Rodents, small mammals, etc. are not the perfect food for ferrets or
anything else.  They are good enough to allow the species to survive to
reproduce.  If a species becomes so specialized that a given prey is
perfect, then they are flawed in that their dependance is too great on that
food source.  Evolution strives for good enough, not perfect.  A perfect
food would have no waste and no need for solid excretion either.  Waste is,
by definition, an imperfection.  The solids have been accommodated in the
excretory portion of the digestive tract very well, but they are only
accommodated.
 
I happen to believe that intelligent understanding of natural processes can
improve the way they are used.  Not saying we are there yet either.  We
border on religious discussion; I don't want to go there.  While you may not
be able to improve upon nature, that doesn't mean no one can.   There were
several people who posted in this area and I responded to the general topic,
not any person.  Bob C., you presume that you are being directly addressed.
You're not.  Nor do I take your "Period" as anything but an indication of
arrogance.  There is no final verdict that I have read anywhere, other than
in your posts.  I disagree with you, and suggest that as a fellow human, you
do not have the perfect knowledge that many of your posts imply.  I may not
be right, but there is a possibility you aren't too.  I am simply offering a
counter argument to your many posts which leave no room for doubt.
 
I'm a researcher myself and know that the same data can be interpreted in
opposite ways.  Very little research produces black and white results.  For
every reference you have there may be others that refute it.  When you get
to human nutrition you mention a natural diet.  What is that?  Every place
in the world has a different diet.  The introduction of improved diets in
Asia has increased the average size over the former "natural" diet.  Back to
my initial premise - things evolve to survive (not achieve perfection) on
what is available.  Just because you want to supplement your ferrets diet,
that doesn't mean that they are better fed than those who aren't
supplemented.  I'm merely stating the null hypothesis and last time I
checked, that has to be disproved.
 
   ( )--(a)
   (@=@=) \     Till next time.......Rudy the ferlosopher
   O__)  \ \___
      \   \
      /\ * )  \
[Posted in FML issue 1398]