Madcowz

Thanks all, appreciate all the comments and esp the suggestions. The ferts are all settled in nicely now and have made a right mess of the Palace. I have had to put litter trays all the way down one side to try and get them used to going in a tray and not everywhere. This is now working nicely. Will slowly remove trays until there are just corners ones later. Much like training dogs. I removed the ramps when the babies arrived as they were all falling off everytime they tried to climb one. These went back in yesterday and for the first time they were able to go up to their nesting box. Much ferret mayhem! Gives them a whole new level to play on. Will get some pictures of them all sson. /Mad

The Game Conservancy Trust sell them in their online shop. /Mad

Hi all, I know Ebay is the place to look, but would prefer to buy off someone here. Am looking for a 15ft Mk1 ferret collar for the coming season. thanks, /Mad

Ok, after months and months of getting their Court ready, laying concrete, new roof, walls doors etc etc and getting more and more excited as each day went past... one of my new ferts has arrived. Drove up the M25 with my daughter after work, just missing the huge accident and miles and miles of tailback on the A13 and collected our fert from Stubby (top bloke, was good to meet you ) The polecat is mine, we are calling her Ophelia (going for a Shakespeare theme for the trio. The hob when he arrives will be called Cornelius and yet to decide on the other jill), the silver is for someone else. She is staying with us until Friday when my other two arrive from the other litter, at this point the other owner will collect her one (that is if we haven't fallen in love with her by then, oops too late). This saves her from having to travel all the way to Dartford to collect, and gives Ophelia company before her new friends arrive. Here they are tucking into freshly shot rabbit. They literally flew out of their hammock when I waved this in front of them. Thought they had grown wings! And yes, that is dried food in the bowl. Temporary measure while I restocked my freezer. /Mad

Photobucket says page not found and I can't see the images. Might need to try something like tinypic.com Good guns Laurona, I have the mc variety and love it. /Mad

It's been a long time coming, but tomorrow I pick up the first of my ferrets. I am off to see Stubby and collect either a silver or polecat jill depending on which takes my fancy. and next week Flash drops off another hob and jill for me. (There will be another ferret to keep it company until the two others arrive next week, but this one is for someone else, long story!) The court is almost finished, obviously it will be an ongoing evolving project as I learn what ferrets like and dislike. But I hope that what I have done so far is suitable for them. Looking from the outside: Toys and things to play with: The sleeping quarters and hammocks: /Mad

And that is the kind of attitude that makes this forum such a great place! Good on you mate. /Mad

Thats really generous of the sponsors, big thank you to them. I can't make it as it is a bit too expensive. Maybe next year. Would have been good to meet some of the PW rogues. /Mad

Try: Complete Guide to Ferrets - James McKay Ferret and Ferreting Handbook - James McKay Ferreting - David Bezzant Ferreting for the Future - Simon Whitehead Ferrets - Brian Plummer Working ferrets - Jackie Drakeford Have a look at the BASC bookshop if any of the forum sponsor sites don't sell them. /Mad

When I used to do voluntary work for the Hawk Trust many many years ago at Game Fairs I came face to face with one of these. Was staggering back to the HT Marquee drunk as a skunk. Stumbled past the table selling books and there it was sitting on its perch the size of a small car and looking as though it could rip me apart. On it's perch it was prettu much eye to eye with me. Needless to say the others all had a good laugh at my slight look of surprise! Beautiful. /Mad

Thanks for your input guys, I should have said that the ramps weren't finished. I have now cut rungs for the ramps out of offcuts from the 12mm OSB board so each ramp now has plenty of grip for the wee things. And of course they are now painted in the 'Court colour scheme' I am though worried about the wooden ladders and am planning on adding a layer of weld mesh tacked on behind the rungs until the wee lambs are big enough to not fall through the rungs. thanks for the ideas guys, always learning. /mad

Quick update. Not much to show over the last week. Been busy with other jobs around the house and garden. Chickens have their new run with gate. House has been painted etc etc. Took Stubby's advice and meshed off the highest shelf. Here it is covered in mesh with the AG pipe going to the other shelf. The pipe is attached to the wall with cable ties I got from work. Large, heavy duty ties I use to strap all the network cables in the server racks. I used two reusable ties joined together to give me the circumfrence of the pipe and then a screw through one to fix it to the wall. This way I can untie them and clean out the pipe when needs be. And from the corner shelf, over the nest box to the other shelf. To get to the left hand back shelf, they now have to climb up a ladder to the first shelf, then up a ladder again, through the mesh, along the pipe to the 3rd shelf. From here it is a short run in more pipe to the last shelf. That should keep them busy and fit. No easy life to get into the nest box either. There are two ramps to climb before they can go to bed. Now all it is missing is ferrets. Should hopefully have them at the end of the month. All being well. /Mad

Been a bit quiet on the restoration front recently as all these final finishing bits and pieces are soo time consuming. During all this torrential rain we have had, I found out that the part of the roof I hadn't replaced was leaking. Good news in a way as if it was the bit I had replaced it meant my skills at roofing were ****. So after my hospital appointment in the morning (a tube down the nose, was quite horrible but I suppose not as bad as one up the bum) the roof came off and was replaced with corrugated bitumen sheets. Looks the business now. After the roof was watertight, I could get back to the inside. Had some dowl left over from some other work so thought I would make some ladders. Using 9mm dowl I cut them into 13cm rungs and drilled some spare wood to accept them, a couple of coats of varnish and as my Dad would say... they look almost professional!. One long ladder to get to the high shelf And a smaller one to get to the shelf in the back corner. The new nest box, 2ft by 1ft, painted in the Courts colour scheme (whats left over in the garage) and ready for a ramp to go from the door to one of the shelves. The idea is that to get to their bed, they have to climb one ladder to get to the shelf and then up a ramp to the nest box. That should keep them busy and entertained. I have to do a million things before I can finally get to bed at night so I don't see why the ferts should have it easy. And at last I have built a door to the court. Used 2x2 and some left over mesh. The hinges were meant to be used on the gate to the chicken run, but friends gave us a gate complete with furniture so the hinges were spare. Looks the part now with the door on. Went to see some 5 week old ferts today as I have decided to get a hob as well as the two jills from Flash. Here they are, gorgeous looking things. As tame as could be. My daughter and I spent over an hour playing with them and not one nip. /Mad

Tom, any more pictures of the kits? /mad

Would having a separate nest area help in this situation? Only ask as I am still building my court and now is the time to build this type of thing. /Mad

This is what we used to do, works a treat. Sometimes they will just hover in the air in the light unable to see where to land. Can remove quite a few in one night. Note: This was feral only /Mad

Ask around, a lot of peple have some kicking about inthe garage unused. Our one was brand new and still had its plastic coating. I belong to a group called Freecycle (do a Google for it and join your local group) It is basically a site for people to give stuff away rather than putting it into landfill. It is Yahoo based but once you have joined up and offered something, you can post a wanted. This is what I did and got about 7 replies from local people with worktops sitting about gathering dust. /Mad

I've just picked up a 6 foot section of kitchen work surface, brand new for £0. Built a frame and put that on top. Rock solid and wipe clean. /mad

From what I have read (and I am no expert by any means) at 5 weeks they should/could be on raw meat. Let me find some posts from THL and PM them to you. Good idea moving Mum away, she must be fed up by now. /Mad

I'm sorry do you think it is a police state just because there is a rule to stop smokers from making places stink? I just want to be able to go out and enjoy some beer/food/chat without coming home stinking of smoke. Best thing to happen for a long time. /Mad

heh, the fact there are no keyboards is what is keeping me going. Good break from normal day to day work, only so much SAN Storage/Active Directory a sane man can take. I didn't let the ladies choose their own colours but I think I may have a suitable scheme for them. Alternating purble and blue, although the tins call it something completely different, more like sun kissed aubergine. B*llocks to that! Started to construct their nesting box today. 24" x 12" x 12" with a hinged lid. Thinking of attaching this to that wall quite high up with either ladder or pipe as the only way to access it. /mad

She is soo cute! /mad

FIXTURES AND FITTINGS Time to start making it look nice! Took the Angle grinder to the CD rack below and produced two nice ladders. Each one will be attached to the shelves so they don't slip. Quite pleased with this, even if I say so myself! /mad

Not much progress to see as I am at the finishing and making good stage. Have painted all the wood gloss white so it is easy to wipe down and keep clean and painted the floor red. Good enough workmanship to rent it out to 12 polish immigrants Once the floor has had two coats, I will start to paint the shelves different colours to brighten it up a bit and finish up some of the many tins of paint we seem to have lying about. Bought a CD rack from a charity shop this week, will make a really good ladder once i take the angle grinder to it, Will use this to join a couple of shelves together. Still 2- 3 weeks left until the ferts arrive so plenty of time now. Was getting a bit worried about the schedule slipping earlier but have caught up now. Just wish I could get rid of the stink of paint. /Mad

Lovely looking kits you have there Tom. Pop two of those jills in an evelope down to me, I want a cuddle :blink: You mention the male dominated society... Well on the hunting life forum they have bene running a head count of kits and so far: 176 hobs 173 jills pretty damn close to 50/50 /Mad.