8 month old polecat ferrets

[Ideation 8,216]

The idea that hungry ferrets work better is a myth as far as i have experienced. This is for a number of reasons -

 

a) They are more likely to seek food and so kill and feed and possibly even lie up. But at best you waste time.

They have less energy and so work slower and with less go, they are in fact more likely to back off a rabbit.

c) How badly your ferret wants to eat has little effect on how the rabbits bolt. They mostly bolt from the smell and presence of the ferret in the set, not because they have been beaten / driven out by the ferret and most ferrets will hunt rabbits by instinct not for food.

 

I'm pretty sure even if i fed my ferrets to bursting and then dropped a live rabbit in their cage it wouldnt be alive for long!

 

And as Coney Trapper said - its just unfair on animals you expect to do a hard days graft for you. Me, dogs and ferrets have breakfast together!

 

atb

 

jai.

 

and yes raw egg = lots of protein.

[jf1970 328]

interesting thread you all feed up before the day, me personally give them very little the day before, I want them to work hard if there not hungry they have no incentive to work the rabbit hard (to kill) especially if the rabbit gives the ferret a few kicks. Alot of people presume if the ferret kills it will lay up, not happened with my 3 and there diet is gutted rabbits with skins on. each to there own I guess.

 

 

I haven't found that to be true at all. I feed mine before we go out and they will work for as long and as hard as necessary. A few kicks certainly won't put them off...if mine worried about a few kicks, hungry or not, then they probably wouldn't be the ferrets I would choose to work.

 

Yes, each to their own. But I do not go ferreting without having had breakfast and I have to do considerably less than the ferrets, so I don't expect them to work on an empty stomach either.

i went out today with my 2 new polecat ferrets,fed them a raw egg each at 6.30am and was on my permission at 8.45 ,tried 4 warrens each consisting of between 4-8 burrows, first one had nothing,2nd had 1 caught in the net with the ferret hanging of its arse,3rd nothing again and finaly the 4th giving another rabbit to the net.all in all i had an enjoyable 4 1/2 hrs wasnt really expecting to much,was mostly just wanting to see how the ferrets would work and even if they would bolt any rabbits,all home wet and cold,but safely,looking forward to next week

[Kay 3,709]

I have never got to grips with this starving a ferret before its worked either ... if you dont put fuel in your motor it wont run .... so why any different for your ferret food is fuel

[The one 8,399]

I keep food in with my ferrets 24/7 and they work no problem they should be hunting because they want to not because there hungry all that does is encourage them to kill the rabbit and stay with it and eat it

[niall_b73 41]

congrats gents,

i'm glad to see it went well and they bolted a few.

 

if you are looking a 3rd ferret you know where i am.

and i kid you not about the 3rd ferret (this is not a sales pitch)

 

the kids called the 3rd ferret that i have left "bully" and for good reason.

he was/is the best ferret out of the bunch. he was/is the best bolter, he takes to the burrows with great ease and got the bunnys out the same.

he was/is the only 1 out of the 3 that liked the dead rabbit for food rather than the kibble.

if interested gimme a shout.

 

it comes as a bundle.

1 ferret

1 hutch

1 double carrybox (homemade & will carry the 3 ferrets safely)

 

niall_b73

[Brimmer 220]

Reading some comments on this thread really makes me shake my head. Do people think that most ferreters starve their animals?

 

A hungry animal is not starving.

 

Nearly every wild animal only hunts when it is hungry, not for the sake of it.

Find the balance and maintain it.

Everyone feeding there animals until they become obese is obscene. Have you ever handled a feral ferret or wild polecat?

[niall_b73 41]

the ferrets i have/had have access to kibble 24/7

when ever i took them out i just brought water and gave them a drink when ever i handled them moving from burrow to burrow.

if any rabbits were caught they got the head, kidneys, liver ect.....

i have to say they did have a taste for lambs heart

 

niall_b73

[Ideation 8,216]

Reading some comments on this thread really makes me shake my head. Do people think that most ferreters starve their animals?

 

A hungry animal is not starving.

 

Nearly every wild animal only hunts when it is hungry, not for the sake of it.

Find the balance and maintain it.

Everyone feeding there animals until they become obese is obscene. Have you ever handled a feral ferret or wild polecat?

 

 

Dont think anyone said that - just not to starve it to make it keen, but obviously over feeding is bad also. Most people (myself included) recomended feeding a well balanced diet and giving a light snack in the morning, not too over feed them.

 

atb

 

jai.

[Ideation 8,216]

interesting thread you all feed up before the day, me personally give them very little the day before, I want them to work hard if there not hungry they have no incentive to work the rabbit hard (to kill) especially if the rabbit gives the ferret a few kicks. Alot of people presume if the ferret kills it will lay up, not happened with my 3 and there diet is gutted rabbits with skins on. each to there own I guess.

 

 

I haven't found that to be true at all. I feed mine before we go out and they will work for as long and as hard as necessary. A few kicks certainly won't put them off...if mine worried about a few kicks, hungry or not, then they probably wouldn't be the ferrets I would choose to work.

 

Yes, each to their own. But I do not go ferreting without having had breakfast and I have to do considerably less than the ferrets, so I don't expect them to work on an empty stomach either.

i went out today with my 2 new polecat ferrets,fed them a raw egg each at 6.30am and was on my permission at 8.45 ,tried 4 warrens each consisting of between 4-8 burrows, first one had nothing,2nd had 1 caught in the net with the ferret hanging of its arse,3rd nothing again and finaly the 4th giving another rabbit to the net.all in all i had an enjoyable 4 1/2 hrs wasnt really expecting to much,was mostly just wanting to see how the ferrets would work and even if they would bolt any rabbits,all home wet and cold,but safely,looking forward to next week

 

Congrats matey! Glad you had a good day and some luck, and it feels good to feed your ferrets some of their hard earned catch and also cook yourself a nice dinner. The ferrets will appreciate the liver, kidneys, heart and lungs especially (as well as the meet of course). It's good to give them access to some fur, bone etc (i.e - a chunk of rabbit) as this gives them a balanced diet.

 

but yer - well done - your hooked now! :thumbs: :thumbs: :thumbs:

[Jamie93 57]

Nice one mate You will remember this day for a long while. My ferrets have access to food 24/7 but just have water when out.

Happy Hunting Jamie93

[Coneytrappr 29]

Reading some comments on this thread really makes me shake my head. Do people think that most ferreters starve their animals?

 

A hungry animal is not starving.

 

Nearly every wild animal only hunts when it is hungry, not for the sake of it.

Find the balance and maintain it.

Everyone feeding there animals until they become obese is obscene. Have you ever handled a feral ferret or wild polecat?

 

I don't recall anyone saying to stuff the ferret until it is so fat it can't fit down a hole. Leave that to the fluffy pet keepers [to clarify: Not all pet keepers. Just the fluffy ones.]

 

My ferrets are not wild animals and I expect them to hunt all day, which they do, and not stop and eat their fill after making one catch, as a wild polecat or feral ferret would.

I don't think that what domestic working ferrets do and what wild polecats and feral ferrets do are comparable.

My ferrets have breakfast before they work and I can see nothing but benefits. I have tbeen there and tried the other, wasn't impressed at all. I think it's outdated and illogical, like defanging, muzzling and lines.

 

None of my animals are overweight. Giving them breakfast before working will not make them fat. My hobs are all well muscled and the jills lean.

[Coneytrappr 29]

interesting thread you all feed up before the day, me personally give them very little the day before, I want them to work hard if there not hungry they have no incentive to work the rabbit hard (to kill) especially if the rabbit gives the ferret a few kicks. Alot of people presume if the ferret kills it will lay up, not happened with my 3 and there diet is gutted rabbits with skins on. each to there own I guess.

 

 

I haven't found that to be true at all. I feed mine before we go out and they will work for as long and as hard as necessary. A few kicks certainly won't put them off...if mine worried about a few kicks, hungry or not, then they probably wouldn't be the ferrets I would choose to work.

 

Yes, each to their own. But I do not go ferreting without having had breakfast and I have to do considerably less than the ferrets, so I don't expect them to work on an empty stomach either.

i went out today with my 2 new polecat ferrets,fed them a raw egg each at 6.30am and was on my permission at 8.45 ,tried 4 warrens each consisting of between 4-8 burrows, first one had nothing,2nd had 1 caught in the net with the ferret hanging of its arse,3rd nothing again and finaly the 4th giving another rabbit to the net.all in all i had an enjoyable 4 1/2 hrs wasnt really expecting to much,was mostly just wanting to see how the ferrets would work and even if they would bolt any rabbits,all home wet and cold,but safely,looking forward to next week

 

 

Good one mate, nice to hear that you caught a few.

[ferretman16 0]

my ferrets are also 8months old and allways feed them well the night before i take them out but i dnt feed them anything in the morning. does anyone think that the ferrets would be hungry in the morning even thought they have been feed the night before.

[Coneytrappr 29]

my ferrets are also 8months old and allways feed them well the night before i take them out but i dnt feed them anything in the morning. does anyone think that the ferrets would be hungry in the morning even thought they have been feed the night before.

 

 

Yup, unless you give them enough to last until morning. If I don't leave enough to last until morning mine never knock back a bit to eat. They have faster metabolisms than we do and most people like to have something in the morning- especially if we have graft lined up.

[spencerboy 0]

i always feed mine well the nite before and give them a small amount before i take them out. found that if i didnt feed them in morning they would kill down and take ages to come bck out :-(