Sometime in October when the nights are starting to get colder it's time to insulate the nest boxes. The boxes are made out of plywood, painted with a weatherproof colour on the outside and a non-toxic indoor colour on the inside. During the summer it's just these plain boxes with comfortable soft blankets and similar materials and a layer of newspaper to nest with.
To insulate the box I use an inner box made out of thin plywood. The outer box is first cleaned and disinfected. The bottom is covered with a thick layer of newspaper with the inner box placed on top, inside the outer box.
The space between the inner and outer box is also filled with newspaper.
The inside is bedded with a layer of newspaper and straw and fleece blankets. In really cold weather I sometimes add polyester filling as well. The bedding is finished with a few sheets of newspaper on top.
The inner ceiling, covered with a thick layer of newspaper, and the outer top are put in place.
When it gets really cold I staple a flap of fleece over the entrance.
The bedding is changed regularly. There will be condensation when the temperature drops below freezing. Straw, fleece and polyester are good materials since they keep both dry and warm. The newspaper will absorb the moisture in the beeding without getting damp. In addition, the newspaper is very popular for nest building. The ferrets will tear strips and rearrange the bedding into marvellous nests, very cleverly designed.
The nest boxes are placed in the sheltered elevated cages which are accessable from the enclosures via ramps.
