I find the numbers staggering and perhaps you might too. According to the report filed with Rochester NY Humane Society in the year 1995 Marshall Farms reportedly shipped a total of 82,000 kits to both the pet industry and to med labs. So - Marie, how many breeders would they have retired with that and not 15,000? This year information to retailers for the 1996 Christmas season stated that they had stepped up production and guaranteed they would not run out of stock.. so how many kits will 1996 yield total??? ( Yes, I did receive a copy of the letter right from the source). Now, combine the MF output with the projected output of the other ferret farms ( yes I am being nice) and I would be comfortable stating that an easy estimate of ferret kits for the 1996 year would total ( combined from all sources --- farms and hobby breeders) would be in the ball park or maybe short with a number of 140,000. Now that's a lot of kits-- shelters are you ready for 1997??? [Posted in FML issue 1816]