This was delayed while bill was out of town on business.  Bill Gruber wanted
certain parts removed.  Its also becoming increasingly difficult to keep
posts short enough after dozens of lines of headers get added forcing
message length beyond 125 lines.
 
>From:    Austin Owens <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: my 2 cents!!!!!!
>I have only been on this list a few weeks and had seen several refrences to
>Marshall Farms.  I have heard so much about them I was fixing to write a
>letter to the FML and ask what was a matter with Marshall Farms.
 
Welcome Tex.  We're not attacking you just showing you the other side as you
said you wanted.  Highly controversial.  Some only see black and white.  We
see gray.  Marshall Farms does some things we don't like, they do some things
we do.  We don't know why our opinion of how they should treat their animals
within the limits of abuse laws should necessarily dictate what they do.
 
>The page was stories upon stories about the abuse and neglect of there
 
Some of the stories are partially true; all are misleading at best.  This
issue pops up everynow and then here, on the newsgroup and off line.  One of
these articles caused a founding member organization of LIFE to break all
ties to LIFE in protest.
 
>There is no way we can be ignored if I continue.
 
Well we prefer using honey to vinegar.  Efforts have been made in particular
regarding retired breeders.  MF is willing to negotiate but only when it is
a negotiation not a demand from what we can tell.  They aren't willing to
severly hurt their business just because some ferret owners demand that it.
They have been willing to sell their old breeders rather than give them
away.  Makes sense to us.
 
>*** If you can all please help*** I need as much info as I can about this
>place: If you know ANY places to look anywhere let me know, I want cold
>hard facts.
 
You haven't gotten any yet and Marshall is rather close on details since
they are propritary trade secrets.  Rival ranches could better compete if
details came out.  Most knowledgeable person on Marshall Farms on-line is
Debbie Riccio.  She wrote a rebutal to the original article in the journal
that is now on-line but it was highly "editted" in that forum.  Debbie lives
rather near MF and had access inside that others lacked.
 
>SHELTER OWNERS can u help with any numbers of the % of ferrets u see that
>are from Marshall Farms?
 
The vast majority of ferrets in shelters are indeed from Marshall Farms.  It
has to do with the relative size of Marshall vs.  Everyone else.  Just as at
a junkyard the largest number of cars you'd see are from GM since until
recently they sold well over half the cars in this country.  Doesn't mean
they are junkier than say Yugos.  Just more of them.  An additional factor
is that most ferrets in shelters come from petstores originally because of
things like impulse buying.
 
>Marshall Farms ferret owners: Send Info on your ferrets temperment,
 
Marshall Farms ferrets have earned a reputation as among the sweetest nicest
ferrets you'd every find.  Its one reason they dominate the market.
 
>any health issues ANYTHING that can be linked to Marshall Farms.
 
Well there are no health studies from credible sources that show any link
between any particular breeder and any particular ailment.  This has come up
many times here.  The scientists and doctors here have usually agreed that
although it is theoretically possible nothing has been shown to connect
Marshall to any disease.
 
>I am determined to alert officals, the public,
 
Public officials already know.  The same inspector that inspects MF has shut
down other ranches for relatively minor offenses such as spider webs so the
most informed inspector does not agree that MF is a serious situation.
Please tell the public what you learn but only once you are sure of the
truth.
 
>If there is anyone in the defense of Marshall Farms please let me know,
 
Well yes and no.  We do not like some of the things Marshall does but we
will not stand by and let anyone be attacked unfairly.
 
>If these remarks are actullay true why has the company allowed this
>continue?
 
We've heard this part directly from Marshall Farms.  They do not sue because
the defamer has no assests.  This is a civil not criminal issue so only
monetary punitive and actual damages could be awarded.  At this point MF
sells all the ferrets it can breed so it shows no damages and punitive
awards could not be gotten if the defamer has no money to pay.  So the
defamer can get away with it.  MF is far from the only company or individual
who understands suing the defamer is useless despite other offenses against
these other companies and individuals..
 
>P.S  Did u know they sell 10% of there ferrets to medical research labs?
>That dosent seem like a lot but when u consider how many ferrets they
>breed a year thats a lot!
 
If it wasn't for Marshall Farms selling ferret to research there wouldn't be
many pet ferrets in the US today.  Dr. Wendy Winstead would get to the ranch
that sold to research and buy a few as pets.  MF is effectively responsible
for all that we have now through a few pioneers such as Dr. Winstead.  We
though will not venutre into an animal rights debate.  But ferrets in
research are used to study ulcers and influenza since they get them the same
way humans do.  Ferrets are also used in researching other topics we're not
up on.  Little else on this topic is allowed by BIG.
 
>Also when Marshall Farms was confronted what do they do with there breeders
>after there 3 years are up...they refused to answer.... =-(
 
Marshall Farms and many others unfairly attacked by this organization don't
ever respond to them so don't read anything into that.  Declining to answer
is not the same as acknowledging something is true.  MF always declines to
respond to them (based on conversations with Dr. Bell and others at MF -
some second hand).
 
bill killian
[Posted in FML issue 1806]