>From:    Margaret Merchant <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Maggie ponders some more on diet, mold and shows
>Ferret shows are hard to come by and many might travel a long way to see
>them, especially to get a ferret without going to a pet store.  With so
>many on this list condemning sales in pet stores, I would think you would
>be outraged that an alternative avenue is cut off from folks.
 
Funny how some folks seem to contradict themselves while showing how good
they are.  Nice point made here.
 
>One final thought, I learned from owning horses: Until you hear the same
>thing from 3 different sources, take it with a grain of salt.
 
Too often three different people don't even count as different sources
unfortunately.  You post was full of good points.  One or two we have to
evaluate in our minds where it disagrees with others we also admire.
 
>From:    Wherret <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Ferret Sales At Shows Revisited
 
Nice polite post.  Most of you Canadians are better at this than a lot of us
a bit further South.
 
You brought up comments the point about "pre-selling a litter" before it is
bred.  Well actually breeders do not do this.  We rather know about how many
ferrets we can place and try not to breed more than that.  Too many
variables.  How many kits will there be?  Any?  If the "buyer" is another
breeder then there is approximately zero chance of pre-sales to breeders who
really are on the ball.  There is no way we would buy a ferret that isn't
yet born to be put into our breeding program.  We who breed try to predict
what will be the results but its just a matter of playing the odds.  Using
color as its an easy example, if we breed a pair of champagnes we expect 25%
albinoes and 25% chocolate with the remainder champagne.  If the trait
another breeder wants is the champagne color in a jill then if the odds
don't work out and the only jills are albino then the presale is worthless.
 
>From:    "Scarlett A. Gray" <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Ferret Sales at Ferret Shows
>I have to concur with Bill Killian.  In the last 2 years I have been
>subscribing, I don't remember anything Bill has said that I don't agree
>with.
 
Well I'm not sure I agree with everything I've said over the past few years.
<grin> As a FYI, it is true that I (bill) do most of the posting but it is
usually after discussing it with diane.  Courtney too provides input.  If it
is just my opinion it will be noted.  We are a family involved with ferrets.
Lindsay is 17 and as such is well interested in boys mostly.  Derek is still
at the point where about all he says is "That my ferret!"
 
>He has always tried to look at both sides.
 
If one doesn't look at both sides then how could they possibly know whether
they are on the "right" side?  Thanks for the compliments and hope to see
you again on our next trip West.
 
We guess we were right when we said that there would be resistance to
stopping sales at all shows.
 
bill and diane killian
zen and the art of ferrets
http://www.zenferret.com/
mailto:[log in to unmask]
[Posted in FML issue 2222]