THE RAISING OF FERRETS FOR RABBITCONTROL.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume XXX, Issue 3, 20 March 1925, Page 187

THE RAISING OF FERRETS FOR RABBITCONTROL.

D. MUNRO,

Inspector of Steck, Wanganui.

Inquiries have been received lately from farmers concerning the raising of ferrets or stoats, with a view to maintaining a steady supply of the “ natural enemy ” of the rabbit. The animal of this class which is usually bred for rabbit-control in New Zealand is the ferret, and the following notes deal specially with it. Very little breeding of stoats or weasels in captivity appears to have been carried out in this country, but, generally speaking, principles of breeding, feeding, and .handling are the same for these animals as for ferrets. The latter are found to be more easily domesticated than stoats or weasels. The number of litters produced annually by the female ferret will vary from one to two, but the majority of does will have one litter only. Does giving birth to their first litter, say, in September or October will frequently have a second litter in February or March. The period of gestation is from forty to forty-two days, . and the average litter seven. When pregnant the does must be separated, and each kept in a box or pen by itself. At this time the doe becomes very savage, and if left in the pen with others there is bound to be trouble, and generally the litter when born meets with a sudden and tragic end. For at least ten days after birth the young should not be examined or handled. If the nest is opened or interfered with in the first three or four days after birth of the young the mother will very frequently destroy them. While suckling her young the doe should be given a plentiful diet of new milk and oatmeal . porridge, say, twice daily, which may be supplemented occasionally with meat (rabbit). When about three weeks old the young will commence to feed on porridge and milk. Meat diet should not be given until they are .eight or ten weeks old. The meat should be either rabbit or hare ; mutton should not be fed to the young animals. Ferrets are very susceptible to a form of distemper, which generally proves fatal. As a preventive measure it is always advisable to have the pens or boxes separated in groups at a distance of, say, 100 yards, so that should distemper break out in one colony it may be isolated there. The attendant looking after animals suffering from distemper should not go near the other colonies. A simple but useful breeding-pen can be made from an ordinary strong packing-case, of dimensions about 2 ft. 6 in. high, 3 ft. wide, and 4 ft. or 5 ft. long, with the lid on top covered with malthoid or other waterproof substance. One end of the —say, 18 in.—should be partitioned off as sleeping-quarters and filled with soft straw or hay, the remainder of the box being the feeding-place. The latter part should be freely perforated with f in. auger-holes to allow free drainage of any liquids. Plenty of ventilation is essential in this apartment, and may be provided by cutting out a section in the end or sides of the box, over which a piece of perforated zinc is tacked securely. A hole, 6 in. by 6 in., should be cut in the partition near the floor to give access

to the . sleeping and feeding apartments. A box of this description will : give as good results as the most elaborately built house. Further, in the event of an outbreak of distemper the box with all its contents can be burnt, which .one would hesitate to do with a more expensive structure.

Non-poisonous dip should be used freely in washing down the breeding-pens, and a good sprinkling of sawdust on the floor of the boxes will make cleansing operations more easy. This should be done daily. The boxes should be raised about i ft. from the ground to allow a free current of air to pass under. This may be done by nailing battens on to the four corners to serve as legs, and in this way the boxes may the more readily be moved on to clean ground as the old spot is fouled. The first symptoms of distemper are loss of appetite and watering of the eyes, with mucous discharge from nostrils, similar to a cat or dog suffering from this complaint. The more virulent form is frequently followed by a partial paralysis of the hind quarters, and in cases where paralysis or fits are developed it is advisable to destroy the animal and burn the box and bedding. Unless the. boxes are kept thoroughly clean the ferrets will readily become affected with foot-rot. Animals so affected should be treated by rubbing in a mixture of sulphur,, lard, and Stockholm tar. A thin paste of sulphur and lard should be made, after, which add one part Stockholm tar to ten of the paste, mix thoroughly, and apply to the affected part with the fingers. Give two or three applications, one each second day, then wash the foot with warm water and soap, when the trouble will generally disappear. When the young ferrets are matured they may be grouped into pens of twenty and thirty, and if possible before being liberated should be fed for two or three weeks on whole rabbits with the skin intact. Young ferrets artificially raised on porridge and milk, if liberated without such training, will frequently die of starvation. The best results will be obtained by carrying them over the winter and liberating them in the spring when there are plenty of young rabbits about. The most important matter in the care of ferrets or stoats is cleanliness ; if they are kept thoroughly clean little or no trouble should be experienced. When handled these animals should be picked up by the tail, placed across the knee, and caught round the shoulders, one finger in front and one behind the shoulder. They should, not be grasped tightly round the abdomen. . If they are vicious a .leather glove may be used.

FRUIT-EXPORT CONTROL BOARD.

Following the recent polls, the following have been appointed as producers' representatives on the New Zealand Fruit-export Control Board : H. S. Izard (Auckland and Taranaki), A. M. Robertson (Hawke’s Bay and Wellington), T. C. Brash and H. E. Stephens (Nelson and Marlborough). Messrs. E. H. Williams and C. Gray have been appointed Government representatives on the Board. Otago was excluded from control on petition of not* less than 70 per cent, of eligible exporters, and thus has no representative on the Board.