The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, December 1, 1919, Page 9

- > e o N xR ar 44\ "y L l ) '3 ,.‘9 5 BY E. B. FUSSELL URS never were so high-priced as they have been during the last two yedrs. A fur dealer of Minneapolis, who has been in the business for a quarter- century, told. the wniter the other day that he had sold thousands of muskrat skins for 717-8 cents He is paying to- day as high as $3 a skin. But the number of fur-beanng animals is prob- ably less than ever before and the number is being reduced every day. Fur statistics are the most difficult to secure. Furs are sold in so many mar- kets and the same fur may be sold again and again. But the most reliable statistics indicate that about 7,000,000 muskrat skins are being produced in the Umted States and Canada every year, between 1,000,000 and 1,500,000 skunk skins, and much smaller numbers of the pelts of foxes, wolves, wild cats, raccoons, opossums and other fur bearers. The number of skunk skins produced and marketed apparently is increasing somewhat, as the war on this animal progresses, but the number of pelts of practically every other fur bearer is de- creasing, and in a few years, of course, the number of skunk skins will also show a' drop. This’naturally suggests the question —when the demand is: increasing and the supply is decreasing—how is the shortage to be met? And just as naturally comes the answer—by domes- tication and breeding of fur-bearing animals. In Afaska, black and blue foxes have been bred on private fur farms for years. | Some of the breeders have made big profits from the business, but in some cases, at least, the profit has come more from the sale of breeding animals than from fur production. In the state of Washington there are a nmumber of - small fox farms. In Minnesota a firm' of brothers, at Grand Marais, has been / breeding silver and black foxes on a commercial basis for gumy years. There. are two more good- sized fox farms in the neighborhood of Lake City, and another at Néw Ulm, Minn. In the United States ;jand Canada together there are in all some 3,000 fur farms, though many of these are still small affairs. Black fox pelts have brought as high as $2,900 on the London auction market. Pelts of the rarer varieties of Alaskan foxes have brought higher prices.. A fox can be kept in captivity for about $5 for food and each pair should have about five young each year. On the face of things it would appear that there should be big money in fur breeding. . ’ BUYERS SAY FUR OF CAPTIVE FOX LACKS LUSTER But breeders find that they can not calculate their profits ‘thus easily in advance. ‘In the first place furs pass through many hands before they reach the big markets at London and St. Louis. In the second place breeders have found that foxes raised in captivity ordinarily do not command the high prices that are paid for wild furs. The buyers claim that the fur of foxes raised in captivity does not havé the same luster as the wild fur. There is also less chance for the animals to engage in their customary activity and accordingly they spend more time sitting around on their haunches, rub- bing their fur off on the ground or against the wire of thelr cages. One farmer in Minnesota has gone in for muskrat breeding and with this animal is solv- ing the problem of breeding under natural con- ditions. This man has been spending his win-' ters in trapping for many years, He has on his own place a 22-acre swamp, which formerly held*many muskrats, though most of them had been killed from time to time. Finally game began getting scarce in the trapper’s neighbor- hood. . Last summer he decided to change his policy and instead of killing rats he began catching them in barrel and box traps, keeping them allve, and puttmg them on hls own . swamp. Supplying Fur Demand From the Farm Some Ventures in Raising Wild Animals for Their Pelts—Profits in Fox, Muskrat, Skunk and Raccoon Hides From Animals Bred in Captivity Writing in to tell about his experience this man “says: - “I fenced the swamp and put up signs, ‘No hunt- ing and trapping allowed.” Later I divided the swamp off into eight separate parts. 1 started to feed the rats once or twice every week during the summer and continued feeding them throughout the - season. Very few rats got away.” The muskrat breeds three times a year, with six to eight young in a litter. This trapper believes he will be able to take 1,500 rats from his swamp this winter, average $2 apiece from the skins and still have enough left for next year’s breeding stock. He plans to add some rats from other swamps, so that too much interbreeding will not reduce the size of the animals. “And he plans to take this year’s muskrat profits and invest them in breed- ing foxes. This trapper’s estimate of an average $2 price for his rats is borne out by prices obtaining now on the Minneapolis and St. Louis markets. Wiscon- sin and Michigan muskrats, Degember caught, are s Above—Some of the pens on a private fox fur farm - mear Millville, Minn. Below—Raccoons in captivity. quoted at $1.75 to $3.25; Minnesota, Dakota and Montana, $1.25 to $3; klts, b to 25 cents. For the benefit of others who may wish to expen- ment with ranch-raised muskrats, the followmg hints may be offered: If absolute control of stock is desired it will be necessary to run a low fence around the marsh. This fence should be several rods from the shore to give the animals access to roots and plant life on the land. If a large number are kept within the inclosure the natural food supplies will have to be augmented with vegetables and fruits. Natural root plants, like cattails, sweet flag, lilies and rushes should be utilized as far as possible. The skunk is-another fur bearer that can be raised profitably. . The No. 1 prime varieties are quoted on the Minnéapolis market at present as follows: Black, $56 to $12.50; short stripe, $4 to $10; narrow stripe, $3 to. $8. 50' broad stripe, $2 to $5. Some breeders remove the scent sac from their to rob the fur of its natural luster and lowers the young skunks, while others claim that if the animals are handled gently this is unnecessary. It is also claimed by some that the operation tends price. Skunks should be kept in well-drained pens that allow both sun and shade. Imsects and small animals, such as grasshoppers, beetles, worms and frogs form a good-sized portion of the natural food of skunks, MINK AND THEIR NEEDS; HIGH PRICE FOR PELTS The mink has been kept successfully in cap- tivity. Mink skins are now quoted from $4 to $12.50. Water is a prime necessity on a. mink farm. The site should be well covered with trees and bushes. Mink thrive on an animal diet, while females with young require supplies of milk.. Some breeders have success- fully fed English sparrows to their stock, while others, in experimenting with cheap meat diets, have used fish and rabbits. Rabbit meat can also be used for skunks and foxes, ~Mink reqmres careful handling dur- ing the rearing season, as the males will eat the young if given a chance, while the females will eat the young of another family. The raccoon thrives under control and is easily handled, except for the fact that this animal is a great climber. He must have a good-sized inclosure with trees and bushes. Either an en- tirely covered pen or a special fence is necessary to prevent him from climbing over. The coon thrives on a mixed animal and vegetable diet. Pelts are now quoted from $2.50 to $8.50. The flesh of the animal is. also much in de- mand and breeders generally have been able to sell their carcasses to hotels and clubs without trouble. The fox represents the largest chance for profit in individual pelts and conse- quently there are more fox farms es- tablished on a commercial basis than farms for the rearing of any of the other varieties of fur bearers. In spite of the large profits possible, however, the fur farmer must over- come many handicaps, and beginners are advised to start on a small basis, preferably with red or cross foxes,.rather than by investing large sums of money in high-priced black 'breeding stock. By using ‘cross foxes and careful breeding the fur farmer can better the breed and gradually work into the production of silvers. The fox digs out easily from under the average | fence.. The best fox farms therefore use concrete bases for their posts and extend their wire fencing at least 30 inches underground. The animal thrives * on a mixed diet. Successful breeders have fed horse meat, rabbit meat and fish, together with ber- ries, vegetables and biscuits, w1th good results. Red fox pelts are now quoted at $10 to $35. Cross pelts bring around $75, while genuine silvers and blacks bring much higher prices. < The presence in many parts of anesota of beaver lodges and dams that obstruct streams and cause flooding of farm lands and swamps has tempt- ° ed many persons to kill these animals in defiance i} of the game laws. The beaver hides are valuable, - the supply having decreased sharply in the last _century. Originally the beaver was scattered over practically the entire American continent. o The Minnesota law prohibiting the killing of i beaver, even when this quadruped was causing se- rious damage to farmers, was amended at the last - session of the legislature, so that beavers may be trapped by special license and the skins sold. The skins brmg a large price. Any one going into the fur farming business wfll e require, in most states, a license from the state . i game commissioner or state game warden. Besides ! i{ fulfilling the legal requirements it probably would -l be well for any one attempting the new line to get' first-hand advice either from some of the proprie- | &/ tors of fur farms now in existence or from books # of advice put out by a number of fur dealers. The - state game wardens in all states have lists of the . ! - fur farms in their own states and will put inquirers. into touch with the men who have already made expetriments in* the business. It will be noted that nothing has been said about “(Continued on page *15) :