>From:    Bob Church <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Bob C on the road (gross)
 
So we get blown off over some silly old blood thing... <grin> of course we
understand, we'd kind of put you off about the not being in one or the other
house completely thing.
 
Well IF you make it back we will still offer the sushi pig out.  Oh Melissa
if he gives ANY warning of time and you can show up too that's fine.  Now
the ferret tie in is that we can also show you some of our ferrets named
after sushi!
 
And gosh... is there a problem in the "ferret dysfunctional family"
regarding false and mean rumors?  No, tell us it isn't so!  <snicker>
 
>From:    George Parker <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Polecats & feral ferrets
>The one that you have (on which I CAN comment with real authority) is from
>a litter that is 3 generations removed from wild, with the wild polecat
>coming down through the hob line, in each case the jill selected was done so
>on the basis of tameness and general tractability.  This way, we were
>attempting to combine the best of the wild physical structure with evenness
>of temperament.
 
This is the mark of a true breeder.  Someone that actually looks for
specific qualities in what they breed.
 
>So, the qualities that we were focusing on in our breeding seems to have
>met with a degree of success.  What do you think?
 
Well done!  We've heard from some biologist folks that three generations
removed from wild (1/8 right?) is considered domesticated not hybrid anymore
but I'm not sure of that.  This hob we have is far more consistent at 1/8
poley than the jill we have that is supposed to be two generations removed
or 1/4 poley.  Don't get this wrong though.  The jill is 99.9% of the time
is an absolute sweetheart around individual people.  This generation did not
did not do well in crowds while a kit but thats by ferret standards not cat
or dog.  We think ferrets do better in general than the others.  We see more
problems in the solitary nature showing through.  This jill is less civil
than the full ferret jills with each other.
 
We find this fascinating but at this point we are extremely cautious about
polecat hybrids with the general human population.  Better safe than sorry.
We do NOT want to set back efforts in ferrets because of a few lose polecat
genes.  The full steppe polecats we've seen are NOT pets and are not
trustworthy with people at all.
 
>The mink that originally escaped in England around 1929 were American mink,
>I'm afraid that without a bit of research I can't tell you if they were wild
>or domesticated ranch mink.
 
We'd suspect that since mustella vison (American Mink) had not been captive
bred all that long by that point they had not been as heavily modified by
selective breeding and would be far more like the wild versions thus smaller
and lither.  By being over there I'd almost have to assume they were "ranch"
mink but maybe Bob Church will have input.
 
>From:    Gary Robertson <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Pogo bites and mirrors
 
Oh by the way some ferrets react quite surprisingly at little squeeky
sounds.  Various pitches affect various ferrets.  We've learned that some
get way too crazy at certian squeeks and we avoid those around them.
Usually its different squeek toys for different ferrets.
 
We have heard explanations that its a kit sound but that wouldn't explain
males but we've seen more reaction out of jills.  Could early altered males
have less sex differentiated traits in this area as well?  We have also
heard it sounds like their wild prey hunting aspects are showing.  Is their
a grad student REALLY hard up for a topic to study that want to research the
age of neutering in relationships to squeeky noise reactions?  We didn't
think so at this point...
 
Can't recommend teeth filing.
 
>From:    Tim Kwasny <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: dark and creepies
>Dr. Strope said that she wouldn't put it past Puck to eat the spider after
>it bit him.
 
Well a human reactino to a mosquito bite is to "swat the bug" it seems that
a ferret would do the closest it could.
 
bill and diane killian
zen and the art of ferrets
http://www.zenferret.com/
mailto:[log in to unmask]
[Posted in FML issue 2005]