kat parsons wrote:
>>Wow!  I am really shocked that Mr. Killian would think calling ferrets a
>>"hobby" is ok.  Boy is that a scary statement coming from someone who is
>>a breeder.  I seem to recall several people getting upset over backyard
>>breeders who do it for a "hobby".  Very alarming comments indeed.<<
>
>oh my, dee!!!
>those are two COMPLETELY different things!!!...owning/showing ferrets
>being called a hobby is WAY different than "hobby breeding"!!!!
>I would think breeding would be much more involved than hobby status...and
>those that treat it as a 'hobby' would be suspect...i wouldn't image too
>many serious, responsible breeders consider the breeding part as a "hobby"
 
Actually "hobby breeder" is one of the most accepted terms for some one
who breeds for the enjoyment of the ferrets and the good things that can
come from breeding.  It is a hobby.  Whether the keeping, the showing or
the breeding.
 
The ranches are not hobby breeders as they are a profession, a vocation
not an avocation.
 
The "backyard breeders" are like the "puppy mills" of the dog world.  They
too are in it for the money but unlike the ranches they are not true
professionals.  That is where the ferrets are neglected or more strongly
abused.
 
bill and diane killian
zen and the art of ferrets
[Posted in FML issue 3202]