I read this post a few times, but still couldn't quite get the point.  Are
you suggesting that the current variations in ferret coat/color/body style
etc. should be considering as separate breeds, or are you encouraging
breeders to select for a certain trait exclusively, in order to "create"
a new breed?
 
If the former, I would think that the ferret gene pool is so heterogeneous,
and that ferrets privately bred for specific traits are relatively rare (as
compared to the "mixes" that come out of the large scale breeders), that it
would be impossible to divide the ferret population into distinct "breeds."
 
If the latter, I would be wholly opposed.  Until and unless a truly useful
trait/line is isolated, such as a breeding program where the ferrets
lifespan is greatly increased, incidence of disease is significantly
lowered, defects such as blindness or deafness are made exceptionally
rare, etc., I see no reason to specifically breed for traits that make
the ferrets produced "unique."
 
In either case, I personally feel that breeding any animal for any
superficial trait (such as body shape, coat color, etc.) is silly, as long
as said "superficial" trait isn't linked to a more important, beneficial
trait (such as increased resistance to disease, et. al.).  Sadly, in the
world of domestication, the opposite seems to be far more prevalent; "new"
or "rare" cosmetic characteristics become popular, are over-bred, and come
to be linked to deleterious side-effects.
 
I feel that any attempts to specialize ferrets into separate breeds would
be silly at best, and potentially disastrous at worst.  Unlike dogs,
ferrets don't need to be bred to specific temperaments/body
shapes/sizes/coat types for doing a particular job.  Unlike both dogs and
cats, ferrets haven't been bred from many types of wild progenitors around
the world.  Thus, any differentiation would have to be created by humans
through radical inbreeding for mutant traits, or significant outcrossing to
wild polecats to regain/reinforce diminished "wild-type" traits.  I think
both strategies could be very harmful to the ferret genotype.
 
Bottom line: I like the little buggers just the way they are!  Breed in
health, breed out harmful traits, and leave the rest to nature.
 
--Rhone
[Posted in FML issue 3325]