ferreting finders and feed

[danspence2012 5]

hi all hope this nice weather finds you all well.

 

a couple questions for you..

 

when working my ferrets is it best to feed them that morning or not really?

 

which is better a mk1 or the mk 3, i feel the need for a finder but cant deside which to go for....

 

my jill polecat 2yro 9which has been done) still nips and after two weeks there is no change any advise?? the women i got her from said she would take her back but to wait a while longer, but, i do feel she is not making any progress.. any ideas???

[charlie nelly1 142]

with feeding I advice to feed them raw food, such as rabbit, imo they should have access to this 24hours a day, when working or not working, and the ferret finder, i prefer mk1, but they do the same job, just the mk3 i belive are easier to get fixed as they have stopped making the mk1, hope this helps mate?

[PoCk0 40]

Yeh, keep food in there all the time. Nobody likes working on an empty stomach do they? I prefer the MK3 as well

[blond 8]

ive never feed mine before i take them out hunting, never used a collar or locator and never lost one, get her used to a certain noise at feeding time and then use that when out hunting, handling her every day will stop her nipping you, atb

[danspence2012 5]

hi all, thanks for the replys, i do already feed raw meat. rabbit etc, was more wondering if to feed before they go out working for the day..

 

the nipping i have been handling every day and when she nips tell her off and keep stroking her , so she dosnt think if i nip i will be put down but this seems to make her worse.. i was told to do this by the breeder but think its a bit to organic and not working..

 

do the MK 1 finders still pin point or just lut you in the area??? cant make my mind up on which one...

 

might go shoot some sqiurels to take my mind off it lol..

[Ideation 8,216]

ive never feed mine before i take them out hunting, never used a collar or locator and never lost one, get her used to a certain noise at feeding time and then use that when out hunting, handling her every day will stop her nipping you, atb

 

Now, i'm not one to say that someone should not ferret without a locator, but they are bloody handy tools. I also get them used to coming to a squeek, but lets face it, if the warren is big and deep, they are not going to hear it, and i have had ferrets stuck behind rabbits, etc, and in that situation, no amount of calling is gonna get them out. Obviously you can be selective in what warrens you ferret etc, and you probably wont have a problem, but i like the ability to be able to drop my ferrets anywhere with confidence that orst case scenario, i will be able to dig them out, and even hopefully find them if they end up running an underground channel, drainage pipe etc.

 

As for not feeding them i have some scran before a full days work, to set me up, so i give the stinkers the same, a good feed the night before, and then they get woken up early and have a munch before we head off, or if its gonna be a 2-3 hour drive, i chuck some in their box with them. I do find that on a feed, they can last all day and work the big warrens hard.

 

I agree with the handling thing, you just have to bore them to death with your hands, try giving them a good feed before you handle, put down some egg and goat / soya milk, and give her a stroke, when she is lapping it up, and then have a play with her on your lap, just sit there and let her run over you etc. Dont punish her, it dont work.

 

As for locators, get a mark3, at the end of the day if that goes tits up you can get it fixed easier. Even though they are an over priced piece of cheaply made poo.

[Tug 168]

I use a Mk3, and whilst one of my buddies uses a Mk1 the newer model beats it hands down. Those that tell you that a Mk1 is better either can't use the Mk3 properly or are just too used to the older kit.

 

As for feeding, mine have free access to dry food 24/7 and get fur or feather every night except when I'm working them, I take their food out last thing at night before a trip.

[The one 8,398]

Same here mine have access to food 24/7 if your buying a locator now it will be a mk3 unless your buying it second hand

[danspence2012 5]

i to do feed 24/7 and raw meat evenings only while its hot to reduce the flys..

 

i have been watching mk 1 s on e*bay but they still go for around the 100 mark, if i was going to spend that much on a second hand finder that isnt made anymore then may be i should go for a mk3

[max abell 196]

We always feed in the evening the ferrets are boxed up in the morning if working they are woken up a few mins before being boxed to give them chance to have a crap so they dont do it in the box mainly feed fur and feather but dry ferret food is used mainly in the hot weather done this way for 30 odd years with no problems

Regards mk 1 or 3 we have had both over the years and found the mk 3 to be far superior to the mk 1 this is my personal oppinion others swear by the mk 1

The jill you have that nips will get better the more she is handled good luck with her mate

[Guest vin]

Some good advice there matey...try some of that ferret paste on your fingers..let the jill lick it off...that might help to calm her to your hand...its a shame some people dont raise them correctly. . .good luck.

[Col_c88 41]

My ferrets 9 times out of 10 have food all the time however I always make sure the night before i go ferreting theres a rabbit in there.. i always got told to have your ferret fed before working for many reasons and its never hindered my experience. When out working, after weve caught a rabbit i tend to throw the kidney or liver or heart in the box for them its usually gone by the time they come out again... just keeps them going during the day.. I also take one of those travel bottles for dogs so the dogs and the ferrets can stay hydrated.

 

 

I've never used the MK1 so i cant comment but went out with a lad on here who used it and I do prefer the MK3.. however that could be because its all ive used and im used to it... me dad picked one up for himself the other day for £80ish so keep looking.

 

as for the nipping.. ferret paste from pets at home is stuff made by the gods for ferrets!! i cant stress how much of a difference that stuff makes.. when i took a stray in it was a bit nippy so i used that paste.. i first put it on the edge of the hutch.. and just put my hands on her.. stroked her and stuff.. couple times of that i then started picking her up while she was licking it.. couple goes of that i started put on my hand..she got very used to being handled this way and after about 2 days of this she was fine to handle.

 

i have to use that stuff to put collars on cos im crap at putting them on, damn sausage fingers

[muddy210 34]

as above i have feed in with them all the time as for the nipping just keep up the handling. give them a good feed of some raw mince then when they have had a belly full just pick them up and stroke them they will come round to it in the end it can take a good while for some ferts to stop nipping got a hob here who took about 16 weeks before he was truly out of have a nip hes soft as grease now though.

[tweezers 4]

I have dry mix down all the time and they eat what i catch in winter. Usually feed them a good bit of meat the night before then throw a handful of dry mix into the carry box that morning. Jmo and works for me. I like the mk 3 but can fuk about at times but would never for ferreting without my ferrets collared up. Just keep handling them bud and will come good