Ryan gun Posted December 16, 2011 Report Share Posted December 16, 2011 1)how expensive to keep 2) are they easy to clean out , and how regulary 3) do they need vacines ect... 4) whats the best diet for them , varied meat buiscuits or just meat. 5) do they need special bedding ect... Thanks rg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smig4373 Posted December 16, 2011 Report Share Posted December 16, 2011 1) No 2) Yes/depends on how many you have...often.. 3) No 4) Complete ferret food 5) Shredded paper..Lots of (thats what i use and there 'nest' inside is always toastie) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan gun Posted December 16, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 16, 2011 Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
labstaff Posted December 16, 2011 Report Share Posted December 16, 2011 (edited) I use wood shavings on the base and shredded paper for bedding. Personally I would wait until next year now. The gills will come into season around april, + 42 days gestation + 11 weeks growing then you will have a nice young kit to handle. (I'll be having a litter next year off each of my gills if you're still interested). Also buy James McKay - A complete guide to ferrets. Edited December 16, 2011 by labstaff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stubby Posted December 16, 2011 Report Share Posted December 16, 2011 or shoot plenty of rabbit to feed them, or use them to ferret the rabbits, and feeding wont cost you a penny, just gut and feed, after dark in the summer to keep the flies at bay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pboro shot Posted December 17, 2011 Report Share Posted December 17, 2011 fairly easy to keep, clean out as regular as possible, handle as much as you can and give them a varied diet rabbit,cat biscuits,odd pigeon ,mince ,bit of warm bread and milk now and again they love but goes through them ,some people moan about the smell but not as bad as some make out i give mine the odd barth in the summer time again they love it,use shreded paper for run hay for the bed ,you shouldnt have to change bedding as often as you clean run but check it daily for old food bones etc the tend to horde food a little tip that makes life easier with cleaning was i used some wall tiles and tiled the run ,i use a old water spray with a little cleaner dissinfectant or similar then water grab the paper out quick squit with spray wipe dry, job done Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fergie Posted December 17, 2011 Report Share Posted December 17, 2011 there is no reason anyone should be feeding cat food or bread and milk I poo pick every day and give a good clean out once a week.wood shavings for the run and hay for there bed. food complete Ferret food, rabbits, chicken,pigeon, pheasant,day old chicks are just a few things my ferrets get you can give the odd egg(raw) but not to much or to often as it can cause hair lose.No they don't need vaccines, but its a good idea to flea and de tick them I use front line they nee as much space as possible and should be kept together they are social animals if you get Jills(females) then it is a good idea to have them brought out of season as they can get infections if left in season. There are a number of ways to do this. 1,Mate with a Hob only do this if you wand to keep the lines of your ferrets going and you can get homes for the ones you don't want 2, mate with a snipped hob this is the method I use although I have mated to keep the lines going and top up my stock I find this. you only pay for the one operation and the snipped hob will give you years of service or you can usually find some one near you with a snipped hob you can use. 3, Jill jab from the vet no Idea of cost or effectiveness as I have never used this method and never will If you have any further questions feel free to ask I also have a couple of good books on ferrets if I can find them (just moved house) I will let you know then if you pm me your address I will send them to you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muggins. Posted December 17, 2011 Report Share Posted December 17, 2011 There`s absolutely no nutritional value in bread and milk or cat food. Cows milk is a no no. A varied raw diet is the best you can give them. Follow Fergies advice and you won`t go far wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferretertom Posted December 20, 2011 Report Share Posted December 20, 2011 Nothing wrong with feeding a high quality cat food... ferrets need at least 34% protein though. As long as you vary with raw meat in addition to dry cat food a fewtimes a week, and a raw egg from time to time, ive never seemed to have any problems, your ferrets would look shabby in apearance with a coat that is not shiney or soft and possibly underweight if they dont have the correct vitamins in thier diet, ferrets are lactose intollerant so cows milk is not recomened. Ferrets will need clean water all the time i recomend a water bottle on the side of the hutch(the same they use for rabbits) but it may freeze in winter. I use a small plastic spade to clean out thier toilet corners daily or every other day- it only takes a minute. Mine have woodshavings in thier living area-i buy in bales and shredded paper in thier beds-clean the whole hutches out weekly but check daily for them hoarding meat the bedding i use does not harbour dust and mites. Spend time with them and handle them when you have time to spear this will keep them nice and friendly. All i can say is do research about what sexes you buy as there is advantages and disadvantages for hobs and jills. I will most likely have kits for sale in summer, handled & off good working parents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
compo90 Posted December 23, 2011 Report Share Posted December 23, 2011 i would recommend only getting a hob ferret.......no complications with seasons my hob ferret gets pretty much just meat, chicken wings, rabbit heads, pigeons etc......i only took up shooting to feed my ferrets (i had a few back then) now i just keep one hob ferret he does enough for me, and he is easier to clean out and obviously produces less poo than a load of jill's do.And hobs being bigger dont tire as quickly. I stopped keeping and using Jill's a couple of years ago, trust me hob ferrets are better workers, who would you ask to evict someone from an house my wife (9stone pretty female) or me (21stone 6'02" ugly male) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dekers Posted December 25, 2011 Report Share Posted December 25, 2011 ...and they stink very often! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luckyshot Posted December 25, 2011 Report Share Posted December 25, 2011 1)how expensive to keep 2) are they easy to clean out , and how regulary 3) do they need vacines ect... 4) whats the best diet for them , varied meat buiscuits or just meat. 5) do they need special bedding ect... Thanks rg 1) Ging by your screen name I take it you shoot so they will cost you what ever you shoot. 2) Very easy to clean out my 2 hobs get done once a week. 3) No not unless you have a jill and use a jill jab to take out of season. (sort of vacine) 4) Ive kept ferrets for over 15 year and they have only ever been fed on what ever I have shot mainly rabbit. 5) Mine get medibed in the run area costs £7 a bail and lasts a year and shreaded paper in the bed area which is free. Get one and enjoy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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