CH. I.] Feeding Ferrets. 17 



feeding. I have always given my ferrets 

 bread and milk once or twice a week, which 

 was placed in flat tins in the middle com- 

 partment ; but care should be taken to clean 

 out the tins each time, as any old sour milk 

 in them will turn the fresh milk and make 

 the ferrets ill. The natural food of ferrets is 

 flesh — the flesh of small animals — and there- 

 fore it should be the chief food given. Small 

 birds, rats and mice are to them dainty 

 morsels, but the ferrets will be sure to drag 

 these into their beds to eat and will leave 

 the skins untouched ; these should be re- 

 moved each day. When my ferrets are not 

 in regular work they are fed just before 

 sunset ; if they are fed in the morning they 

 are no good for work all day, and one can 

 never tell (except on Sundays) that one of the 

 dogs may not find a rat that wants killing. 

 The day before real work, I give the ferrets 

 bread and milk in the morning, and nothing 



