>From:    Andrea Franzini <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Pookie's tumor update, Balto show, poopie comparison, the deaf
>         biter, MF babies..
 
Gosh, you didn't say hi?
 
>On a happy note, my first ferret show that I participated in was
>FUNNNNNN!!!!  It was great to meet and greet all the other fuzzy lovers
>and their ferrets and spend spend spend.  Merv got 21st in chocolate and
>27th in MF.  Lucy got 3rd in twiggy, although I still think she is the
>smallest of them all.
 
You saw bill twice (he judged both the MF and the Twiggy).  Unfortunately
he doesn't remember Merv or Lucy... <pout>
 
Please tell MF in a polite letter, not in hate mail, exactly where and when
you are seeing these extremely young ferrets.  THey really might not be
from Marshall.
 
>From:    Sue <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: kits too young
>(And do remember that stores or distributers can try to pass off ferrets
>as MF ferrets.  Marshall Farms ferrets come with an information packet!
>All too often stores don't even tell people that!)
 
Marshall is very willing to work with us the ferret owning community.  But
as Sue states, they as a business have to do what their customers want -
and that is not us private individuals but the pet stores.
 
Thank you for being one of several that in last night's issue mentioned
that not all "MF" ferrets are really from Marshall Farms.  Marshall has
talked to us about at least one wholesaler that they believe might be
passing off others as Marshall ferrets.  They have stopped dealing with him
because they do not think he does right by the ferrets he sells.  This is
why it is quite important to actually get the information about which store
exactly and what shipment exactly so the Marshall can HELP us resolve this
problem.  Marshall Farms will try to stop competitors that use the Marshall
name to sell other ferrets that are sold earlier than Marshall will sell
them.  So even if 6 weeks is too early in many of our eyes, if Marshall
will help eliminate the even younger ones being sold it is a gain.  Then we
as a whole can work toward laws and regulations bring the age higher for
the industry as a whole.
 
>From:    Jennifer Hudson <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: MF ferret or not????
 
Marshall has hinted that in particular you might be dealing with the guy
we mentioned above.
 
>From:    Nicole Leshock <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: MF Babies
 
Wanna know something interesting?
 
>I am appalled that some pet stores are getting and accepting them so
>young that their eyes are closed and they still have stitches from their
>surgeries.
 
Those are NOT Marshall kits.  Marshall does not use sutures... They have a
brochure they send to vets that details the clips they use instead.
 
We too have disagreements with Marshalls but like Susan Malone have learned
the best way to reach them is as fellow ferret fanciers.
 
>From:    Nancy Brenny <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: MF TOO YOUNG;  SET THINGS STRAIGHT!
>MF has had a shortage of ferrets.  MF has no other big competition so it
>can get away with too young ferrets
 
Marshall plans to breed less ferrets than it can sell - this is a good
thing.  If there is a shortage the businessman can see higher profits as
demand is higher than supply BUT those concerned about ferrets can see
that that also means no surplus ferret problem.  Marshall doesn't want to
have ferrets that can't be sold and we don't want them to so its good.
 
How long a list of competitors would you like?  Marshall actually became
the largest from sticking with ferrets when other ranches quit in the past
(30 or 40 years ago) and from having the best "product".  Thirty years ago
ferrets were not seen as pets.  Marshall used to sell them effectively
retail to folks that would come to get them.  Many of the private breeders
that have longer pedigrees can trace some of theirs back to Marshall!
If Vickie McKimmey ever chooses to do the right thing and release more
publicly the archives she took from Raven then more people would know this.
 
There have also been unfortunately problems that hurt some of Marshall's
competitors such as Path Valley.  But there is plenty of competition for
Marshall Farms.  But none have as good a name penetration.
 
b&d
--
bill and diane killian
zen and the art of ferrets
http://www.zenferret.com/
mailto:[log in to unmask]
[Posted in FML issue 3026]