Naturally lazy hob?

[rob190364 2,594]

My hob is overweight, not massive but not as slim as I'd like him to be. He went into a right porker last year when I was giving them biscuits and since switching to raw 12 months ago he's lost a fair bit but is still a bit of a podge. I exercise them in a 5m x 1.5m concrete yard, I just basically leave them free during the day with a small nest box for sleeping. In the last couple of days I've taken the nest box out and am just leaving them out for an hour twice a day because previously when I let them out the hob would be asleep in the nest box within 5 minutes and you'd barely see him all day.

 

Food wise they get one or a combination of chicken (meat and bones), liver or kidney, occasional eggs, minced beef, turkey, rabbit carcass. But they don't eat that much at all. I'd say between my hob and jill they eat the equivalent of about 1 chicken leg per day, probably even less than that.

 

My jill has never put significant weight on. She put a bit on with the biscuits but not really anything major. But she's hyper all the time. I think his problem is laziness more than what he eats. Does anyone else have a lazy ferret? It's not too bad when the season kicks in properly because when he's working he gets into it and works quite well and obviously they're getting much more exercise then. It just bugs me having an animal that isn't in great shape. I'm even thinking of taking him out when I take the dog out for a couple of weeks and making him run along with us for a bit to shed a few grams.......lazy fat sod!

[muddy210 34]

allthough i will probably be slated by all those that beleive ferrets are only good for work and not pets my kids think otherwise and regulaly take the ferrets out on leads and i tell you what theres not a fat ferret in the hutches and they all work when asked of them only one that isnt up to scrath is one of last years kits but shes learning fast. so i say get him out walking do him the world of good

[rob190364 2,594]

yeah i will...he walks alongside me which is quite handy!

 

[ferret100 47]

I have lazy one, but she's not fat. I dunno...middle life crisis for you hob? Keep him up and about...the lazy beggar....! atb

[Ideation 8,216]

I would never take a ferret out round the streets on a lead. No chance, too much chance of picking something up.

[richie c 11]

Canine distemper killer ov ferrets, some folk get the ferrets jabbed against it,

[nat 8]

My best hob is really lazy when in his cage, and when in the run he will chuck himself about abit and rub his scent all over then just lie down or stand around, he's always been slightly over weight but he's 6 now so hasn't affected his health. When ferreting like I said the best hob iv ever had but when netting the holes and he was in his box he would sleep while the others are scratching to get out ! I wouldn't worry about

[The one 8,540]

As long as he no obese i wouldnt worry get him out working and he will lose a bit, during the summer my ferrets put on a wee bit of wieght