While its true that not everyone makes money breeding, there are those that
do.  And of course they know the right words to say.  Its impossible to
tell on the net who's who and more likely the breeders for profit aren't
necessarily on the FML.  Personally I get look at a couple of things.
Volume is first.  If someone has more than a couple breeding pairs - or say
one or two studs and 2 or 3 jills then IMHO the ferrets and their breeding
is more a hobby than they are companion animals.  The hobby may or may not
make money - depends on how knowledgeable and smart the breeder is.  But I
like people who have pets and breed and not breeders who claim to have
pets.  The more kits you put out, like anything else, the more you defray
expenses (to a point) and the more likely it is someone is making money.
Another thing is breeders who don't have people on a waiting list.  I.e.
you only breed truly exceptional animals in temperment, health and
conformation which actually isn't very easy to do.  If your doing it right
you've researched the health of a potential parents lineage for longevity,
health, etc.  by looking at what sort of kits their parents and
grandparents threw in its entirety and then do a lot of the same research
on any potential hob or jill to find the right match to better the breed.
If you really and truly do the research and look carefully for stud or jill
you probably won't be breeding all that often - hence when you find a good
match - you have people waiting for the kits.  You have the luxury of doing
extensive screening - AND you can, if you don't breed very often - track
all the stastics of their lives so you learn whether what you did was good
or could have turned out better.  If you've bred 10 litters in between than
any mistakes are simply compounded.  Breeding for color or size is the sign
of an amateur.  True breeders for the betterment of the species are
committed for the long term and nothing but the best.
 
The fact is that some can and do make money.  Even if you make only 25.00
on a kit - 6 in a litter thats 125.  4 litter and thats 500.00, 1000.00 if
you make 50.00 a kit.  Not enough to live on by a huge stretch but I know
people who supplement their income that way.  And its not really a sin or
anything - but with the pet overpopulation out there its not a good enough
reason to breed.  Most don't do it for the money but I think get caught up
in the hobby - but that's still not saying they are doing a good thing.
 
For once I actually agree with Bill (take note!:) - we do need breeders
to ensure genetic diversity and offer something other than Marshal Farms or
Hagen.  However I do also think that a large number of well meaning people
who breed shouldn't be.
 
Sam - this isn't a personal attack but - 100.00 in food for 13 week old
kits?  You must be feeding them gold, well maybe silver.   You'd have to
feed the parents anyway even if they do eat more for a few months and
the kits do nurse for a few weeks.
Mary, Booker and the fuzzbutts Boris and Giesela
[Posted in FML issue 2790]