Ferrets Breeding. 197 



made by pouring boiling water over dry stale bread, then 

 squeezing off most of the water and adding a sufficiency of 

 cold or warm milk to cover the bread. This diet may be 

 added to, twice or three times a week, by dainties in the 

 form of small birds, the livers of ground game, or portions 

 of a rabbit. The raw necks and heads of fowls, also, are 

 suitable. It is, however, necessary to avoid giving too much 

 food, and the quantity should never vary from day to day. 

 We should sometimes vary the bread and milk to porridge 

 and milk made in a similar way. The chief point of differ- 

 ence among ferret keepers is, whether to half-feed, feed, or 

 not feed their animals before using them to rabbits ; and 

 while paying every respect to the opinions of the experienced, 

 we find that it is better and more satisfactory, both to the 

 ferrets and to those who use them, to feed always the same, 

 work or no work. If unfed they are too blood-thirsty; if 

 half-fed they are tired out in a very short time ; while if no 

 change of routine is made, we find the ferrets invariably 

 bend to their work in a steady painstaking style. If a ferret be 

 worked throughout a whole day, it is quite advisable, ofttimes 

 necessary to give it a rest, and something to feed on about the 

 middle of the day ; it enlivens the ferret and sustains it. 



The breeding of ferrets is one of those undertakings in 

 which a little practice is worth a great deal of precept. We 

 fancy more failures result from over-attention than from 

 want of care, and more especially is this the case with those 

 whose experience has been with but two or three broods. 

 The most critical part of a young ferret's life is the month 

 after it is first able to see; consequently the greatest care 

 should be exercised during those four weeks. 



