>To Jack Holbrook: >Do you have absolute PROOF that Marshall Farms is repacking Biljack under >their own label? Bil-Jac, which is made by Kelly Foods, is NOT the same as Marshall Farms Ferret food. MF Ferret Diet was orginally PRODUCED by Kelly Foods for Marshall Farms. The sales rep that I spoke to told me that MF Ferret Diet is formulated SIMILAR TO Bil-Jac's feline growth formula but with higher Fat and protein levels. Whether or not MF is now manufacturing it themselves or still contracts Kelly to do it, I'm not sure... except that at a recent Pet Show in Chicago, the Kelly rep was also selling MF Ferret Diet and Bandits (tm) ferret treats. You can draw your inferrences from that. >From: "marie i. schatz" <[log in to unmask]> >Subject: Just my opinion >My own personal limitations, philosphy ... is that I don't care for "puppy >farms" whether they're large or small. I agree wholeheartedly, Mary... as one who both works at a pet shop that sells Marshall ferrets and volunteers at a shelter that sees the end result of a poorly counselled sle, I get both ends of the story. There are only a handful of large-scale ferret breeders out there, <Thank Heavens> and I can tell you that the pet industry is having a hard time already finding enough sources to supply the damand for ferrets. If I had mdruthers, we wouldn't be carrying any pets, but, alas, I don't make the decisions for PetCare. I have been fervently seeking other gainful employment, but until that happens, I am resigned to at least giving the customer as much information (pro and con) as I can on the aminal he or she is about to "purchase". Since they chose to sell ferrets, I'm at least glad that they chose Marshall over another choice they had. Theyr is a 'fur farm' in Minnesota that sells a wide variety of fur-bearing critters. I won't mention the name, but I can say that I've seen at least a dozen ferrets that have come from there that were not fully neutered or spayed. These little ones were sold to pet shops for as little as $20. Some didn't make it past their first heat season. We get them in at the shelter occasionally. Some manage to get to us in the "nick of time". Others.. :( >That does not mean that I think MF ferrets themselves are "bad" or >anything, but with shelters full etc... IMHO I choose to support smaller >breeders (and obviously shelters) that provide more than just food and >shelter to a money machine... Mary I know what you mean. This is why I give each prospective ferret buyer the same (if not more) time that I give the prospective adopters at the shelter... My employer may not like it, but at least I'm ensuring that the ferret won't be coming back in the hands of a dissatisfied customer at the end of the 7-day return period and that I won't be seeing the ferrets I counsel the sales on showing up at our shelter... Roger McMillian [Posted in FML issue 1531]