mcst

Just picked up these 2 crackers today, they're my first Ferrets. Met some people from a local group that rescue them at the weekend. As we've got some spare hutch space i quite fancied keeping something different. We already keep 2x Velveteen Rabbits(My daughters) a Nederland Dwarf Rabbit, red Female Abyssinian Guinea Pig and 2x short haired male Guinea Pigs (all the kids).

These are brothers coming up to 12months old. They were rescued early April after being found by the RSPCA in very poor shape, so bad they were considering putting them down.

Pics aren't great but i'm letting them settle before handling them and taking anymore:







The albino is a bit camera shy so mainly pics of the silver.

I'm really pleased with them and early signs are that they are settling in well.

They suffer a bit of a reputation for being dirty/smelly but are no dirtier than rabbits/guinea pigs etc

Not sure if i'm going to work them just yet but may look at it in the future. Got loads to learn about them so any advice welcome.

Cheers
Matt

Less.

Pm Whilee as he keeps them,and be glad to help you if he can

Dirty Harry

iTrader: (12)

get them working and put some organic rabbit on the table,tastes lovely

Kamike

Theres a falconer on my road who works them to flush rabbits so his Harris Hawks can catch them. Proper nasty little feckers when they want to be. Yours look very cute

SassyRS

As said above Whilee off here has quite a few

Pob

I think they are underrated as pets. I used to own a few, they do smell a little....no worse than a dog that farts abit.

We used to have averys, and used to let them hunt the mice in the bottom when the birds weren't in.
Mine were very playful, had lots of personalitiy.

mcst

Cheers for the comments.

I'm not too sure about working them just yet so this would be the one thing i'd look at learning more about in the future. Already looked at the tracking gear for them.
Can already see they've got bags of personality can't wait to handle them more when they're settled.

The fella i got them from had some pretty impressive wounds fresh as we arrived from a nervous jill so i've got some respect for what they are capable of. Obviously treated well they should make for real pleasant pets and the kids won't handle them alone.

Had a real headache on the 40min journey home, i should have taken one of our spare cages but took a cardboard carrier! they'd broke for freedom within 15minutes!! Made VERY short work of that carrier then had to try another couple of rushed containment plans further along the journey!

andycosworth

iTrader: (1)

aww they are well cute m8

mark

thay are nice m8

as sed Whilee has about 7 i think he got me into ferrets i did have 5 but only got 3 now
i find the boys are alot better to handle than the jills the only time our boy bits is when playing but the girls bite all the time and thay do draw blood most times if i dont see them coming lol
thay aint as bad now tho but wouldent trust the girls around my kids
the boy hes just like a big toy can do what you like with him lol

keep ours in a shed http://s19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...erret%20house/

few more pics of them here to http://www.facebook.com/photos/?ref=...3&id=718761001

where you from m8?

dakar

iTrader: (1)

They are great pets mate,used to have one a few years ago that followed me everywhere,even when i walked the dog

mcst

Mark they're belting! That sheds the business too given me some ideas
I'm from just outside Peterborough. Got loads of land round here where i could go rabbiting, i think i'll go out with some of the locals to see how its done before i take mine. Do you work yours?

I handled mine when i collected them but i'm letting them get used to new sights and smells etc... they were quite happy and even when they were getting a bit stressed in the car they didn't nip or bite.

Just gave them some meat and was impressed by how little work they made of it.

mark

thanx m8
we lost two over winter the silver one and one of the white ones
we dont work them tho we do take them for walks lol

has you hutch got a run under it? if it has get a small litter tray and start to train them to use it as they shit loads lol
the way we got ours to use theres was to pick the poo up and put it in the tray it took about a week and it made it easier to clean up after them

what dryfood are you giving them?

and as for meat we give ours mice, chicken wings and a bit of liver once a week as a treat

once you see them eat a chicken wing bone and all it makes you think how much they could damage you if they wanted

mcst

I was joking about walking them to the school in the mornings!!

Our hutch hasn't got a run under it but we've got plenty of room to develop their living space in the future. They are quite good like our rabbits and crap in the same spot in corner all the time so should make it nice and easy to clean up.

I've got a little dodson and horrell food at the minute but the chudley stuff seems more widely available so will probably go with that. Someone advised me that they mix them with cat biscuits to make it last, any thoughts?
Went to get a sack of food as we buy all our stuff in bulk for value and they told me that James Wellbeloved was Ł47+ WTF!!!! They're ferrets not thoroughbred race horses i mean they eat rabbits covered in crap!

I can get a few kg's of liver through work and freeze, pick up chicken wings etc quite cheap too so they'll be well fed on the meat front. How often do you give them the meat i've been told either twice a week or every other day?

rst deany

Make sure they dont get near u rabbits or it will be gameover in no time...

mcst

Got locks on the doors but i've already warned daughter about the consequences should Ferret meet Bunny! free food for a few days though when one dies and saves me burying it