ferrets

[stealthy1 3,964]

The kid may be line bred, but boy can he twang that banjo or what.

[Clipper 207]

[Simple Simon 0]

 

doesnt matter what ferret you got wether its bloodline or not if you train them right it'll be good worker in my eyes n from expriance

[droid 11]

Be interested to know if these ferrets line (in-)bred from generations of good workers work when supplied as kits to people who haven't a clue.

[Kay 3,709]

Be interested to know if these ferrets line (in-)bred from generations of good workers work when supplied as kits to people who haven't a clue.

 

Nature vs nurture i retract my other statment , this will now make a 30 pager

[ianrob 2]

ferrets and blood lines ,,, ive kept my line for 20 odd years with the odd out cross ,,, do people think ferrets are just ferrets and all will do a good enough job... or when it gets rough the blood lines show , if working the ferret 1 day by not feeding the day before do you think the performence is better , or worse ?

 

Hi mate, you've got a lively debate going on here, and I'm far from being an expert, as I've mostly just had to put up with what I had, and being brought up old school, ie bread and milk and hutches, it's only these last few years that I've seen really happy ferts. I still use a hutch at the moment, but feed rabbit and James Wellbeloved and they're out for an hour every day in the garden, and a court is in the pipeline which is quite apt when we're talking ferts.

You're thinking, where's this old git going with this, I'll bet. Well all I can add, is that regardless of line, all ferrets are different, ie different personalities. I've two hobs just now, "Horace" and "Jasper" named so by my grandaughter. Both are excellent workers, but one is fat one normal, the fat one is layed back, the other Jasper is a right nutter and loves playing. Both kill when they can, but "at the moment" don't stay on the kill for long, making for difficult digging, but easily retreivable ferts. I had a jill once, "Alison" all sweetness and light most of the time, occasionally whirling Dervish, and she meant it. I bred a litter from her using an excellent poley hob I had. I kept two, a little poley jill "Rosie" and an albino hob "georgie". Both excellent workers, though Rosie had a tendency towards her mothers side and could go for you if wound up. I tended to tail her into the box if she looked "wound up" a minute or two and she was fine. The hob was quiet and uninterested in most things except rabbits.

My point is, they would all work indeed work well, but all were different and you and the ferret got to know each other and adapt accordingly. As a foot note, I once had a poley Hob "Catweasel" he was huge, but for some reason he liked to eat rabbit 4rses. Never killed any, but by heck could he bolt the reluctant ones. I lost him in upsetting circumstances, so never bred from him, ian.

[Kay 3,709]

How do you define line breeding, is it in breeding ?

[The one 8,588]

And how many ferret you have you must have big numbers to keep the bloodlines pure without going for a outcross

[Guest Magwitch]

Be interested to know if these ferrets line (in-)bred from generations of good workers work when supplied as kits to people who haven't a clue.

 

People who don't have a clue are normally Pet ferret owners who feed nothing but dry food to a meat eater. Ferreters have kept working animals for centuries not flurry ferret fanciers. More dribble and petty pet owner vs working animal cobblers..........

[stealthy1 3,964]

Be interested to know if these ferrets line (in-)bred from generations of good workers work when supplied as kits to people who haven't a clue.

 

People who don't have a clue are normally Pet ferret owners who feed nothing but dry food to a meat eater. Ferreters have kept working animals for centuries not flurry ferret fanciers. More dribble and petty pet owner vs working animal cobblers..........

 

What's wrong with a pet v worker debate, this is the ferret section, and people are talking about ferrets, some folk don't want to be experts ferretry.

[j davies 8]

ferrets and blood lines ,,, ive kept my line for 20 odd years with the odd out cross ,,, do people think ferrets are just ferrets and all will do a good enough job... or when it gets rough the blood lines show , if working the ferret 1 day by not feeding the day before do you think the performence is better , or worse ?

 

working a ferret that has not been feed wil give you more kill ins and the ferret not coming out

 

i have always fed my ferrets before i take them out if they kill they come out with in 30 min

[droid 11]

Be interested to know if these ferrets line (in-)bred from generations of good workers work when supplied as kits to people who haven't a clue.

 

People who don't have a clue are normally Pet ferret owners who feed nothing but dry food to a meat eater. Ferreters have kept working animals for centuries not flurry ferret fanciers. More dribble and petty pet owner vs working animal cobblers..........

 

If you don't know the answer why not just say so, and leave the peurile baiting to the kids?

[gnipper 6,826]

Their temperament is hereditary imo so I can't see why working ability/instinct won't be. I've read about the ferrets from Abbots brothers being tame even though they weren't handled and a mate of mine remembers when him and his mates were kids receiving their ferrets on the train that were tame and worked well and that place must have been like a mustelid hancocks.

[Kay 3,709]

Their temperament is hereditary imo so I can't see why working ability/instinct won't be. I've read about the ferrets from Abbots brothers being tame even though they weren't handled and a mate of mine remembers when him and his mates were kids receiving their ferrets on the train that were tame and worked well and that place must have been like a mustelid hancocks.

 

I think the key with kits & taming is food, if you shove enough in & they thrive minimal handling imo is required, i hate reading about bitey kits basically because i am of the opinion they get mauled to death & quite frankly pissed off so they nip

 

large litters can be seperated into small groups but again if enough food is added daily sibling rivalry should be minimal if not your not feeding enough

[dh90 6]

My 2 best workers at the moment came from 'pets' that hadnt been worked at all. I also have another two which have come from good working lines, one is this years kit so hasnt realy been tried but the other just doesnt seem to want to no yet, down a hole and straight back out the same one. im sure it will get the hang of it eventually but seems to be taking longer than the ones which came from 'pets'.

And as for feeding i always feed mine the night before, seem to have to dig them out less.