A few months ago, someone called me from a 4H group and wanted to buy
breeding stock for a 4H project.  Well, I don't breed for projects, I breed
for pets, and this woman was very upset that I wouldn't sell her a pair of
kits for breeding.
 
First of all, I don't have a variety of breeding stock - right now I have 1
breeding pair, so all my kits are related and CAN'T be bred to each other -
something she didn't seem to understand, which surprised me from a 4H
person.
 
If Chris's post reflects the knowledge and care that 4H groups have for
ferrets, then I'm doubly glad I didn't sell her any kits.  She apparently
was having an extremely hard time finding a breeder willing to sell her kits
for this "project." She accused us ferret breeders of being afraid of
competition.  I'm not afraid of competition!  Right now, I'm pretty much
alone here in upstate NY - there are no other breeders in the Rochester area
that I'm aware of.
 
Ferrets are not "projects" and should not be seen as such.  If 4H groups
can't do better than that, then they shouldn't be doing it at all.
 
Debbie Riccio
WNYFLFA
Rochester, NY
[Posted in FML issue 1708]