salop sniper 32 Posted July 2, 2012 Report Share Posted July 2, 2012 Right, Ive been put on the spot a little ! My sisters bloke is a farmer in cambridge and he has ferrets......These ferrets have done as nature intended and bred ...... 20 of the little fanged things now ! How does this effect me you may be asking........ Well its my birthday in a fornight and I have always kinda wanted some ferrets ! So thismorning i get a text asking " Would you like a pair of ferrets for your birthday ?" So I know i like them and will handle them but KA likes them to, only she is scared of been bitten by them as to am I partly ! But the issue is much more with KA. We are also concerned about the dogs with them and all the husbandry etc that goes with having ferrets ! Neither of us know a thing about them really. Anyone care to shed some advice ? Such as: * Which work better, Male or Female ? * Which are more friendly tempremented ? * With a female can the vet do anything to stop them needing to breed ? If so how much? * How bigger run etc do they need to live in ? * What husbandry needs to be done and how offen ? * Whats the cost of ferreting gear ? * What times of year are best for ferreting ? * Whats the life expectancy of a ferret ? * What needs to be done for them in cold bad weather ? For now iv said no thanks but i would like a pair one day ! Cheers Guys Quote Link to post
reddawn 2,173 Posted July 2, 2012 Report Share Posted July 2, 2012 (edited) both sexes work, some better than others, its personal choice as to what ye want to keep, i prefer more jills than hobs an if i was pushed id keep only jills rather than only hobs, none are tamer than the others depends on how much they are handled as kitts vets can give a jab every spring to fetch the jill out of season, or ye can use a hob which has had his sperm tubes cut 2 can an will live in a decent sized rabbit hutch, but as with most animals the more space the better like all animals the need food/water daily, cleaned out daily an just generally cared for ferreting gear can cost as little as possible, or as much as ye got, nets all very in price an locators will be the most expensive bit of kit you will need ferreting season is best when the rabbits aint breedin, winter, but they seem to breeding most of the year around most of the country these days, the traditional season is any month with an r in i have had ferrets reach 10 but most dont reach that old, i find they normally last about 6/8 years or there abouts make sure they cry in cold bad weather, cold dont really affect them as long as they got a draught proof place to curl up, heat is the killer where ferrets are concerned Edited July 2, 2012 by reddawn Quote Link to post
salop sniper 32 Posted July 2, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 2, 2012 Cheers RD, do you have any idea of the cost of the jab ? Or if we pushed the boat out to a 3rd and had a male and 2 females, what would it cost to get him snipped ? Quote Link to post
reddawn 2,173 Posted July 2, 2012 Report Share Posted July 2, 2012 Cheers RD, do you have any idea of the cost of the jab ? Or if we pushed the boat out to a 3rd and had a male and 2 females, what would it cost to get him snipped ? can cost from 6 to 15 for the jill jab, an same about the snip op, usually its between 40 an 60 so it pays to shop around your local vets, 3 ferrets like that would be ideal, but the hob would still need seperated each summer when he comes into season an then you could put the jills in with him to tak ethem out of season Quote Link to post
Malt 379 Posted July 2, 2012 Report Share Posted July 2, 2012 Cant really add much to the post above, just about covers it! All I can add is that I find males (hobs) more placid to handle than females (Jills), but take slightly longer to get started when it comes to working. Also they like company, but with two hobs you run the risk of them scrapping like hell during the mating season and trying to bum each other! They dont always mind, we had a pair of intact males when i was a kid and i dont ever remember them doing it. Bearing that in mind, there isn't really a big difference when you weigh them up. Jills will live happily together all year round, but could really do with being taken out of season because they stay in it all summer, using the methods that Reddawn has mentioned above. Quote Link to post
salop sniper 32 Posted July 2, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 2, 2012 From what age will can they work ? Cheers Matt Quote Link to post
happyferret123 13 Posted July 2, 2012 Report Share Posted July 2, 2012 (edited) You can get your Jill spayed which cost's £40-£ And Hob neutered for £20-£50 These are all a one off thing which will mean they can be kept together all year round and you would never have to think about breeding/taking out of season again Otherwise you can get your hob vasectomised (which is tieing the tubes rather than cutting the balls off) which is more expensive but then you wouldn't have to get the Jills done but during April/May-September you would have to separate him from the Jills and only put him in with the Jills for a few days to take them out of season But he will scruff them and drag them around and make there neck sore if you left him in all summer. or there is the Jill jab £7-£30 which you may have to do twice per year and then have a neutered hob in with them. * Which work better, Male or Female ? People like different things. and Vary's ferret to ferret. My Jill is a better worker. Faster, more thorough, never killed down a hole. But I worry about her as she is quite small may break something if a rabbit threw her off. My hob kills often but stronger and much bigger can handle bigger rabbits. But I had a Hob before I got my new Jill and hob who was great worked like my new Jill but much stronger. * Which are more friendly tempremented ? Male are usually more Laid back and cuddly, but again can vary ferret to ferret, and how much handling you put in. If you never touched them when they were young, neither male or female would be friendly! * How bigger run etc do they need to live in ? As Big as possible! Maybe double storey hutch with a run joining up to it. Or if they had free run of the garden for several hours a day then the double storey hutch may be ok for them. Do a search on here for existing hutches they come in lots of different forms. * What husbandry needs to be done and how offen ? Cleaning out litter tray daily, Clean everywhere properly every 5days-week. I handle them every time I have a free moment. which is a couple of times a day. I allow mine inside to run around a couple of evening's a week. But I only have three(2 jills and a Hob) wouldn't be so easy with big numbers * Whats the cost of ferreting gear ? Can be quite expensive to buy ferret locators and collars and nets. But once you've got them, pretty cheap to maintain. * What times of year are best for ferreting ? Weather can change ferreting dates from year to year. Some people ferret all year round but more likely having to dig them out a lot when they find a rabbit nest. But October- March mainly. This year I was only out November- January. * Whats the life expectancy of a ferret ? Average 7-9 but some can live older, they can be prone to cancer so some die quite young. * What needs to be done for them in cold bad weather ? Keep them warm and Dry. Fur/fleece blankets, old clothes, and I put tarpalin over front of hutch mesh to stop rain coming in ( make sure you still allow air in! ) Edited July 2, 2012 by happyferret123 Quote Link to post
The one 8,401 Posted July 2, 2012 Report Share Posted July 2, 2012 Get yourself some books out the library and do a good bit of reading before you say yes to your birthday present mate 1 Quote Link to post
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.