nobby Posted December 22, 2013 Report Share Posted December 22, 2013 Mainly an air gunner but recently landed enough permission to warrant getting a couple of ferrets. Just wanted to know how much training is involved as I work a lot of hours, time out of cage wouldn't be an issue as wife and kids would be at home but I don't want to play at it and end up with another pet I can't take and use in the field. (Not strictly true as they would be more pet than worker). Was thinking maybe a couple of sprites but don't know pros and cons of each sex. Any advice is appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Essex Hunter Posted December 22, 2013 Report Share Posted December 22, 2013 Why don't you find someone local who has working ferrets and team up with them to save you a lot of hassle....both jobs get sorted at the same time. TEH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plank06 Posted December 22, 2013 Report Share Posted December 22, 2013 Very clever creatures! My 3 are major escape artists, make sure they have plenty of space, very secure space! Lots of interaction with them is a must. There personalities are brilliant. I'd certainly recommend getting as many as you can house, they thrive in groups, defiantly not on their own or in pairs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Kelly Posted December 22, 2013 Report Share Posted December 22, 2013 According to Countryfile this evening, ferrets used to be used to catch rabbits. How quaint. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nobby Posted December 22, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 22, 2013 Why don't you find someone local who has working ferrets and team up with them to save you a lot of hassle....both jobs get sorted at the same time. TEH I'm relatively new to he area and don't know a lot of people. Most of my mates are the football and lager crowd that don't venture out if there is a chance thier Barnet might get ruined. I have put the feelers out tho but I'd rather have my own to work so I can pop out at the drop of the hat without arranging a meet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nobby Posted December 22, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 22, 2013 Very clever creatures! My 3 are major escape artists, make sure they have plenty of space, very secure space! Lots of interaction with them is a must. There personalities are brilliant. I'd certainly recommend getting as many as you can house, they thrive in groups, defiantly not on their own or in pairs. I think 3 would be my limit as the missus would probably stretch my neck. Bad enough with my rifle collection. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Essex Hunter Posted December 22, 2013 Report Share Posted December 22, 2013 Having them is the easy bit....learning all the stuff that goes with catching rabbits is the bit that takes time. What sort of ground will denote what you use as lots of small warrens are easy to purse net, larger warrens in more cover then we long net as you cant get to net all the holes... You will need some tools to clear any scrub a good graft and locators are a must to save the heartache of a lost ferret... TEH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nobby Posted December 22, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 22, 2013 You're spot on teh. I know a bit about bugs behaviour through the hunting I already do but I appreciate that is an all together different craft. From reading up there are 2 trains of thought on training them. One is getting them used to tunnels ect and the other is let instinct take control and sling them down the hole. Now the animal welfare is of prime importance to me and I would ensure that it was completely use to me and pretty much fully grown before I would even consider letting it work. Locators would be used but is there a need for training the ferret to work? I may have found someone to have a session or 2 with to see how they do it. And I'm not short of patience as many a miserable cold wet empty bag day can vouch for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Essex Hunter Posted December 22, 2013 Report Share Posted December 22, 2013 They hunt naturally but you must not snatch at them when they are by the holes...you need to have eyes in the back of your head...and handle them all the time from youngsters...I breed mine but a mate gets them from rescue centres. one tip I do when alone is to set my locator at the worst end of the warren so I can hear when they are coming through... with my youngsters I will kill a rabbit, put it down by the ferret as it is kicking so they get bashed around a bit as it kicks so the get used to it.. My 2 new ones both latched on to the neck and held on until it stopped kicking, then let go and moved away. TEH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luckyshot Posted December 22, 2013 Report Share Posted December 22, 2013 You will get alot of different answers to this question as all we can tell you is how we deal with our own ferrets. I personally have 2, an albino and a polecat both brothers and live on there own. I bred mine so I know what they are like, they rarely get handled apart from cleaning out times and the winter months when they are used. Not once have they bitten me even If I cover my hand in blood and put it in there cage (wouldnt have a ferret that bites atall) training wise there is not much that you can do apart from putting tubes in there cages to get them used to it apart from that everything comes naturally. I usually start to introduce mine to small 2-3 hole warrens at around 6-8 months old and have never bred a ferret that will not work, some are better at working than others where as my polecat will kill anything living that is near him including any rabbits that will not bolt where as my polecat will just keep coming back in and out until it either bolts the rabbit or I send my albino down to sort the rabbit out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nobby Posted December 23, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 23, 2013 Cheers guys this is exactly the sort of advice I was after. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hatsanmad Posted December 26, 2013 Report Share Posted December 26, 2013 Be honest with ferrets there aint any actual trainning its all natural instinct all i do with mine handle them everyday. And in there house i have a load of old drain pipes on diffrent angles hung up and stuff. Plus plenty of fresh whole rabbits. This helps i think with them associating the scent of the rabbit with food and when there under there working by scent. Dont forget you need locaror collars spade and nets best i found are spun poly 8-10oz nets. And as said dont just get one as they get on better in groups. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nobby Posted December 27, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 27, 2013 Cheers. What about vacinations ? I know it's a good idea to get the canine distemper shot but anything else Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hatsanmad Posted December 29, 2013 Report Share Posted December 29, 2013 The only injection mine has ever had was a jill jab once just to bring her out of season. And a ferret isnt a canine. I have never heard of people getting vaccinations on ferrets like they do dogs. All you need is a hutch water bottles a food bowl wood shaving and hay(mainly for winter) ferret buiscuits and meat and the odd egg to keep them. And a locator and collar and a dozen purse nets to start and your good to go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ferret47 Posted December 30, 2013 Report Share Posted December 30, 2013 Sorry hatsanmad but Ferrets DO catch distemper and it slays them, so if you walk them its best to get them jabbed. Nobby, as luckyshot says you'll get a lot of different answers, I keep mine (now) for Rats, I have pedigrees for my strain for 40 years but now I'm running with a Ferret X Wild Eurasian Polecat, mental, totally mental! Get your Ferrets jabbed up for distemper, handle them constantly, (my son can call his Ferrets to him, honestly) and DONT get a Ferret X Eurasian Polecat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nobby Posted January 1, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 1, 2014 Sorry hatsanmad but Ferrets DO catch distemper and it slays them, so if you walk them its best to get them jabbed. Nobby, as luckyshot says you'll get a lot of different answers, I keep mine (now) for Rats, I have pedigrees for my strain for 40 years but now I'm running with a Ferret X Wild Eurasian Polecat, mental, totally mental! Get your Ferrets jabbed up for distemper, handle them constantly, (my son can call his Ferrets to him, honestly) and DONT get a Ferret X Eurasian Polecat. sounds like a gift for my warden (wife) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Longers7 Posted January 2, 2014 Report Share Posted January 2, 2014 I started this season with kits, i handled them everyday to get them used to me, i let them run through tubes in the garden to get them used to it, let them come clear of the tube before trying to pick them up, never snatch them as they become sulkers. When i first started they would mainly spend there time hole popping amd messing nets up, but they soon got the idea. Took them a while before they started to go deeper in the warren, but like what has been said, start them off in small (2-3 hole) warrens, mine sortve switched on staright away as soon as they bolted there first rabbit. ATB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ferret47 Posted January 3, 2014 Report Share Posted January 3, 2014 All Ferrets will work, handle them and tame them, never snatch at them, some prefer jills for Rabbits I prefer to work the hobs (big fat ones that chase and push the rabbits out), my jills kill too easily underground and its always a pig to dig them out. Rabbiting's great but Ratting is the best, (this is where you need small HARD jills), and you can find Rats everywhere! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hatsanmad Posted January 5, 2014 Report Share Posted January 5, 2014 Sorry hatsanmad but Ferrets DO catch distemper and it slays them, so if you walk them its best to get them jabbed. Well thats probably why i have never heard of ferrets getting yearly jabs as i dont walk them. They get worked 3 times a week and put back in there converted shed. And when mentioning it to other mates who have ferrets as well as me dad they looked puzzled. I have never had any kits inoculated and have bred my line now for the last fifteen years and not one problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabbitman Posted January 9, 2014 Report Share Posted January 9, 2014 Very clever creatures! My 3 are major escape artists, make sure they have plenty of space, very secure space! Lots of interaction with them is a must. There personalities are brilliant. I'd certainly recommend getting as many as you can house, they thrive in groups, defiantly not on their own or in pairs. he's said that he's only just starting out , he shouldn't get "as many as you can house" at all, when he has no experience with ferrets or ferreting. Get two mate, a pair of Jill's from good working stock and don't go mad on hutches/runs unroll you know the sport is right for you, to many people rush into getting ferrets and end up letting them go or having them escape, do your homework best advice you'll get is on (the hunting life) forum, working ferret section, there's allot involved in keeping ferrets. If you get kits handle them every day so they get as used to you as possible, last thing you want is one of them biting you when you go to retrieve a coney that it's on, beat of luck though mate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrBlox Posted January 12, 2014 Report Share Posted January 12, 2014 he's said that he's only just starting out , he shouldn't get "as many as you can house" at all, when he has no experience with ferrets or ferreting. Get two mate, a pair of Jill's from good working stock and don't go mad on hutches/runs unroll you know the sport is right for you, to many people rush into getting ferrets and end up letting them go or having them escape, do your homework best advice you'll get is on (the hunting life) forum, working ferret section, there's allot involved in keeping ferrets. If you get kits handle them every day so they get as used to you as possible, last thing you want is one of them biting you when you go to retrieve a coney that it's on, beat of luck though mate. Very interesting post! My daughter's just mentioned that she wants a ferret (we can't have dogs in our development) and I'm very OK with the idea as long as it (they) "earns its keep". The advice given to chase someone up and ask to follow them (and pick their brains) is very good and I've had a look at, the very long list of postings, on the other forum mentioned. Could anyone point me towards to a book such as "The Idiots Guide to Starting with Ferrets"? I'll also post a request eslewhere on this parish to see if any 'ferreter' will allow me (us) to shadow them to pick up some pointers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nobby Posted January 15, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 15, 2014 I think after a lot of consideration I am gonna postpone getting some ferrets. Mainly down to the amount I work and he initial handling will have to be done by the wife. Still something I definitely want to do in the near future so thanks to everyone for the advice and tips. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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