Ferrets
- Thread starter albertb
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shakey jake
Well-Known Member
Could she just be a nasty ferret? My mate has 2 hobs both are fine at home but when out 1 bites like a demon. Not sure id hang on to a biteer too long
Overlay
Well-Known Member
Funny you should have a biter, I've got a blonde one with black legs out of a long line of polecat type ferrets the only one in years
she waits for me to put my hand full in to the run and watches until I'm not looking and bingo the little fluffy ferret
latches on big time, none of the rest of the pack are like it, it's a bit of a nuisance having a biter, as I have to watch her with the grandkids
workwise she is faultless as a worker and she will drag a rabbit out of a burrow by the head the same as her mum so really it's only a small thing, sometimes after she lets go, I'll swear blind she's got a grin on her face.
she's a maniac but my maniac comes to mind
she waits for me to put my hand full in to the run and watches until I'm not looking and bingo the little fluffy ferret
latches on big time, none of the rest of the pack are like it, it's a bit of a nuisance having a biter, as I have to watch her with the grandkidsworkwise she is faultless as a worker and she will drag a rabbit out of a burrow by the head the same as her mum so really it's only a small thing, sometimes after she lets go, I'll swear blind she's got a grin on her face.
she's a maniac but my maniac comes to mind
I had one that did that at about that age. Oddly it was never an aggressive or angry bite. She seemed happy and content and would play willingly but when picked up she just cheerfully bit and quite hard.
I just had to handle her as much as possible and every time she did it or tried to she got a sharp forefinger across the nose and was told no!. Some people say verbal has no effect but I think it does if used in conjunction with physical chastisement because after a while she would turn her head to bite and then change her mind after being told no.
One day she just stopped doing it and was sweet natured ever after.
What doesn't work is presenting a bar of soap so they bite that instead - they just wait for you to take it away before striking - or wearing gloves. You just teach them to bite that instead.
Constant handling, chastisement when they do wrong praise and petting or play when they behave well. And patience.
I also had another Jill that would bite quite viciously straight down to the bone in summer when her hormones were running high after her jill jab. Chastisement worked most of the time unless she was really emotionally uptight and not thinking what she was doing but it would only work with me. I couldn't trust her with a stranger. In the winter she was good as gold. There's not much cure for that except spaying. But an 8 month Jill just sounds like she needs longer training. She'll get there.
I just had to handle her as much as possible and every time she did it or tried to she got a sharp forefinger across the nose and was told no!. Some people say verbal has no effect but I think it does if used in conjunction with physical chastisement because after a while she would turn her head to bite and then change her mind after being told no.
One day she just stopped doing it and was sweet natured ever after.
What doesn't work is presenting a bar of soap so they bite that instead - they just wait for you to take it away before striking - or wearing gloves. You just teach them to bite that instead.
Constant handling, chastisement when they do wrong praise and petting or play when they behave well. And patience.
I also had another Jill that would bite quite viciously straight down to the bone in summer when her hormones were running high after her jill jab. Chastisement worked most of the time unless she was really emotionally uptight and not thinking what she was doing but it would only work with me. I couldn't trust her with a stranger. In the winter she was good as gold. There's not much cure for that except spaying. But an 8 month Jill just sounds like she needs longer training. She'll get there.
I've kept ferrets for seventy years and still stick to the rule if they bite they go! I've never seen the point of keeping biters, if you can't handle them with confidence they're just not worth keeping. You will also find that occasionally if the jills bite, the offspring will do the same.
As a rule if kits are handled from when they are really young apart from "play" biting when they are getting their adult teeth youb shouldn't have any trouble with biters.
As a rule if kits are handled from when they are really young apart from "play" biting when they are getting their adult teeth youb shouldn't have any trouble with biters.
basil
Distinguished Member
I agree that biters don`t stay very long but sometimes the reason could be medical. A tooth problem or an internal stomach/chest problem has been known. Many years ago I had one that bit at any opportunity when picked up, it turned out that she had a growth in her chest that was extremely uncomfortable when she was picked up.
An Taín Hunting Outfitter
Well-Known Member
There is a new breed of dark polecat called a 'euro', I hear they can be aggressive and need special handling. Perhaps it has entered your line?
Had them for 44 years, on my last on who is 8 and like a 2 year old. Same as you handled all mine from a early age. used to love the squeaking from the nest ....
It could be something wrong with it as one jill I took on was nippy and over weight, turned out the dry food she had been fed from day one caused stones. I dug out a rabbit and she followed up stopping for a pee, I could hear her crying as she went so the vet x-rayed her to find a lot of them. Did the opp recovered and changed over night working very well, had young and lived along life for a ferret.
It could be just be she is pushing her luck, had that from a couple in the past just like all working pets some turn out better and some not.
A guy who used to bring his, all of then bit as he had too many and never spent enough time with them.
Welding gloves gave the game away lol
Tim.243
It could be something wrong with it as one jill I took on was nippy and over weight, turned out the dry food she had been fed from day one caused stones. I dug out a rabbit and she followed up stopping for a pee, I could hear her crying as she went so the vet x-rayed her to find a lot of them. Did the opp recovered and changed over night working very well, had young and lived along life for a ferret.
It could be just be she is pushing her luck, had that from a couple in the past just like all working pets some turn out better and some not.
A guy who used to bring his, all of then bit as he had too many and never spent enough time with them.
Welding gloves gave the game away lol
Tim.243
countrryboy
Well-Known Member
I mind I took in 4 escaped ferrets once that had been wild for a wee while.
They were a bit bitey at the start and u had to wear gloves as 4 of them. Eventually they calmed down a wee bit.
An old boy once told me to pick the ferret up and for a fist with ur other hand and encourage the ferret to bite ur knuckle and when it bites just force the ferret towards ur knuckle a wee bit. (In fact it might have been a book)
That stopped mine biting till I found homes for them
They were a bit bitey at the start and u had to wear gloves as 4 of them. Eventually they calmed down a wee bit.
An old boy once told me to pick the ferret up and for a fist with ur other hand and encourage the ferret to bite ur knuckle and when it bites just force the ferret towards ur knuckle a wee bit. (In fact it might have been a book)
That stopped mine biting till I found homes for them
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