Donna Wildwood 288 Posted January 19, 2015 Report Share Posted January 19, 2015 Hello there! I have just joined here because I would like some trustable advice regarding my ferrets. I have 3 ferrets, 2 Jills and a Hobb. One of my Gills is a teeny little thing (micro? I am distrustful of new types and fancy names lol!) It is this weeny Gill Ginny that i am after advice. I live in a truck and used to have a hideous rat problem.... So i have been letting Ginny go down the rat holes and me, the dog and the 2 other ferrets dispatch anything that bolts out. Teabag the Hobb takes station under the chicken house, Ron takes care of the compost heap and Pilot the dog gets everything else We haven't had a rat in a month or more woo hoo! However, i have recently been accused of putting Ginny in grave danger and risking not only her life but making her vicious... Apparently letting your fert go ratting is horrible thing to do and dangerous to boot. Really??? I would never willingly put an animal in harms way, but I thought this was one of the things ferrets are for? Surely a big buck rabbit is more likely to hurt a fert that a rat? They always come back, none have never been hurt especially Ginny who is the one underground... Back ground for them in case it makes any difference. They share a 6 foot hutch with permanently attatched 6 fot by 8 foot run. (I have 2 of these set ups and at the end of Jan Teabag the boy will be removed from the group. They are fed a mixture of rabbit, pheasant, chicken carcasses, offal and lamb. Whole raw eggs once a week and the odd mackerel when I have them. Anyhoo advice willingly accepted, but i would be gutted if they can't go a ratting anymore! From a brief skim, you guys seem more down to earth and practical than the ooootchie ootchie goo type of responses I have been getting 4 Quote Link to post
pie-eater 377 Posted January 20, 2015 Report Share Posted January 20, 2015 Ive never tried it but I hear the ferret can get torn up pretty bad. Having said that rabbits can dish out some punishment to. If you've actualy done ratting with ferrets and its working for you Id carry on. Quote Link to post
fluff 409 Posted January 20, 2015 Report Share Posted January 20, 2015 I USED TO RAT ALOT INTHE EIGHTIES FERRETS GOT BIT UP BUT NEVER STOPPED THEM ,YOU WANT TO JUST MAKE SURE YOU HAVE TCP FOR BITES ,OR SOMETHING SIMLIAR GOT A JILL HERE SHE KILLS RATS FOR FUN GOOD BITCH FERRET Quote Link to post
taz2010 1,297 Posted January 20, 2015 Report Share Posted January 20, 2015 ferreted many a rat with ferrets the ferret gets bit a few times but will be fine wont make it any more vicious keep at them your obviously doing things right 1 Quote Link to post
The one 8,397 Posted January 20, 2015 Report Share Posted January 20, 2015 No harm in it , if your jill gets a bad time she will just jib on them only work rabbits anyway , i reckon a good rabbiting ferrets to valuable to be using on rats and would use traps that work 24/7 but every one opinion is different 1 Quote Link to post
vanman1 411 Posted January 20, 2015 Report Share Posted January 20, 2015 No harm at all using ferrets for rats,but like stated earlier check her over after a hunt and keep a bottle of tcp handy(brilliant stuff) i even use it on me self lol. Sounds like there well looked after home and food wise,so if your happy carry on imo. 1 Quote Link to post
Donna Wildwood 288 Posted January 20, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 20, 2015 Thanks guys! If the vermin rock up again I shall continue as I have done I have TCP, hibbiscrub, terramycin spray and wound powder in my lambing kit so hopefully I should have everything needed should she take a nip. Not happened yet, but there's bound to be a first time eh? Quote Link to post
Chicken_man 1,651 Posted January 20, 2015 Report Share Posted January 20, 2015 Hi, I was out ratting the other wk wi ferrets. Never had a problem. Enjoy what your doing. The old boys used to keep wee ferrets especially for ratting, easier entered. Sounds like you have a great team, and set up. Atb Quote Link to post
bobkizzyhugo 40 Posted January 20, 2015 Report Share Posted January 20, 2015 Some ferrets are keen one them others not so. Just clean any bites. Quote Link to post
Donna Wildwood 288 Posted January 20, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 20, 2015 HA! I was always warned I would end up in an assylum.... It's nice to be somewhere where i'm not spun a guilt trip for eating real food too, though I have done zero foraging today. unless a dead elm tree for the burner counts lol! Quote Link to post
fluff 409 Posted January 21, 2015 Report Share Posted January 21, 2015 real foods the only way fresh rabbit hare veni game birds fish keeps you healthy and if you get to much barter with your local butcher , ,and elm is a good find if it keeps you warm going to put a new stove in and start poaching wood ,lol Quote Link to post
ftm 3,357 Posted January 21, 2015 Report Share Posted January 21, 2015 we went ratting on a daily basis [,s] mainly on pig farms and we used ferretts with lurchers /terriers to catch anything that bolted our ferrets got smashed up and some "jacked" but others became very good at their job .we found the "jackers" became very good rabbiting ferrets -we used a little whippet type dog that would run on top of pigs backs & launch itself at rats up on beams walls etc -great sport and i would do it all again in a flash -billy Quote Link to post
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