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Post by runningdog on Nov 19, 2017 13:00:41 GMT -5
They’ve all had a short time in the new set-up today and nobody escaped yet! I’ll get some pix tomorrow. Ajax and Achilles aren’t too fussed about raw eggs but by ‘eck those mice went fast.....!
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Post by runningdog on Nov 20, 2017 11:04:45 GMT -5
I’ve moved the outside ferrets over to their new cage complex - if I stand at one end of the old hen house and look along the roof, I can see it starting to sag where the wood’s rotting through! I have visions of ferrets scaling the wire and climbing out through holes in the roof. The cage complex doesn’t give them as much space, though possibly as much ferret-used space, but they’re safe, warm, dry, have three hammocks and three nestboxes full of straw between them, a waterbowl in each cage and I can see them from inside the house instead of needing to slog twenty yards up the garden and then through mud to reach them. Once I’ve redone the roof on the henhouse and sorted the mud issues out (might move it elsewhere in the garden.... the dogs don’t use their run much, which is a concrete slab with chainlink fencing and a good solid roof, plenty big enough to put the ferret run in....) then I’ll rejig the interior to give them loads of new toys, activity centres and things-for-ferrets-to-do and put them back in it, maybe in the spring. In the meantime..... sigh..... they’ll just have to spend more time in the house! Video shot on the phone from inside the conservatory.
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Post by runningdog on Nov 21, 2017 10:27:47 GMT -5
So much for the best-laid plans, etc. The wind switched round and the place I thought was sheltered enough for the ferret hutches isn’t. The rain had been driving in all night and we got up to cross and soggy fuzzies this morning - the nestboxes were ok but the hammocks were sodden, the litter downstairs was soaked and the ferrets looked like hedgehogs, all spiky!
All hands on deck and thinking caps hurriedly on heads, we moved the ferrets back into the old henhouse temporarily, stripped the dog run down and stacked the bits out of the way, then moved the ferret hutches into the dry space where the dog run was, linked them all up again, cleaned out all the soggy bedding, litter and hammocks and replaced with dry, then put the ferrets back in again.
Apart from Loony complaining there isn’t a hammock big enough for him (he’s a big lad!) they all seem content. It’s going to be interesting next time I take the dogs up the garden, though, they’re in for a shock at what we’ve done..... they like ferrets and most of the ferrets like them but Ajax and Achilles sound like pans boiling over at the sight of them! Closer acquaintance will be good for them, undoubtedly, and they’ll be seeing a lot more of each other now the feazles are on a concrete standing - the whippets hate getting muddy paws and won’t go round the old henhouse when it’s wet, so the ferrets haven’t seen much of them recently!
That’s taken up most of today......
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Post by Sherry on Nov 21, 2017 12:05:12 GMT -5
Oh poor fuzz! I can't say as I blame them for being a wee bit cranky after that night Glad it wasn't worse for them.
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Post by runningdog on Nov 22, 2017 4:13:18 GMT -5
All feazles warm, dry and fluffy this morning, no hedgehogs in the cage!
I’ve just watched Loony and Ajax discussing ownership of a chick. Loony happened to be standing just outside the nestbox Ajax was in, so I gave Ajax his chick and he vanished into the straw, then I handed Loony a chick and he took it, put it down, nosed it a couple of times (he’s overplaying the Grand Old Man role) and then a blond nose whipped out of the straw, grabbed the chick and was gone. Loony looked at the nestbox entrance a moment, then went in with a purposeful sort of air.
I couldn’t resist it. I opened the nestbox door to watch. Ajax was in the nest, facing the back corner of the space and hunched up over his chicks, and Loony crawled up very slowly alongside. Ajax ate faster. Very deliberately and unhurriedly, Loony shifted over and lay on him. He’s a big guy, 2.15kg at the moment, and while Ajax is a big kit he’s only 1.3kg. He got flattened, so he had to squirm out from under, still chewing, and Loony very calmly took possession of a chick and started eating. Ajax reached round him, grabbed the other chick and pulled it out, then carried on with his breakfast, still right next to Loony and gobbling fast.
I’ve not seen Loony pull this trick before, but it worked so I’ll bet he’ll do it again!
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Post by Sherry on Nov 22, 2017 11:53:01 GMT -5
I have to laugh when they use their size to accomplish what they want lol
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Post by runningdog on Nov 22, 2017 14:42:36 GMT -5
I’ve not seen a big ferret carefully squash a smaller one out of his way before - is it common? Loony often crowds the kits sideways when they want to wrestle, using his shoulders and bum to push them away rather than going in for the neck-wrestle hold, and that I’ve seen often enough in other ferrets. Lying on top of them I’ve not met before.
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Post by runningdog on Nov 23, 2017 10:02:41 GMT -5
Ye gods, I’ve just done something really, really stupid. Just finished the day’s mucking out in the rabbitry and walked back past the ferrets, where Ajax was standing at the door looking winsome. So I went over, opened the door and picked him up for a cuddle..... .....still smelling strongly of rabbits/rabbit litter!!! Jeepers, that young ferret has good instincts! I was juggling a mad furball for a few seconds before I got him back in the cage and hurriedly shut the door again! He’s going to be a brilliant worker when he’s grown. Must remember to wash thoroughly between handling rabbits and handling ferrets..... I do know better!
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Post by Sherry on Nov 24, 2017 8:48:59 GMT -5
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Post by lee on Nov 24, 2017 16:21:48 GMT -5
That sounds that was a close one lol
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Post by runningdog on Nov 26, 2017 19:07:21 GMT -5
What do you do when you go out for a last check of your beasties and 7 hungry ferrets rampage out of their nests demanding food instantly? They had over half a kilo of bone-in mince at 6.30 this evening, but the dishes were spotless at 10.30. There’s half a kilo of heart thawing for breakfast but it’ll be hours before it’s ready to eat (not to mention throwing the meal plan out the window if they get it now!) Everything else is still in the deep freeze. Thank goodness for the quail. I came in, turned on the cooker and scrambled a couple of dozen quail eggs for them. Five minutes to cool and I have happy ferrets again (though the dogs look disappointed!) Think I need to increase the daily food amounts again - the boys have been growing. They already get an extra meal when the other fuzzies go back out after playtime! I’ve brought in another kilo of meat from the freezer for tomorrow; I’d better have extra on hand and it’ll last a few days in the fridge....
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Post by runningdog on Nov 27, 2017 8:43:22 GMT -5
Quick weight check this morning:
Ajax 1.49kg (up from 1.32) Achilles 1.62kg (up from 1.45)
This means they’ve put on 170g in 17 days (last time I weighed them) and that’s with all the running madly all over everywhere they do! Joker and Bane are still gaining weight (1.55kg and 1.56kg respectively, up 60g and 80g respectively) but the others have levelled off - Loony has dropped 60g to 2.09kg, Angus has dropped 20g to 1.29kg and Holly has dropped 10g to 920g. Ivy’s sitting tight at 940g. We’re probably close to peak winter weights for the adults, and probably close for the jills at 8 months, too - it’ll be interesting to weigh them next year and see.
Ajax and Achilles of course should go on gaining weight for some months to come......
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Post by Sherry on Nov 27, 2017 11:37:02 GMT -5
I'd say definitely increase the amounts As for giving the heart early, that's fine. Just swap it out with what they'd have gotten for the other meal. So if they were getting heart in the morning, just thaw some more of the bone mince they'd had that night Balance is over the week, and while heart/liver/organ are a bit more sensitive you can play a bit once in a while with the rest.
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Post by runningdog on Nov 27, 2017 14:09:23 GMT -5
I’ve just put out 650g of mixed minces - some of bone-in duck, about 3 times as much boneless beef mince and a pack of bone-in chicken and rabbit. It’s vanishing fast! Ajax and Achilles also had another 100g of mixed duck mince and chicken breast pieces at lunchtime - they liked the duck, though they’ve not met it before. I’ll see what’s left in the dishes at bedtime but I’ve brought in some more chicken pieces, just in case they need midnight munchies
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Post by runningdog on Nov 28, 2017 17:51:50 GMT -5
This morning there were still a couple of bites of meat in the dishes (the duck) and the golden boys scarfed down another 100g of meat at lunchtime. Achilles is getting very soft and cuddly, even to the extent of licking and very gently nibbling my fingers when I’m handling him, and he asks for cuddles. Ajax is still a bit more stand-offish and will try to nip when I pick him up, but he’s moderating his bite nicely and only pinches rather than really going for it - this morning he was squeezing my fingers a bit too hard but eased back as soon as I said ‘ow!’ in a pained tone, so full marks to that ferret!
I fed them a bit early this afternoon as I was going out in the evening and would be out at their usual mealtime, and when I put the dishes in, Bane and Loony got out of one of the nests to look in the dish and I spotted Ajax upside down under where they’d been, feet in the air, doing DFS! Even tickling his tummy didn’t get any response, but eventually he yawned himself awake, enjoyed a tummy rub while he was still half-asleep, and then realised everyone had gone off and rolled to his feet to find out why.
Looks like 1.3kg of food a day is the new magic number. It’s been a long time since I had hob kits this young around - they’re coming up on four months now and I know hobs carry on growing longer than jills, but I can’t remember when they slow up on their growing significantly? They must be nearly full size by now, unless they plan on being badgers when they grow up!
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