In all honesty, ALL of the large farms that I have read about use similar
shipping methods.  It doesn't make sense to go after only one for it.
What makes sense is to make sure that shipping age and method laws are
better so that all farms and distributors will have to be more careful.
One reason that this is the only logical way to handle it is because MF
used to be the only farm which actually shipped and sold kits at older
ages (8 weeks and sometimes older).  It was forced to reduce the age
because it simply lost too many sales to the other farms which were
selling 5 and 6 week old kits.  (I know which was the first farm to do
that in the N.E., too, and it wasn't MF by a long shot.) Pet stores like
having the extra bundle-of-fluff sales weeks so the pet stores WANTED the
kits at young ages and when other farms sold at those young ages the rest
of the farms (MF included) were forced to go along and do it, too, to
survive in the pet portion of their field.
 
Alicia has gotten NH to have an 8 minimum age for transport and sale.
This is logical.  It went through without opposition, partly because she
did her preparation work and did it well, and partly because 8 weeks
simply is logical.  At the Niagara Falls Forum she taught people how to
do this, and she will again at the 2003 International Ferret Congress
Symposium.  I have heard little bits about efforts in two states
(Maryland and Maine) trying to also raise their ages.  These legislative
efforts have worked.
 
It can be done; it has been done; it can be done again.
[Posted in FML issue 4007]