Rachel wrote:
>...I don't think you are looking at the big picture when I comes to supply
>and demand for these ferrets.  If your store does not carry MF ferrets,
>then they will have that many that they can't sell.  The DEMAND will drop
>so therefore they will not be able to SUPPLY as many, and they will have to
>drop the number of ferrets produced (for lack of a better term)...If enough
>stores refused to sell ferrets from MF, Path Valley, Peterson's, Hagen,
>etc.  then the large scale breeders will not be able to support their
>business and we will be left with small breeders that can and do take care
>of their kits, alter later, and keep better records about bloodlines.
 
I'm sorry, I just couldn't stay silent on this subject any longer...so I'm
putting on my flame-proof suit before starting this post.  (Oh, and a quick
apology to Rachel for using her post to reply to a wider spread concern.)
 
Why does everyone assume that all small breeders keep good records and take
good care of their ferrets?  Here in Florida, the South Florida Ferret Club
and Rescue recently had to go get a number of ferrets that a "backyard"
breeder had caged in a lean-to shack with no air conditioning (in Florida!
temps in the 90's with heat indexes well above 100 in the summer...).  You
can see the conditions on their webpage at
http://www.gate.net/~mjanke/safe.htm - go to the bottom of the page to see
the shack.
 
So, why does everyone assume that these conditions are completely rare?  I
will be happy to acknowledge that they are most likely the exception rather
than the rule, but "the exception" could easily number 25% of the
small-scale breeders and still be "the exception." And if we put the larger
farms out of business (I understand the desire to put MF out, but why the
others?  Do we have bad stories or rumors about them, too?), more people
will be like this breeder and decide that they can make money at breeding
ferrets, and will start with little to no knowledge - people in general are
a greedy bunch, and with the (well-publicized, if it happens) death of MF,
a lot will think, "Someone needs to fill in that need, I think I'll do it -
MF made lots of money, so I can, too."
 
*sigh* I don't think there's an easy answer to this situation, as much as we
all wish we could give every ferret a good start in life, and a good life
throughout...but I'd be glad to hear any responses to this - in private
email or (if it's polite) on the FML.
 
Just my $.02.
 
Debbie (& Jim "Hey, I didn't type that!")
Pixie (The one in charge)
[Posted in FML issue 2237]