The AP story in my local newspaper (about the 3000 dead ferrets at Path
Valley Farm) added one more fact: when the owner of the ferret farm sent
the Agway feed to experts for analysis, the reports all showed that the
feed had two parts phosphorous for every one part of calcium.  Apparently,
when there's more phosphorous than calcium in the blood, calcium is taken
from the bones of an animal or a developing fetus.  Agway denies that the
ratio was wrong.  (I don't know if that means they deny the feed had a 2:1
ratio, or if they agree with that and claim that a 2:1 ratio doesn't cause
a problem.)
 
Arlyn Kerr
[Posted in FML issue 1152]