>From:    zen and the art of ferrets - bill and diane <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: profit from shelters; pine pellet litters; swedes and angoras
>My first ferret took a best in show at a show at age 5 years eleven months.
>That wasn't an eldery infirm ferret.  She passed away at 7 years seven
>months - I didn't have a necropsy done.
 
Correction Furall passed away at 8 years and 7 months.  Didn't quite make
her ninth birthday.  My second ferret Fuzzface - also a Marshall Farms jill
died at over 7 years old not too long after Furball.  Fuzzy did have adrenal
cancer.  But at that age the warranties are expired.  Nearly all people over
age 80 end up with some form of cancer.  It just happens.
 
>From:    Maria <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Re: About these angoras again
>No size difference there, I agree.  I've just gotten the impression that
>American ferrets are smaller than the European ones since I know several
>people from the US having been surprised at the large size of the Swedish
>ferrets.  Maybe they've only seen MF ferrets in the US and they've been
>smaller, I can not say.
 
Probably.  The early alters stay much smaller.  Its one reason why we don't
support petstores sales and ranches that sell to them.
 
We think what we'll end up finding out is that ferrets are about the same
worldwide.  We've a larger selection of different countries' ferrets in our
business than any other business we know about.
 
The differences are usually odd little things.  Nothing serious or
important.  American ferrets have been bred for temperament and color far
longer than other parts of the world.  Maybe too much.  Bringing the more
energetic Europeans (and Aussies and Kiwis) will help rejuvenate the
American lines.  Bringing Americans into the other countries will help calm
down and broaden the lines in those countries.
 
Oh we've got people that swear Sedish ferrets "smell different" than
Americans.  Don't want to say in what way until we hear more confirmations
or disagreements.  Don't want to "influence" the "study" and throw the
results off.  <grin>
 
>From:    "Preisig, Kylie KE" <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: DEWs and don'ts?
>So the question is: are there any known genetic faults that can be
>reinforced by breeding DEWs together?
 
The typical DEW here in the US is a Waardensburg gened ferret.  Deafness
does follow the pattern (yes some can hear).  There are other traits that
follow these patterns like kinked tails and "bad mothering" but they can be
culled (sort of) and adopted out as pets.  We've had very good luck with our
light patterns and DEWs.  YFMV.
 
But most that breed DEW to DEW get litters os sables.  Very hard to
consistently get DEWs.
 
bill and diane killian
zen and the art of ferrets
http://www.zenferret.com/
mailto:[log in to unmask]
[Posted in FML issue 1891]