Too lazy to fix the length rejected post yeaterday... We're sure some of
you are grateful for that respite.
 
>From:    Debbie Walker <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: BREEDING
 
Its real easy to claim lots of private email support.  Even if you got such
email - it doesn't make your information correct.  You apparently bungled a
rescue and admit it.  Do NOT put the rest of us breeders into your mold.
 
>These little souls can't help where they are born,
 
Nice sentiment - but meaningless really.  It has no bearing on whether
people should or should not breed ferrets.
 
>from Marshal farms or at a breeder, they all need homes, and there is no
>difference in their ability to be loving pets, regardless of genetics.
>Beauty IS only skin deep, ESPECIALLY in animals.
 
Actually, that is incorrect.  It is very possible to breed bad behavior
and bad health into an animal.  Genetics IS important.  It takes effort to
breed out bad traits.
 
Beauty on ferrets would stop at the fur even rather than the skin *IF*
that is what breeders were looking for.  They aren't - at least the good
ones.  The shows that we breed for are not about pretty ferrets - 95% of
the AFA points sheet is things other than pretty coat.  It would be much
better to breed out traits like deafness, cataracts, skeletal deformities,
and other defects.  Wouldn't you agree?
 
>I've received lots of agreement from people who say "how can they keep
>breeding?"
 
Thats nice.  We know, would you like an answer?
 
>So I say lets not debate,
 
Apparently not.
 
>but think of a solution
 
What you are saying is "I'm right so don't even bother showing me where
I'm wrong and now you do something because I think you should".
 
So lets look at your suggestions...
 
>some suggest if you breed, you also shelter.
 
Most breeders DO shelter.  Some in limitted ways but so are most
non-breeder run shelters.
 
>For every kit you bring into the world, take in an unwanted fuzzy and
>share the responsibility.
 
No way!  You'd end up with breeders having even more ferrets and too many
to give proper time to all ferrets.  Too many breeders have more ferrets
than maybe they should and you want them to double the numbers?
 
>Or another suggestion, we have a self imposed breeding boycott, every
>breeder commit to skipping a season ( I wouldn't suggest sterile hobs)
 
Why?  There is NOT the overpopulation of ferrets that is suggested by some
that can't see beyond their own living room.  We get far more requests for
ferrets than requests to take in ferrets - but very very few are in our
"area".  Vast portions of the world (you do know this is a global list not
just US) have no ferret shelters.  Vast portions of the US as well.  ITs
silly to impose your myoptic view on some one in Pennsylvania when there is
a shortage of ferrets in Montana.  Or such.
 
You pretty much show you don't know what you are talking about on breeding
ferrets with your description of your own exploits.  Most of us that
consider or do breed do seem to know more about it.
 
>The value of a ferret has plummeted (sp) over the past year
 
No it hasn't.
 
>But since ferrets are such special pets
 
Like ALL pets.  This is just a list for those that happen to like ferrets
more perhaps than other animals.  But not everyone here does think ferrets
are the best.  It doesn't take a special person to own a ferret any more
than it takes a special person to own any animal.  This kind of sentiment
IS being used against ferrets in California by the way.
 
>Please post any other suggestions, or solutions, anonymously if you are
>afraid of flames
 
If you are afraid of disagreement and consider any disagreement a flame
then please just leave us that have been or are breeders alone.  We may not
agree with you and will tell you if we don't.  If you really do think you
see a problem and are willing to discuss first if that really is a problem
then by all means please post.
 
We have no respect for anyone that would post anonymously because they
aren't willing to stand up for what they believe in.  Standing behind a
wall and throwing things at someone out in the open is cowardly.
 
>LOL to all.....no offenses to anyone...........
 
Sure.  Right back at you.
 
[Moderator's note: Most people who post anonymously live in a FFZ.  I take
the other anon posts on a case-by-case basis.  BIG]
 
[Two-part post combined.  BIG]
 
Some delayed one day.  Some new.
 
>From:    "marie i. schatz" <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: breeding
 
Uh... You make some very wrong assumptions.  You basically assert that old
business adage of losing money on each item you sell so you can make it up
in volume.
 
We suspect that there are a very very few breeders that might do better
than break even.  Very very few.
 
We were never one of them.  Our overage income from ferrets put us in the
hole any where from 10 to 20 thousand dollars a year.  Yup.  Our hobby
that is our pets (they aren't differing things - everyone here has a ferret
hobby... well those that aren't lurking waiting to get ferrets anyway) cost
us sometimes 20,000 dollars.  Heap big profits!  Just think what it would
have cost us if we added in the electric for the ferret's A/C, their water,
and the 'cost' of their portion of our house.
 
We do this out of a passion for ferrets.
 
>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.
 
Don't forget where she's from.  It isn't quite that expensive here.  But
her numbers aren't unrealistic.  If you haven't been there you wouldn't
know.
 
>From:    Sam <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Warning: more Breeding info
>I just put the warning up for Debbie's sake, since she's adamantly stated
>that she refuses to read or respond to any more of my posts on this
>subject.  She has stated that I am the only one who disagreed with her.
 
Guess she must skip anyone else's posts that would happen to agree with
you.  Like ours.  Breeders are the most trahsed and flamed people on this
mail list.  Even more than Marshall Farms or Modern Ferret.  But that i
s an artifact of this list.  Other ferret mail lists and the newsgroups are
usually far more positive to breeders (except the DFW list at times in the
past).  That prevents a lot of people from posting.  Far far more than are
silenced from posting negatively about breeding.  This has been true for
years.
 
>Debbie asked about the demand for ferrets and asked if that was why the
>shelters were so full.
 
The reasons vary by shelter.  But responsible private breeders are not a
problem for any shelter that I am aware of.  Some private breeders are
really just smaller ranches in mentality.  They can be problems, usually
when they end up going out of business and dump their business.  But it is
not fair or rational to lump all breeders to gether for such vile scorn as
gets heaped on us.
 
-bill and diane
--
bill and diane killian
zen and the art of ferrets
http://www.zenferret.com/
mailto:[log in to unmask]
[Posted in FML issue 2793]