Breeder Ferrets As First Ferrets

[abcdevonn]

After learning quite a bit about all the health issues with farm ferrets I am leaning quite a bit more toward privately bred ferrets, but I am also seeing many people mention that breeder ferrets are a bit different than Marshall ferrets and similar farm-bred ferrets. In what ways, other than fewer health problems and more knowledge of genetics, are privately bred ferrets different than farm ferrets? I know they are larger and more healthy, which is one of the reasons I am leaning more toward breeders. Also, are breeders less likely to pick a first time owner to buy one of their babies? I know there are a few private breeders on here and people who own breeder ferrets, so I was hoping someone can help.

I am still stuck on this little sable boy I saw at Petco last week (he has been there for a while and was there when I went a month ago as well), but since I have to wait until I move into my new apartment I am worried he won't be there in August! I also love the bigness of breeder hobs, they are such little lard-butts, and I love the idea of being in contact with the breeder for the ferret's lifetime. I'm just not sure if breeders are keen on letting newbies own their babies.

[Deleted]

I do recommend getting a boy for you first ferret. It seems that the girls are a little more likely to want to "run the show".

There are no guarantees that a privately bred ferrets will be healthier than a farm ferret. I have seen privately bred ferrets with juvenile lymphoma, and the longest lived ferret I've known was a kibble-fed Marshall's ferret (13+ years old). My Shaman has been my shortest-lived ferret - he left at 5.5 years from cardiomyopathy (genetics).

One thing that Dr. Wagner (the vet who did studies on Deslorelin implants for adrenal disease) stated at the ferret symposium was that the Marshall's Farms ferrets tend to get the earliest and worst cases of adrenal disease.

So....there are no guarantees. Regardless of where you get your ferret, you need to be prepared for the possibility of health problems and/or early loss.

-jennifer

[joan]

As a breeder, I will not sell a ferret to a first time owner as they lack the needed experience. All the responsible breeders I know feel the same way. I recommend that first time ferret owners get a MF ferret, as they have been bred for docility and are usually the easiest ones for an inexperienced owner to live with. At the present time, the majority of privately bred US ferrets who come from a background of fancy colors are no healthier than the farm ferrets and in many cases, less so.

[Sherry]

The biggest difference is that privately bred tend to be larger, smarter, more athletic, more active, and need stricter supervision until you understand what they are capable of. They are definitely more stubborn, and as a rule more determined to have their own way
Which is why Joan is suggesting an MF. Is there a rescue anywhere near you? They would be able to match you up with a good single or pair for a first time owner.
I've had ferrets for going on 5 years now, and am just considering myself capable of dealing with a breeder hob.

[nancyl]

I got my first ferret in 1982. Back then all the ferrets were "private breeder" ferrets. Then there was a long period when the only thing available were "farm" ferrets. Now I'm back to ferrets from a breeder. That would be Joan. In general there is a marked difference between the two groups. I've had MF, Path Valley and RC ferrets. On the whole the farm ferrets are much easier to deal with. To put it bluntly, they're pretty dumb compared to the others. Even the ones from 30 years ago that were bred by random dudes who sold them through the want ads in the local paper.

As I told Joan last week, there are days when I start thinking maybe I'll trade the whole bunch for a nice pet rock. When they've all had it in high speed weasel for 3 hours straight it can be exhausting to deal with. You also have to remember that a hob that weighs over 5 lbs and stands 2 feet tall on his hind legs can be d*mn destructive.

[abcdevonn]

Thank you guys all so much for the info! Everyone here is so nice. I really do want the sable boy. He's a goofus and was causing all sorts of trouble both times I was in there. No one has gotten him yet, perhaps for that reason, but I am a sucker for the bad ones. I'm just trying to convince my parents that he will only be at our house for three months, then he will be living with me. I'm working on it.

[miamiferret2]

ask them if you can pay for them and they can hold him for you. they might not do that though. but it won't hurt to ask.

[abcdevonn]

Ooh good idea!!!

[Heather]

Good luck All the wee ones need loving. As much as I would love to see Marshals disappear, they won't so go enjoy your little boy. Marshals fills a specific niche market. I call them starter ferrets. They're usually mild mannered and they teach you all about the health issues you're going to encounter when you're dealing with ferrets. Adrenal in particular. I really hope that Miami has found the ultimate solution with her Sonny. She's using DES as a preventative. I really hope it works out he's a very sweet boy.
ciao

[miamiferret2]

May 15, 2012 11:28:58 GMT -5 Heather said:

Good luck All the wee ones need loving. As much as I would love to see Marshals disappear, they won't so go enjoy your little boy. Marshals fills a specific niche market. I call them starter ferrets. They're usually mild mannered and they teach you all about the health issues you're going to encounter when you're dealing with ferrets. Adrenal in particular. I really hope that Miami has found the ultimate solution with her Sonny. She's using DES as a preventative. I really hope it works out he's a very sweet boy.
ciao

heather are we talking about the same Sonny? sweet? hmm. he's a good boy when he wants to be but sometimes he is downright rotten. he will be 2 yrs old in July. maybe he will be more "mature" after this year.
he threw a tantrum recently and he kicked poop onto me. he did it on purpose. I am not kidding. he wanted to leave the bedroom and I would not let him because it was late at night. he was not having it.

yes, boycotting pet stores that sell MF ferrets does no good. MF makes their money by selling ferrets to research labs for medical testing.
the pet stores need to be educated so that they can educate their customers. the petstores themselves need to be educated on proper ferret care.
since MF sells the majority of their "product" to laboratories, the ones that end up at the petstores are the "lucky" ones. so if the pet stores stop selling MF ferrets, then they will just all go to laboratories to be tortured.

[Deleted]

Petco, if you pay in full for the little boy, should hold him for you.

When I got Ainslie, i didn't have a cage. So, I asked the petstore if i paid in full if they could hold her til I got the cage for her.

And they pretty much were like "yes" on the spot. Then again, Ainslie had been in their store for several months.

Im going to guess they'll say yes, as long as you pay in full

[Deleted]

+1 on the Marshall ferrets, definitely easier for first-time ferret owners. I have 2 Marshall ferrets and they are very sweet and docile, I love them to pieces. I also have 1 breeder hob Finn who I love to pieces.

They are different that's for sure. Finn is a total sweetheart but he's stronger and has more energy and angst so he tends to spend more time doing things like digging at carpet, scratching at doors he wants open, tearing holes in the couch or my bed, etc. etc.

To me, it seems like my Marshall ferrets are more like babies who never grow up. They play rowdy for a while then they are ready for nap time They have a certain softness and babyish quality. I never realized how low-maintenance they were until I got Finn.

Finn requires my attention pretty much from when I get home from work, until I go to sleep ;D He also requires a lot of care to keep his smell under control.

I would say that if you get your Marshall boy and you really enjoy spending a lot of time with him, and want a ferret who is maybe a little more intense of a challenge, go for a breeder ferret later if you so choose. But you might decide that your Marshall baby is plenty of work for you ;D

[miamiferret2]

May 15, 2012 12:31:53 GMT -5 @mikeybox said:

+1 on the Marshall ferrets, definitely easier for first-time ferret owners. I have 2 Marshall ferrets and they are very sweet and docile, I love them to pieces.

let me give a disclaimer here: generally this is true about MF ferrets. but I have had some psycho Marshall Farms ferrets as well. when my Cosmo was awake, there was serious trouble!! he could be sweet and loving when he wanted to (actually he was one of my most affectionate ferrets) but there was nothing "dumb" or "slow" about that boy. not at all. he was destructive and really intelligent. he clawed a huge hole in my bedroom door. he started digging at a teeny little hole the size of a pin head. and it grew to a hole larger than my hand in no time. he was a master at catching lizards. He was a master climber and a fast climber. Sonny is slower. he kind of lumbers around everywhere. more lazy.
now I am getting nostalgic for my little hellion. he has been at rainbow bridge for 10 years.

[Deleted]

Lol well just like you had a Marshall boy who was a total hellion, I think my hob Finn is also unusual in that I don't think he is as much trouble as some breeder hobs. I heard all these horror stories but for a breeder fuzz, Finn is actually quite docile. Compared to the stories anyway. He is so gentle and friendly and won't even bite me when I get between him and my girl Fiona when he's horny lol. I think he's probably tamer than most breeder hobs. He has a very sweet disposition and patient temperament, in that department I think he can compete with Marshall ferrets any day! So I guess there are always exceptions to the rule

but there is no doubt about his smell and hornyness, those are problems you will not have with a (healthy) Marshall fuzz : D

Disclaimer: Keep in mind Finn may or may not be typical of the average breeder hob, the breeder I got him from says that the lines he is bred from have very good temperaments, and she works on teaching them to behave from a young age, and I have also spent a LOT of time working with him to help learn what behavior is expected of him. So it's hard to tell how much of it is nature and how much is nurture. My Marshall ferrets on the other hand just seemed to know not to bite without me having to do anything special. But there are always exceptions.

[Deleted]

ROTFL mikey. so true there.