Fighting ferrets!!

[will84 10]

Hi all,

After one of my Jill's dying I have bought another one, had her for a week or so now, kept her separate from my albino Jill just incase she was ill aswell. She seems to be fine so decided to put them together, the new polecat Jill is only 3/4 the size of my albino but she's one angry fert!! Keeps giving the albino a hiding!!

The albino turns away an sprays put the little poley keeps going for her.

Will they fight to the death or sort themselves out???

Have put them seperate again just incase

[AndyKelly 251]

keep them seperate and introduce them slowly mabey just after feeding when there bellies are full so they can get used to each other.but i have one that has to stay on her own as every time i put her in with the others she bites them and kicks up a stink!

[Cold Ethyl 63]

Id split them so you dont end up with dead ferrets or seriously injured ones.Either that or keep them in hutches facing each other and close enough to see and smell but not bite and try it again on neutral ground later on.

[Jamie m 668]

Some ferts dont get on with others , especially ones that haven't been brought up in a group and some are just reall bitches, my mate has one she's fine with hobs but she just will not tolerate other jills shame really as she's a good litle worker , : (

[will84 10]

The little poley was housed with 4 or 5 other ferts before I had her so thought she would be ok, I'll keep them apart and just put them together each day for a bit so they can hopefully get used to each other without being stuck in the hutch

[Malt 379]

When you say they're fighting, is the aggressive one biting hold then rolling herself all over the other one? If she is, she's not trying to kill it, just trying to cover it in her scent to mark her dominance. My albino jill has done that to any new ferret I've ever put with her. It looks horrible but it stops after a while. As long as she's not drawing blood I'd stick with it.

[will84 10]

Yeah they both seem to do like a crocodile roll the aggressive one makes a lot of noise too squeeking

[Malt 379]

Yeah they both seem to do like a crocodile roll the aggressive one makes a lot of noise too squeeking

 

Sounds like they're just sorting out the pecking order. Did you clean the hutch out before you put the new ferret in? I'd try giving the living area a good scrub and putting them both back in at the same time. Sometimes it helps, sometimes it doesn't.

 

I put my small hob in with my three jills at the end of this summer. I got him late last summer and he was too small to take a beating from the three females so I kept him separate until this year. They battered f**k out of him when I put the poor bugger in with them at first, and he made a noise like he was being killed. It took a few days, but he sleeps with them now and they're sound. Ferrets are violent, savage little buggers with each other but they've got thick skin and can take a hell of a beating. What may look like murder to us is just them introducing themselves! I'd just keep an eye on them for a few days and they should be fine.

[J.DOG 1,355]

All my ferrets are separated into their own hutches but when I put them out in the run I put then in together but I always supervise them as I don't want dead ferrets lol

[will84 10]

Yeah they both seem to do like a crocodile roll the aggressive one makes a lot of noise too squeeking

 

Sounds like they're just sorting out the pecking order. Did you clean the hutch out before you put the new ferret in? I'd try giving the living area a good scrub and putting them both back in at the same time. Sometimes it helps, sometimes it doesn't.

 

I put my small hob in with my three jills at the end of this summer. I got him late last summer and he was too small to take a beating from the three females so I kept him separate until this year. They battered f**k out of him when I put the poor bugger in with them at first, and he made a noise like he was being killed. It took a few days, but he sleeps with them now and they're sound. Ferrets are violent, savage little buggers with each other but they've got thick skin and can take a hell of a beating. What may look like murder to us is just them introducing themselves! I'd just keep an eye on them for a few days and they should be fine.

No I never, I'm getting more straw today for the animals so I'll give the hutch a clean an try again!

I was worried about my big albino Jill giving the little poley a beating but it's the other way round!