Outside ferret housing

[gorr]

Hey all!

I'm planning on getting a ferret in the near future, but as of now I just want to get as much info as I can and do all the planning I can.

For housing I'm planning on converting an outside shed, I feel this is the best option as the shed is large and it's by far more spacious than anything I could ever offer inside my house, I plan on giving it the whole shed, with plenty of nest boxes, beds and hammocks etc...

Id obviously kit the shed out with toys/tubes of various types, balls etc for playing.

I come from Ireland, so the weather isn't extreme, we don't get very hot summers and the winters rarely fall below zero, we hardly ever get any snowfall.

Any thoughts or opinions? anything to add?

[Charlie]

Make sure that the shed has no small holes anywhere where the ferret can squeeze out and make sure the door locks securely too. You will want to think like a ferret and get down to their level and look for anything and everything that a ferret can escape. They can climb and jump and will keep trying until they succeed.

If you are feeding raw, you may want to add a feeding den where your ferret will keep the food or it will try stashing it somewhere else. and smell and rot in the summer months.

[unclejoe]

Welcome to the group.
Will your ferrets have anywhere outside the shed to run around/exercise? Ideally they should have at least an hour morning and evening. If you can't fence of/secure your garden sufficiently, perhaps a smaller fenced area where they can play with supervision. If the shed is big enough it might work. They can get bored and less interactive with you.
If you feed them raw, a separate feeding den (and litter den) (H/T charlie, lol) with access from outside will make cleaning easier. One ferret isn't too much work but the preparation IS some work.

[abbeytheferret6]

Hi and welcome to the forum. So glad to have you:)

[gorr]

Jun 19, 2021 19:18:56 GMT -5 unclejoe said:

Welcome to the group.
Will your ferrets have anywhere outside the shed to run around/exercise? Ideally they should have at least an hour morning and evening. If you can't fence of/secure your garden sufficiently, perhaps a smaller fenced area where they can play with supervision. If the shed is big enough it might work. They can get bored and less interactive with you.
If you feed them raw, a separate feeding den (and litter den) (H/T charlie, lol) with access from outside will make cleaning easier. One ferret isn't too much work but the preparation IS some work.

The shed will be about 12ft long x 7ft wide, I wasn't planning on giving an outside area, I was hoping to train the ferret into using a leash and bringing it for walks outside.

I'm planning on feeding raw, although it was a bit overwhelming at first, how do you determine the quantities of food to give? as in how much raw meaty bone, how much organ meat, heart and muscle meat...I have read the schedule that's given on here but it doesn't say much about how much to give. 

[Charlie]

Your ferret will still be a kit so feed it as much as it will eat!! If it leaves a little bit of food then you know you are feeding it enough. As they get older they will eat a little less. In the summers they do eat a little less compared to the winter months. Females will eat between 2 to 4 ounces a day and males will eat about 4 to 8 ounces a day, depending on the ferret and how big they are. My male ferret tends to eat about 4 ounces a day. I split his meals up so he has 2 ounces in the morning and 2 ounces at night.

[gorr]

With regards feeding, I was considering commercial grinds as an option, how would I balance that? Pick as many different proteins per meal?

[Corvidophile]

Commercial grinds are generally already balanced (as in, they already contain all the nutrients your ferret needs in every meal), the word you’re looking for is varied. Yes, buy multiple brands and flavours. This is important because you’ll have a fallback in case one of them suddenly stops production and your ferret refuses to eat anything else, and it’s also good for their brains to have variety. When introducing new foods, it’s better to stick to one at a timing it each meal though, that way you can identify if there’s a problem with one. Like it causing diarrhea, or similar. Once they’re all introduced you can mix them all into one meal if you like. I feed a commercial powder mixed with grocery store minced meat, and I rotate between beef, pork and turkey for each meal to offer variety.

[blackjacksmom]

I'm having such a hard time getting my ferret to eat anything but his ferret kibble. I tried coating it in a little chicken baby food, and he wouldn't have anything to do with it. He refuses to have anything to do with any sort of fish, beef or chicken, and I'm wondering if I should just give up, or keep trying to get him to eat things beside kibble...... suggestions?

[Charlie]

Aug 11, 2021 17:01:37 GMT -5 blackjacksmom said:

I'm having such a hard time getting my ferret to eat anything but his ferret kibble. I tried coating it in a little chicken baby food, and he wouldn't have anything to do with it. He refuses to have anything to do with any sort of fish, beef or chicken, and I'm wondering if I should just give up, or keep trying to get him to eat things beside kibble...... suggestions?

Don't give up.  Is your ferret a kit or an adult?  Adults are harder to switch.  

You can make a soupie for the ferret.  You will have to hand feed it and teach it that this food is good.  Put a little bit on their mouth and it will lick it off and learn that it's good.  

Kits are easier to switch.  Mine was a kit when I started the raw diet. I kept offering my ferret tiny slivers of raw meat and he ate it from my hand.  You can always put a drop or 2 of salmon oil on the food too if your ferret likes salmon oil.  Or you can try mixing in a bit of raw egg yolk if it likes egg.  You can give egg once a week or twice a week during shedding season.

But most people start with the soupie. It is a raw meat soup blended so it's a thick liquid.  If I can find the recipe I'll link it for you.

[unclejoe]

that's how we start. We used ground turkey (mince) and grind kibble in coffee grinder, add to mince, add water tho make thin soup. gradually reduce kibble powder over 2 week and add more meat. the meat portion should be whatever you want to switch to. good luck. I've switched may older rescue ferrets to soup.  then just add more meat variety

[unclejoe]

check this thread. lumboo has a brilliant ferret setup

holisticferret60.proboards.com/thread/26096/ferret-mansion

[lumboo]

gorr

My hutch is not as big as your shed, so I am sure you can make the shed super exciting with tunnels, dig boxes and hide holes (because they love stashing toys)

My boys sleep in the hutch but are let into our enclosed garden whenever they're awake. From observation they love running distances, digging, hiding in the grasses, climbing up/scratching the palms, chasing/being chased by our cat and being generally nosey lol

They also climb all over me when I'm around, and want to 'help' when I'm cleaning their hutch out lol

They are fed 100% raw, and I buy the ready packs mixed to 80/10/10 ratio from The Raw Food Company. I buy a variety of packs so they get a mix of various proteins; chicken, beef, duck, rabbit, game, lamb. The only protein I don't feed is pork due to advice from my breeder.
There are other companies in the UK and Ireland that do ready made raw pet food. Take a look online because its been very reassuring for me to know they're getting everything they need in each mix. Just make sure the mix is correct for ferrets.

After Charlie, Lyles and Uncle Joe suggested a feeding den, I decided to use one sheltered area of the hutch for feeding. This has led to them not dragging food around the hutch as they eat in one place. Its easier for cleaning too.

This is a learning experience for me too because we're first time ferret owners. The guys on this site have been VERY useful with advice, and like you, I prepped a lot prior to getting our boys. All I can say is, I'm glad I did

Knowledge has meant an easy transition, happy ferrets and I have known exactly what to expect/know what's expected

Xx

[unclejoe]

I'm glad we could help. As always, more pics, please!

[lumboo]

Banjo



Pepe


Pepe; Hugo the cat


Pepe climbing down from the feeding area (the open door behind him)


Hugo & Pepe playing hide and seek


Banjo riding around in a bag with my daughter


See, I am very good about uploading photos every now and then lol