I want to point out something people seem to be forgetting: while
Marshalls IS the largest farm it is not the worst.
 
MY POINT IS THAT IF YOU ARE GOING TO TACKLE FARMS BE CAREFUL THAT YOU
DON'T WIND UP INCREASING THE BUSINESS OF FARMS WHICH ARE WORSE INSTEAD
OF DECREASING BUSINESS IN GENERAL.
 
* MF has a history or trying to place their retired breeders (and
  hopefully still does so).
 
* When it became apparent that ferrets with neural crest variant markings
  were having worse health MF stopped breeding the ones with those
  markings.  Unfortunately, neural crest genetic variants have variable
  expression so the genetics can be hidden, and they of course would
  always be hidden (when present) if the showing genetics is albino or
  BEW.  Some other breeders happily still breed overtly neural crest
  variant ferrets.
 
* MF is the only farm which has veterinarians and vet techs on site.
 
* MF is the only farm which has donated (and very large amounts, too)
  to research that improves veterinary care for ferrets.
 
* MF's facility tends to do well on USDA checks.  They cool with A/ C and
  provide a number of other ferret-friendly and ferret-healthy aspects of
  their practices which encourage good health.  For example, they do not
  put their ferrets in outside set-ups where they could be exposed to ADV
  in raccoons*, mink, or skunks.
 
* MF separates breeding groups to reduce in-breeding risks.
 
* While MF does send out ferrets too young as far as I am concerned their
  practice do *not* include forced weaning and sending out virtually all
  kits at 5 weeks which some other farms do.
 
etc.
 
So, yes, I would be the last to say that there is no room for
improvement, because there is, but they are not the worst.  Usually what
happens in the past when people complain to pet stores about one given
farm is that the pet stores just change farms.  All too often that is
for the worse.
 
It's like complaining about PetSmart.  I wish that other stores did what
PetSmart does in its few stores that carry ferrets.  It decided to not
sell kits before the age of 12 weeks so that they could have all shots
on board, and so that all dentition would in so that they would not be
abused by people who don't understand teething, and also so that there
would be more time with the mother.  Steve and I have gone to PetSmarts
to verify this and do dental aging.  In fact, our Telemna was bought
from one last year (which was the last time we checked them).  They had
a special set-up there, too, a multi- level one with toys, and will food
and water levels separate from litter pot levels.  Am I wild about pet
stores selling live animals?  No.  ***** Do I wish that other pet stores
were as careful as PetSmart?  You bet I do.  ***** When we go to Petco
and other chains as well as to local independent stores the kits are
usually around 7 weeks old, though I have seen as young as 5 week old
ones, and usually do not have carefully designed set-ups, plus at that
age the only vaccine on board will be the first of the CD series, and
you know that the careful spacing of the initial CD vaccines is forgotten
if they don't sell before the next one is needed, or sell to some newbies
who just don't know, yet...
 
So, the point is to TRY TO NOT MAKE THINGS WORSE.  If complaining then
OFFER A WORKABLE ALTERNATIVE THAT IS BETTER.
 
I know that some pet stores have agreed to direct people to ferret
shelters as long as the shelters buy supplies from them and recommend
them to adopters (In fact, I have heard of one where the stores provide
special coupons for adopters that are given by the shelters to get them
in buying supplies.), but i do NOT know how common that is.  To me it
seems like a fine arrangement to help ferrets and shelters.
 
Sheltering has got to be the hardest thing a ferret person can do.  They
person first off needs a heart full of love to provide the foundation.
Then the person has to be able and willing to work hard day and day out
on care.  Finally, the person has to have learned a lot about ferret
health care and to continue to learn and relearn.  That medical knowledge
provides the roof.  Without any of those the shelter is not really a
truly fair place for a ferret to be, so it is very tall order for anyone
to fill.
 
*Finally (and being quick about it since I am running into the space
limit (so will remove my sig)): It had long interested me that raccoons
can get ADV but i think that a new molecular genetics study has a info
which can help understand that, and perhaps point to other possible wild
carriers: Mol Phylogenet Evol.  2006 May 26; Molecular phylogeny of the
Arctoidea (Carnivora): Effect of missing data on supertree and
supermatrix analyses of multiple gene data sets.
[Posted in FML issue 5309]