First Ferrets Arriving In A Fortnight. Advice Please

[Jax13 251]

I've wanted to get some ferrets for a few years now but working hours and free time never really suited taking on extra animals (especially working ones when I was struggling to get out with the guns as it was!) My situation has now changed and I now have less time commitments through the winter and in the evenings so I am hoping to take the plunge in a couple of weeks with my first ferrets.

 

I've had the offer of a pair of hobs, currently about 6 weeks old and i'd love to have them and get into ferreting for bunnies as there are a few places on my own land where we have problems with them and they arent shootable due to neighbours, main roads or both.

 

I have a hutch already but I was hoping someone could point me in the right direction for the general housekeeping side. I realise these are all pretty standard (and probably often covered) questions so if there is already a decent newbies guide someone could point me to that would be great too.

 

re: furnishings. Its not a massive hutch, probably about 4 foot wide in total (plenty big enough for a pair i would assume) but what should i put in there for them? I was thinking a couple of lengths of pipe, hammock, and maybe hollow out a couple of logs or similar and give them some height to explore. is this overkill or do they need decent floor space as well? I could always build them a mezzanine in the hutch!

 

food & water. are rabbit / guinea pig upright drinkers ok? and for the food, is it worth avoiding or buying anything in particular? I was thinking going for an earthenware bowl to try and avoid tipping over.

 

toilet? ive seen a lot of corner toilets for sale, are these worthwhile to try and keep the hutch cleaner or are they a waste of time? can you couple them with cat litter or is sawdust better for them?

 

training. I don't intend to work them until new year, probably february and march as they will have hit the 6 month mark and only to give them a taster before the nettles & brambles take over again, in the early months and through the spring & summer is it just a case of keeping them used to being handled and keeping them fit or is there anything to do to try and make them a little keener. i realise there is no substitute for instinct when it comes to working them but can it be encouraged / helped?

 

Thanks in advance for any / all replies or useful links. there is so much conflicting advice out there from pet owners to working ferret owners (and even between sides there is a big difference so a broad range of advice would give me food for thought.)

[northern lad 2,292]

Looks like you have pretty much covered all bases already mate Toilet corner clean daily ,full clean out once a week,feed wise ,with youngsters I like to feed meatand dry alternately so they are used to both,then stick to dry summer (keeps the flies down)and carcasses rest of the year.Never used one of them corner toilets so cant comment,a 4ft hutch will get a bit cramped for 2 hobs when fully grown,you might want to add a run or build a 6ft hutch.Training wise just spend as much time as possible handling them,will definetly pay off as they get bigger and out in the field.Would also recommend getting a ferret finder Come Christmas they should be fine to get out working,make the most of their first season.ATB Dave

[Jax13 251]

cheers for that, dave.

 

i feel I ought to add that I was planning on building a run for them but at the moment we are having loads of work done at home (new land drains, new patio & paths etc.) so the garden is going to be re-levelled which means muddy mess for a while while it either grows through or gets re-seeded so I was hoping to leave them run-less for now and rely on lead exercise (or burrows) until the spring.

 

hopefully, as time goes on (if my little one, currently 3 gets an interest) I may have the excuse to build a bigger enclosure, i'm loving some of the ferret court ideas ive seen and I do have space to do something like this down the line (in about 18 months we are moving into a place with brick built pig pens on the back of the outbuildings which could be very handy indeed!) but until such a time, i have no issues with buying / building / acquiring a bigger hutch in the meantime if they do grow out of it.

 

from my reading and research so far, I had already decided to go for dry through the summer, maybe with the odd small raw treat thrown in the day before a clean out but i can play this one as i see it through the year depending on how much I end up with.

[bugg 84]

They won't be ready for this season I dont think without an older ferret for guidance

[Jax13 251]

They won't be ready for this season I dont think without an older ferret for guidance

 

the guy i'm getting them from (and a couple of his mates) have started flying their harris hawks on our land so i was hoping to get out with them and start them flushing towards the end of the season where they can learn the ropes a bit, or just get out with me and the shotgun where there is no pressure to perform.

 

i'm guessing that being fairly sociable animals and (in this case) still relatively young they wouldnt have too much issue with other ferrets or is this a bit of a no no?

 

ive no issue with them not being ready till next season if that is the case, it just gives me longer to get to grips with them (and them me)

[Jamie m 668]

No reason why you couldn't start them in January

And feed them them plenty of half or whole rabbits through the winter jackets and heads on , not always needed to be out with older ferrets ?? Think this is some sort of myth ???? If it's in em it's in em ,

[muddy210 34]

I wouldn't be running them this season if there only just 7 week old now, after a good winter on em some of the rabbits they can be tough old gits to shift, its not about wether the ferret has it in it or not but wether they are the size and strength to not take a hammering below ground theres more f****d up dogs and ferrets around from been entered to early then been left to mature a bit ive got some young uns here they will be about 17 week or so I think they wont be entered till the end of the season even then on small warrens that have all ready been run through by the adults.