>From: zen and the art of ferrets - bill and diane <[log in to unmask]> >Subject: profit from shelters; pine pellet litters; swedes and angoras >My first ferret took a best in show at a show at age 5 years eleven months. >That wasn't an eldery infirm ferret. She passed away at 7 years seven >months - I didn't have a necropsy done. Correction Furall passed away at 8 years and 7 months. Didn't quite make her ninth birthday. My second ferret Fuzzface - also a Marshall Farms jill died at over 7 years old not too long after Furball. Fuzzy did have adrenal cancer. But at that age the warranties are expired. Nearly all people over age 80 end up with some form of cancer. It just happens. >From: Maria <[log in to unmask]> >Subject: Re: About these angoras again >No size difference there, I agree. I've just gotten the impression that >American ferrets are smaller than the European ones since I know several >people from the US having been surprised at the large size of the Swedish >ferrets. Maybe they've only seen MF ferrets in the US and they've been >smaller, I can not say. Probably. The early alters stay much smaller. Its one reason why we don't support petstores sales and ranches that sell to them. We think what we'll end up finding out is that ferrets are about the same worldwide. We've a larger selection of different countries' ferrets in our business than any other business we know about. The differences are usually odd little things. Nothing serious or important. American ferrets have been bred for temperament and color far longer than other parts of the world. Maybe too much. Bringing the more energetic Europeans (and Aussies and Kiwis) will help rejuvenate the American lines. Bringing Americans into the other countries will help calm down and broaden the lines in those countries. Oh we've got people that swear Sedish ferrets "smell different" than Americans. Don't want to say in what way until we hear more confirmations or disagreements. Don't want to "influence" the "study" and throw the results off. <grin> >From: "Preisig, Kylie KE" <[log in to unmask]> >Subject: DEWs and don'ts? >So the question is: are there any known genetic faults that can be >reinforced by breeding DEWs together? The typical DEW here in the US is a Waardensburg gened ferret. Deafness does follow the pattern (yes some can hear). There are other traits that follow these patterns like kinked tails and "bad mothering" but they can be culled (sort of) and adopted out as pets. We've had very good luck with our light patterns and DEWs. YFMV. But most that breed DEW to DEW get litters os sables. Very hard to consistently get DEWs. bill and diane killian zen and the art of ferrets http://www.zenferret.com/ mailto:[log in to unmask] [Posted in FML issue 1891]