>it sounds like there is no way to tell an albino from a red eyed white?
>What is the evidence that there are 2 traits?  I'm not sure I'm reading
>your post as you mean it, so I'd appreciate elaboration.  For instance, all
>of my albinoes trace back to dark ferrets, i.e., have 'pigment in their
>genetic background.'
 
These are Red eyed whites.
 
>Also, if you breed an albino (as opposed to an REW) to anything else
>[colored], I'd expect pigmented young.
 
Correct, and any "white ferrets" that resulted would be red eyed whites.  I
have seen a person breed a dark eyed white male to an "albino?" female, and
the litter was 11 Red eyed whites.  Very unusual.  They were trying to get
DEW kits.
 
>Have you, or others here, bred apparent albinoes to each other and gotten
>pigmented young?
 
Most breeders like to avoid albino offspring, but I bet if I look in my old
show catalogs [which list parents and their colors] I bet I could uncover a
few "albino" + "albino" = colored kits.
 
I have bred colored ferrets to colored ferrets, and resulted in mixed
colored litters, to include red eyed white ferrets.  I have taken the REW
and bred to other colored ferrets, and depending on if there is an albino
gene in the background, can tell you whether there will be a REW kit in the
litter.  I use REW ferrets to determine if there ARE albino genes in limited
recorded background breeder ferrets.
 
You can't get an albino/REW kit unless there is albino in BOTH parent's
background.
 
Contact FerretWare in CA for costs of Fara Shimbo's genetic breeding guide.
A lot of it does go over my head, and I'm more the kind of "learn from
experience" type person, so I can't backup everything she wrote, but I do
believe in the albino/ REW difference.
 
>Were albinos specifically bred for in previous years?  I can see how it
>would be easier to find a white ferret than a brown one while hunting. <
 
Yes.  Look in all the documented history of ferrets and the color is not
mentioned or an albino is seen [Lady with an Ermine/Ferret by DaVinci,
hunting histories in Europe, etc.]
 
Color is not mentioned because the domesticated version of the polecat-ferret
was an albino.  Find an old dictionary and it will tell you the ferret is a
domesticated version of the polecat, usually white with red eyes.  Albinos
were THEN bred back to polecats to produce MORE colors.  If a true albino
exists today, it is probably not represented in the Americas because all our
ferrets came from Europe and we do not allow hunting, so ferrets did not
have to be white to help the hawks and terriers distinguish hunting partner
from prey.  Yes, albino ferrets, when flushing rabbits from a warren with
another animal to help, are preferred.  If using nets or snares, the
distinct white coat is not necessary.
 
Ten years ago, the only colors of ferrets commonly kept in Europe and
Australia were sable, albino, sandies, and mitts.  Patterned ferrets were
unheard of, but common in the Americas.  Australia and some European ferret
clubs are thinking of making new color classes at shows because the "mutant"
colors are starting to pop out.
 
>From:    Michelle Z Matta <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Zucchini & Billy (Cartoon)
 
Zucchini is a story about a black -footed ferret..... since keeping an
endangered species is illegal, I think the author took a few liberties.
 
 Flea Collars
>We buy our flea/tick collars from our vet.  So far, Shredni, our little
>albino ferret, hasn't been hit with either problem (we live in Wisconsin
 
PLEASE do not use flea collars on ferrets!  If you must use a flea control,
use Advantage or Peppermint shampoo or brewer's yeast with garlic.  No flea
collars.
 
Filemaker
>If anyone on the FML wants a copy of it, I will up-load one for them for
>free.  If you want to send a donation to a shelter, fine, but not required.
>Remember, it will only run with FileMaker Pro 3.  I use a Mac...
 
Thanks Bob, for making us Mac users feel important.  I too love Filemaker
and that is what the STAR* database, membership roster, my personal ferret
registry, and Ferret Owner survey (and other surveys) are all done with.
I'll take a copy of your set up, though I'll ask you to "convert" it to a
lower version - I think I'm still running on the earlier Filemaker (shelter
can't afford upgrades to MS Word, Filemaker and Excel....)
 
Pamela T. Grant
[Posted in FML issue 1914]