>From:    Sheila Crompton <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Re Different breeds?
>However, we do have some idiots in the UK who think that by capturing a
>Polecat and mating it to a ferret they end up with a "super ferret".
 
We aren't quite as negative on the idea.  We have several of these partial
poleys that made it across to the US.  We know lots of others who have them
as well.  Most are nasty.  Some are not.  We do NOT recommend getting
partial poleys - they are untrustworthy.
 
This will give me a chance to have another clique hate me. <grin>
 
>When I challenged one of these breeders about the 'attitude' of the first
>generation polecat x ferret he said "Yes, well the first generation won't
>be much good but by the 4th generation they will be super ferrets!
 
Simple percentages...
1st gen 50%     one half
2nd gen 25%     one quarter
3rd gen 12.5%   one eighth
4th gen 6.25%   one sixteenth
 
Unless another partial polecat gets brought back in.  For what its worth we
believe a biologist once told us that about the fourth generation they
aren't really considered cross breeds any more but fully domestic.
 
But as far as percentages of genetic material we'd imagine that polecats and
ferrets are probably some 99% the same without crossing.  Humans and chimps
and bonobos are 98-99% the same.
 
The difference though is in which ferrets go with which.  The vast majority
of breeders really have no idea what they are doing genetically or
understand inheritance.  We have a partial Poley fro one breeder in England
who DOES know what he's doing.  This hob is great.  We have others that came
through a different breeder and had some crossing with American ferrets.
They are not trustworthy.  They'll be sweet as can be and then CHOMP...
 
Stick with ferrets.  Unless you REALLY know what you are doing.
 
bill and diane killian
zen and the art of ferrets
http://www.zenferret.com/
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[Posted in FML issue 2197]