Robert wrote:
>I was reading some messages that had a distinctly anti-homebreeder feel
>to it....describing them as the plague of ferret owners or something.
>Where i live there is no farms, and the breeders that i got my two
>ferrets from where some of the nicest people i've met.
 
I believe you may be mixing up the term "back yard breeder" with private
breeders.  This can be confusing, since there are several private breeders
which are *good* which can be mistakenly called 'back yard breeders',
simply because they breed from home.
 
However, there is a basic difference.  A private breeder is a breeder who
takes care of their animals, is careful as to which animals they breed,
feeds appropriate foods, gives appropriate shelter, constant access to
water, good veterinary care etc... a back yard breeder is a breeder who
breeds only for the money - they give minimal to no care, don't care
which animal breeds to which (brother/sister, father/daughter are common
matches), give inappropriate, and usually cheap, foods, little shelter...
well, I suspect you get the idea.  There are several cases of 'back yard
breeders' that have been mentioned in the FML in past years, while the
private breeders are less often mentioned, simply because there's so
little scandal about them!
 
So... the running down of 'back yard breeders' isn't necessarily anti-
private breeders, just anti- bad breeding practises.
 
JMO,
Sam
[Posted in FML issue 3455]