feeding before working?

[brc 0]

i always feed my ferrets a good meal the night before we go out working and it seems to work for me.

 

just wondering what other people do and their thoughts on the subject.

 

cheers.

[The one 8,398]

Ive fresh meat in with mine all the time ,mine hunt because they want to not because there hungry and they have the stamina for a full days graft

[dyer 5]

I always make sure mine are well fed aswell,so they wont feel the urge to feed down the hole if they kill. But when I was young my old man used not to feed his the day before to make them " keener ". to be honest I cant remember that it made that much difference

[brc 0]

yeh i ve heard of stories like that too, dunno if i agree though...never tried it.

[shabadoodoo 16]

mine got food in 95% of the time, mine where born to hunt

[ticklemouse89 7]

mine work well if they havent been feed or if they have most have a good ferret but i do like to feed them the night before tho

[DeepEarth 104]

Mine work just as well on a full stomach, and that is why there is rabbit in with them all the time.

[patterdalejoel 669]

a good ferret should do it because it wants to and enjoys it mine do it on a full stomach and are good workers

[charlie nelly1 142]

a good ferret should do it because it wants to and enjoys it mine do it on a full stomach and are good workers

haha thats because I bred them

[Brimmer 220]

Anybody in there right mind will not starve a ferret, but personally think there is a huge difference between a hungry animal, and a content one.

 

Just in the basic make up of a predatory animal like a ferret, it has an off switch, this is triggered by food. I have seen it many a time, an animal wont go the xtra bit to do the job when they are content.

 

Do a job? Yes

 

Do the job? ( in my opinion) No.

 

Just look at the wildlife documentary's on telly, how many wild animals bother to hunt when there belly is full?

 

How many horses or greyhounds do you see running the track with a full belly. (Its been a long known way of holding racing animals back.).

 

How many footballers go on the field with a belly full?

 

How many boxers go in the ring with a belly full?

 

Any athlete gets himself in shape before they push themselves to the limits, anybody with any know gets there animals in shape to work there best.

 

How many fat b*****ds do you see out there doing anything slightly athletic?

 

Anyhow, they are better off getting more than they need if you are not sure how they should look, as they will still do a job for you.

[tegater 789]

Anybody in there right mind will not starve a ferret, but personally think there is a huge difference between a hungry animal, and a content one.

 

Just in the basic make up of a predatory animal like a ferret, it has an off switch, this is triggered by food. I have seen it many a time, an animal wont go the xtra bit to do the job when they are content.

 

Do a job? Yes

 

Do the job? ( in my opinion) No.

 

Just look at the wildlife documentary's on telly, how many wild animals bother to hunt when there belly is full?

 

How many horses or greyhounds do you see running the track with a full belly. (Its been a long known way of holding racing animals back.).

 

How many footballers go on the field with a belly full?

 

How many boxers go in the ring with a belly full?

 

Any athlete gets himself in shape before they push themselves to the limits, anybody with any know gets there animals in shape to work there best.

 

How many fat b*****ds do you see out there doing anything slightly athletic?

 

Anyhow, they are better off getting more than they need if you are not sure how they should look, as they will still do a job for you.

I think you are spot on there Brimmer, and shows a great deal of knowledge on ferrets.

 

The only exception I have is were the ferrets are still in their first year, and I just continue with the same feeding regime every day. Whether this is right or wrong I dont know, but I work on the premise that they are still growing.

 

It must also depend on the natural hunting instinct, and the will to hunt, of each individual ferret.

[Brimmer 220]

Anybody in there right mind will not starve a ferret, but personally think there is a huge difference between a hungry animal, and a content one.

 

Just in the basic make up of a predatory animal like a ferret, it has an off switch, this is triggered by food. I have seen it many a time, an animal wont go the xtra bit to do the job when they are content.

 

Do a job? Yes

 

Do the job? ( in my opinion) No.

 

Just look at the wildlife documentary's on telly, how many wild animals bother to hunt when there belly is full?

 

How many horses or greyhounds do you see running the track with a full belly. (Its been a long known way of holding racing animals back.).

 

How many footballers go on the field with a belly full?

 

How many boxers go in the ring with a belly full?

 

Any athlete gets himself in shape before they push themselves to the limits, anybody with any know gets there animals in shape to work there best.

 

How many fat b*****ds do you see out there doing anything slightly athletic?

 

Anyhow, they are better off getting more than they need if you are not sure how they should look, as they will still do a job for you.

I think you are spot on there Brimmer, and shows a great deal of knowledge on ferrets.

 

The only exception I have is were the ferrets are still in their first year, and I just continue with the same feeding regime every day. Whether this is right or wrong I dont know, but I work on the premise that they are still growing.

 

It must also depend on the natural hunting instinct, and the will to hunt, of each individual ferret.

 

Any ferret can be judged on whether its carrying weight or not by most folks out there, carrying a little timber will not stop them at all, carrying a good bit of timber will knock them off.

Its a fine line, edge on the safe side .

If a ferret is showing natural instinct, then at any age its worth perseverence, sometimes not getting there until the second year. but one that is scared of the dark, and backs out of small warrens with known occupants, without any interest is only showing it's one of nature's losers.

 

Food wont cause this, it was just born a gibber.

As i said, most will do 'a job' , even with grub in them, maybee not sticking with everything, but doing a job.

A gibber will not realistically do any job, even hungry, but maybee by chance will bolt the odd few..

[tegater 789]

Anybody in there right mind will not starve a ferret, but personally think there is a huge difference between a hungry animal, and a content one.

 

Just in the basic make up of a predatory animal like a ferret, it has an off switch, this is triggered by food. I have seen it many a time, an animal wont go the xtra bit to do the job when they are content.

 

Do a job? Yes

 

Do the job? ( in my opinion) No.

 

Just look at the wildlife documentary's on telly, how many wild animals bother to hunt when there belly is full?

 

How many horses or greyhounds do you see running the track with a full belly. (Its been a long known way of holding racing animals back.).

 

How many footballers go on the field with a belly full?

 

How many boxers go in the ring with a belly full?

 

Any athlete gets himself in shape before they push themselves to the limits, anybody with any know gets there animals in shape to work there best.

 

How many fat b*****ds do you see out there doing anything slightly athletic?

 

Anyhow, they are better off getting more than they need if you are not sure how they should look, as they will still do a job for you.

I think you are spot on there Brimmer, and shows a great deal of knowledge on ferrets.

 

The only exception I have is were the ferrets are still in their first year, and I just continue with the same feeding regime every day. Whether this is right or wrong I dont know, but I work on the premise that they are still growing.

 

It must also depend on the natural hunting instinct, and the will to hunt, of each individual ferret.

 

Any ferret can be judged on whether its carrying weight or not by most folks out there, carrying a little timber will not stop them at all, carrying a good bit of timber will knock them off.

Its a fine line, edge on the safe side .

If a ferret is showing natural instinct, then at any age its worth perseverence, sometimes not getting there until the second year. but one that is scared of the dark, and backs out of small warrens with known occupants, without any interest is only showing it's one of nature's losers.

 

Food wont cause this, it was just born a gibber.

As i said, most will do 'a job' , even with grub in them, maybee not sticking with everything, but doing a job.

A gibber will not realistically do any job, even hungry, but maybee by chance will bolt the odd few..

 

Thanks Brimmer

[brc 0]

thanks for the posts lads

 

some great comments and think i'll base [bANNED TEXT] i do in the future on them.

[stroller 341]

i just feed them as normal ferrets have high metabolic rates and need a good supply of food to keep them fit. They work because they want to its their nature, sometimes im sure they back off a bottled up rabbit to chase others or even pack in and come out but i know for certain they kill in a fair amount. just like any working animal it will have its off days and good days. But why stack the odds by not feeding?