Bill and Diane wrote:
>Dunno.  We haven't figured out precisely the genetics of the black mitts.
>Its hard to figure out for sure that it is a completely different gene
>from the ones that are called Waardenburg because too many breeders have
>no clue about color genetics and have spoiled too much of the genetic
>pool by indiscriminate breeding of the Waardenburg ferrets to the point
>that its seems almost all hobby bred ferrets have that defect in their
>background now.
 
One thing that is really scary about this is that these were RARE less
than two decades ago -- very, very rare.  Yet, information existed then
in relation to multiple species on health problems associated with
Waardenburg, as well as with some color-depleted conditions, with
unilateral pigment distribution, and with acrondoplastic dwarfism.  Despite
that health information existing, MANY breeders went on to continue some
of these lines, in fact, to make some of them very common.  I am strongly
hoping that people begin to put health first.  We don't need ferrets which
have shorter lives, or are prone to painful arthritis, or have aortic
arch defects, or have sensory deficits which can negatively impact on
their survival in an emergency situation, or... We need a "health first"
mentality to override the "appearance first" one which has endangered so
very many.  I can recall when WS characteristics were so rare that when
spoken of someone thought the other person was making it up for attention.
Obviously, there has been a LOT of selective breeding to get more and more
WS ferrets and other fancies.  Less than two decades ago we pretty much
only had shades of brown with standard markings, and some albinos.  A few
paid triple price to get mitts.  Some of the fancies did exist but in rare
numbers.  What was also more common then was holding discussions about
people's 8, 9, and 10 year olds, and even some older ones.  I still HOPE
that late 7th year to second half of 8th year is the common longevity for
standard ferrets, but having everyone who has posted on the longevity
they encountered with WS ferrets being 4 to early 6 is scary as heck, and
knowing that many lines now have the WS genetic material in them in the
U.S. is really, really spooky.  I hope other country's breeders learn from
this before increasing their proportion of fancies, and hope that those
holding shows begin to attach point losses to markings associated with
health problems.  It's not that I don't consider these ferrets to be sweet
and beautiful, because I do; it's that I think that people naturally lean
toward assuming that a championship line is healthier and that too often
is anything but reality.
 
Lisa wrote:
>Our typical age of losing ferrets is around late 7 to almost 9...
 
>Our other long term survivors are: Wolf -- 10 1/2, MF sable male(old age,
>insulinoma); Jezebel -- 8 1/2, MF chocolate mitt female(insulinoma);
>Rascal -- 8 1/2, MF silver mutt female(pyloric cancer); Sasha -- 7, MF
>sable female(insulinoma).
 
So, Lisa, since you already said that your Waardenburg individuals were
dying younger (4 to early 6, if memory serves) this makes an interesting
comparison with the standards, and one which agrees with what others have
said.  The sample is still very low, but it's got some very disconcerting
trends in the pattern.  In our home over the years we have mostly had good
longevity with ferrets that had standard markings in any shade of brown,
with true mitts, and with gray ones.
 
*****Hey, folks, let us ALL know here on the FML which ferrets you have
known who lived to KNOWN ages (NOT estimates) of 8 or higher and attach
what their markings and colorations were like!  Make the information
available here on the list so all can learn from you.*****
[Posted in FML issue 3124]