[Moderator's note: Well, ok, Rudy... you were vacationing, so I guess you
can have your say too now... but I'd like to wind this down.  BIG]
 
The posts that dispute Bill's [Killian] comments as invalid miss his points.
In the fabled world where MF no longer exists, he posits that new,
opportunistic types would see a chance to make a quick buck and they MAY not
be willing to spring for "extras" like vet care or the best feed.  These
people would do it strictly for $, not because they have any personal love
of ferrets.  The automatic assumption that all breeders will, of course, get
proper vet care (except MF) is one that stretches my beliefs.
 
As to why there are no current new entries in this farm niche other than PV?
Well, there are.  I think there is a sizable farm breeder in CO whose name
I've forgotten, there is Hagan in Canada, and possibly another there (from
discussions of Canadian members).   As to why there aren't more, an
investor's money flows to where there is the best opportunity.  No matter
how much somebody may love buggy whips, ferrets, or anything else, if the
return on investment is not there, they go someplace else.  People invest
money primarily to make money, not just because they happen to like what
they invest in.   As long as the current ferret demand is reasonably
satisfied, there are better places to put money.   Don't confuse the reasons
for hobby breeding with business breeding, that is a category error.   There
is a large, profitable market for cars in the US, but no new manufacturers
for the same reason - demand is satisfied by current capacity.  If one of
the big three were to disappear, then the situation would probably change.
This is the point Bill tried to get across.
 
As to the "poorer" health/lifespan prospects for MF ferrets, publish the
data (and how collected).  If MF ferrets make up a large proportion of
ferrets owned, then they would be expected to also present the same
proportion of problems.  Reports that most calls about sick ferrets are
about MF ferrets prove nothing if most ferrets are MF.  If you think they
are over represented, put your data out for all to see.   You have to know
what the composition of the ferret universe is too and I don't know if there
is anything but a guesstimate for that.   ENUFF would love to see somebody
prove them wrong with real data about foreign ferrets "superiority" too.  No
proof, no truth.
 
The reports of hordes of students being hired to handle ferrets doesn't
sound like an iron curtain surrounds MF.  If they don't want to let in
anybody else, that is their right.  How many of us would let somebody tour
our homes or businesses just because they want to?   Nobody has to provide a
reason to exercise a right.
 
   ( )--(a)
   (@=@=) \     Till next time.......Rudy the ferlosopher
   O__)  \ \___
      \   \
      /\ * )  \
[Posted in FML issue 1309]