I think one reason that people are more inclined to discuss MF here than
the small operations which are extremely abusive is four-fold (I am NOT
taking about responsible small breeders here, obviously, but the backyard
breeders from which the absolutely worst horror stories arise.):
 
1. Marshall Farms HAS made some progress in directions desired by
experienced ferret people (though there still is a way to go to please
most) and this indicates that enough of the people there care about public
opinion that if issues are tackled one at a time and in a constructive
fashion which takes business needs into account then further progress can
be made, because it has been made already.  It's not at all as much as
anyone would like to see, but it's the right direction and that is what
counts the most right now (given that we have to be realistic to be
effective in getting changes).  Screaming and raging isn't going to get
that.  (The bad backyard breeders aren't affected by anything beyond being
closed down, which is what usually happens since they operate outside the
law in relation to conditions and practises.  Go through the back FMLs for
some stories that will make you cry all night if you want to find out how
terrible it can get.)
 
2. There are so many ferrets involved.
 
3. It's an established target.
 
4. There's a website out there with some of its material out-dated and/or
exaggerated when checks were last done which gets folks very, very upset,
especially when it's hard to know what the current actual conditions are,
given that no one has had the time to check into the issue to verify things
in recent years.  Given that MF keeps a closed facility (which may well be
from health concerns, but I think everyone could imagine situations where
those could be addressed fully) it become harder to know what's really
there and some imagine the worst as a result.  (Also, when going from the
government inspection reports it's about impossible to know (when problems
are found) how many individual ferrets, cages, buildings are found to have
the problems.  Sometimes it's hard to know if these really are problems; 20
years ago some regulations for the keeping of primates, for instance, were
so neglecting of the emotional and mental needs of the primates that if
facilities adhered to them anytime except when inspectors were due the
primates would have been both insane and more dangerous.  I don't know what
the current regs are like.)
 
I figure that if someone like Pete Reid is still there with all his work to
help improve things for ferrets at MF that the facility can't be as bad as
some paint it, simply because he seems to be the sort who would not put up
with that.  There's room for improvement, though, perhaps for a lot of
improvement.
 
We've not personally found our MFs to be any different in health aspects
from those which came from other places, large and small, and we've had
ferrets for something like 16 (17?, 18?) years -- something over 15 now, I
think.  That said, we have have had only one late-neuter (a breeder who was
retired after a male bit through one of her eyes in mating) so Steve and I
can't compare to those.  Even our ferrets from small places were neutered
within the first three months or so, although we know that is not now the
common way for this to be handled among the small and responsible breeders.
 
***What I have never figured out is why people have not done the same
   level of checking or action in relation to other large breeders.***
If they can be visited by nearby folks, or can be gotten to consistently
use vets for the altering, or to always place retirees, or have other
procedures which please experienced people then those features could be
used as a sales point to cause stores to drift to the ones with the most
improvements/good features (in order to please customers) and that could
***cause more motion by the industry in general in the right direction,
which would tug MF along***.  Instead, except for a few dedicated shelters
and individuals who look at issues instead of the popularity of targets
there seems to be a tendency by some to make MF into some big, bad
mustache-twirling villain and to over-look the places which are worse, or
the ones which are pretty well the same.  From what I've seen PV is quite
a bit better than the MF reports in some regards despite being large, but
I don't know about the others, and certainly anyone out there has room for
improvements, even small and very responsible breeders.  (It's just that
the responsible ones actually like to learn and improve.)
 
>line is their only incentive.  I've dreamed of a system where the pet
>store would supply a voucher which would be presented at the
>shelter/breeder.  The shelter/breeder would pay a very small commission
>to the pet store for sending the customer.
 
Julianna, this is a GREAT idea!  Pet stores like to have something to
display, too, though.  Around here there used to be a small place which
did something like this for pups from private breeders and the breeders
would now and then have two or three in the store on high traffic days
during certain hours.  The pups seemed to find it very entertaining to
have a few hours of people watching.  Enjoyed the vet reference idea Bill
mentioned, too!  (Of course, we don't breed so I don't know the hitches to
be inventively overcome by that arena.)
[Posted in FML issue 2715]