce a run, the other produced two runs with one catch which my dog retrieved to within a foot then put down - only for the rabbit to run off to safety. I could have slated her for this, but she's not a machine and that was the first rabbit she'd seen for about 10 months. Anyway, back to last night.
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Dogs aren't stupid! Allow the dog time to realise that a ferret isn't a rat and you'll be alright! The best way is to build a run of some sort, made from mesh and that the dog can see into. Allow the ferret access into the run and the dog to see the ferret as and when it wants. I break all my dogs to ferrets in this way - they just wander up to the mesh and have a sniff when they want. Similarly the ferrets get used to the dog which is just as important (god knows how many ferreters fail to realise that the ferret must be broken to dogs too!!!). I have a JRT x Lakeland/Fell that wi
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I never realised there was a 'standard' size So what size board would be needed for a net of 4" mesh (2" knot to knot) knitted in spun nylon as apposed to hemp? Crow
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My advice would be to get your board and your needles, and then practice with the shittiest, cheapest material first! Your first few nets you'll not want to use anyway (unless you have a real natural knitting talent) so why waste a good spool of hemp. Oh, and if you go for a nylon that needs double knotting then that will give you double the practice per net Crow
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Excellent advice there OTC I use a 2 1/8 board for knitting with hemp. I make my boards out of 1mm brass and I like them to fit in my hand. A couple of examples below: Good luck with the knitting Crow
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Socks, sorry for the delay in getting back to you - too engrossed in Christmas cheer!! Then we'll have to agree to disagree; you have had problems so will not breed again, I haven't so I will. Having said that I would like to make it perfectly clear that I wouldn't breed from a ferret showing any defective signs (not just Waardenburgs) and wouldn't suggest others do either. However, I wouldn't suggest someone doesn't breed from a ferret simply because it's a certain colour. In closing heres a ferret showing the white stripe down it's head - an indication of Waardenburg Syndrome:
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You've mentioned the offspring were deaf and blind (incidentally, blindness is not a symptom of Waardenburg Syndrome) and that they were also deformed. In what way were they deformed? It still must be stressed that Waardenburgs can be found in many types of coloured ferrets not just 'silvers' - black eyed whites can hold the gene, as can a multitude of ferrets that have a white (or predominantly white) head. Now, and here's the killer point, some forms of Waardenburg seem to only need ONE parent to hold the gene, so mating your affected silver to an albino could still result in affecte
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How many times did you get this result?