Choosing ferrets?

[liamp79]

Hi guys, been thinking for a while now about getting some ferrets. Things are coming into place now and i was wondering what others on here think about whether gills or hobs are the better workers of the two? Also are there any differences in the types of ferret, ie, albino or pole? Or is it just an albino is easier to spot in the undergrowth?

I was thinking about getting kits, so that i can raise them and handle them as much as possible and not introduce them until next season. Would this be a good idea or go for ferrets that are slightly older???

 

Any advice or hints would be much appreciated gents.

 

Thanks

 

Liam.

[-kev-]

In my experience Gills are best because they arent as big as a Hob. Have had adult rabbits run out of the hole with a gill ferret biting its back leg. They have less chance of getting away from a bigger built hob and so increasing the risk of a kill under ground.

All my best ferrets have been Gills, Hobs can be a bit lazy too.

[stubby]

jills or hobs, work totally different from each other, what ever you start with, you'll end up getting the other sex down the line

 

jills, small and fast, much better to keep two or more, and work two or more at the same time, unless its a very small warren, 7 holes or under, otherwise rabbits can give them the run around underground, yet 2 ferts put in at opposite ends of a warren, normally gets rabbits bolting

 

hobs, large,slower,but can be deadly on shifting non bolting rabbits, also if you get him sniped (vasectomy) he'll be used for getting your jills out of season each year, saves paying for jill jabs

 

like you say, get this years kitts, handle them as much as possible and then some more, get them silly tame, they still make great workers

note; they get addictive, I have 13, jills, hobletts (castrated) and snipped hobs

 

as an example, ferreting a smallish warren with one of my best working jills, ran her through the warren a good three or four times, nothing came out, and she had appeared from all holes, was going to move on, when I decieded to run "ted" through, just to get him out of the box for 20 minutes, as it was a hot day, teds a very big hob, if he kills under, he kills, marks it, so I can get a fix with the locator to dig the rabbit out, and then he'll move on, on this occassion, as soon as he was entered, 3 big rabbits bolted (into the long net)

 

so, in answer to your question, get 2 jills (sisters are good) either ferts or poleys, they all work same

plus, get an unrelated hob, same age kitt, that way you can keep them altogether untill next year, when you'll need to seperate the hob, unless he's on sex duties

also, if you happen to ferret in the summer months, jills in heat are not good to take ferreting, as the enlarged vulva can be a way infection gets in, but a large hob can be taken no problem

[TaxiDriver]

When do this years kitts start to appear from ?

 

How old do they have to be before you start working them ? ie will this years kitts work later in the year ?

[THE MEK]

each to their own really. i work hobs and jills used to use small jills all the time but they can take some stick underground and leave rabbits when they've had enough. better to pay a bit extra for well looked after kits, they should of had plenty handling before their ready to go and you just carry that on