First off, dental aging has been a known and reputable way to age kits
for *decades*. Since it is in so many ferret vet texts and publications
I am surprises that you seem to be unfamiliar with it. The USDA knows
about it now, but at the time that the current standards were first
written that information was not available.
For example:
dental eruption ages in approximate days after birth from page 37,
_Biology and Diseases of the Ferret, 2nd edition_:
"The deciduous teeth erupt between 20 and 28 days"
and on page 36, same text this data:
Upper
Canine: 50 days
Molar 1: 53 days
Premolars 2, 3 and 4: 60 days
Lower:
Canine and Molar 1: 50 days
Premolar 2: 60 days
Premolar 3: 67 days
Premolar 4 and Molar 2: 74 days
The eruption ages for the incisors are more variable, but the others are
tight enough that you can age a ferret kit very closely with them.
Actually, I suspect that most FML members except newcomers already know
this, so your statement about aging probably raised more than a few
eyebrows since it is such a basic. Learn something every day, right?
I took up your invitation to see your website at
http://www.ferrets.htmlplanet.com/index.html
On that page is a birthing area photo titled "Photo taken May 30, 2005 of
birthing area" which is basically of a very long cross between a bright
-- the walls are almost entirely windows -- greenhouse and shed which
resembles a plant nursery building, with very small individual cages,
each with a light blocking cover (blocking light is a good thing but I
would assume that it makes cooling even harder), straw on the floor,
etc. Even with my poor eyesight I can tell that the man in the photo
appears to be approximately 1/3 of the way down the building from the
photographer (with no idea how much of the building is behind the
photographer), and that there appear to also be cages which can't be
made out clearly enough on the other side of the structure. Because
there are notecards on the front the boxes below the cage structure I
can tell that there are about 15 cages on that one side of the building
just to get to him, so assuming that the photographer does not have a
lot of space behind that means about 45 birthing cages in the field of
the photograph on that side of the building alone, so it *might* be
reasonable to assume that this particular structure has breeding cages
along both sides enough for about 100 ferret moms giving birth at the
same time. Is that accurate? Obviously, this is a farm operation rather
than a private breeder even if only the cages that be seen search this
function, so it would be good, please, to be frank in posts that you are
speaking of a farm instead of ferrets bred in the home. The structure
looks like it would be incredibly difficult to cool to a reasonable
temperature. Could you, please, address that issue?
How many kits are successfully bred in your facility per year, how many
times a year are females bred, how many breeding females do you have, how
many breeding males do you have, and how complete are your records which
are available to buyers (health, longevity, lineage on each side for how
many generation)?
In your kits for sale slide show I notice a number with neural crest
genetic variation markings, and a number with non-bilateral markings.
What is breeding policy to reduce the amount of probable KIT Oncogene
genetics in your breeding stock?
I do not have time to look further, but since you have made yourself
available for questions I am sure that multiple people will also have
questions based upon your site.
[Posted in FML issue 5023]
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