Here in the UK we have club shows for most types of pets like the US, AUS
etc., our pets are judged to a recognised standard relating to that type
of pet, we have those who say that there is no such thing as a ferret
colour standard and if UK clubs start judging to a colour standard we
will have lots of excess ferrets that no one will want, what ever happens
weather ferrets are judges to a standard or not we will always have people
who's only reason for breeding is to take a jill out of season .
 
Why our club started using standards came about was because of a person
that used to grade fur for the fur trade when Coney "Rabbit fur" and Fitch
"Ferret Fur" amongst others was graded into colours, the colour we call
polecat was graded into light sable "winter sable" and dark sable "summer
sable", then you have cinnamon which was is rich reddish brown colour and
sold as second grade mink, albino and some of the pastel colours such as
butterscotch and milk chocolate were also sold as second grade mink,
sterling silver was one of the most expensive colours as they were hard
to breed, so our colour standards go back to that time and the ferret is
now judged like the hamster, cavy or rabbit
 
http://uk.profiles.yahoo.com/houseferrets13uk
Ant / Tony O'Sullivan President/Secretary SMWR inc. NHFA, UK
 
PS, I have just recently noticed that a ferret club in the Midlands has
started splitting its classes into Silvermitts, this is the start we, now
other clubs will follow and all UK clubs will start using ferret standards
[Posted in FML issue 3629]