The McCarthy
Weekly News
VOL: X
McCarthy, alaska, Saturday, jan. 22, 1927.
FUR FARMING IN ALASKA
By Perry A. Cole, Inspector
of American —National Fox
Breeder’s Association.
There isn’t any doubt but
what Alaska will be well known
the world over, as an ideal count
ry for fur farming; where the
climate is cold enough there ».•■> a
wonderful growth of fur which
has a very fine texture and very
good color.
Fur farming is carried on
now by men who know fur and
have very good breeding ability,
no doubt there would be failures,
but these failures will de mostly
by people that are not adapted
to the breeding game. After see
ing most of the i finches in Alaska,
I would like to make some sugge
stion on ranch construction for
the benefit of the ranchers that
expect, to increase, and also for
the new beginners.
I have seen probably about
1000 ranches altogether, and the
following is my opinion of the
most practical ranch of my exp
erience: I believe it advisable to
use 1” mesh for all wire constru
ction, for the following reasons:
The wire is just as cheap, if No.
18 wirt is used in the* ground,
and above ground; and No. 20
wire is used from o’ aboveground
to the heighth of the yard, also
for the overhang. Foxes will not
fight the l’J me»h to any great
extent, because it is impossible
for them to get their nose and
lower jaw through the wire; also
it lessens the climbing of the
wire W%. but the main reason is, j
if a fox g**ts out of its own yard
which happens once in a while,
no matter how careful, its impo
ssible for the fox to stick its foot
through the wire of another yard
t«o be chewed off.
The larger the yard is built,
the better, but for ar. example, I
would say to build the breeding
yards 1-’ x 50’ and build them
what is Unown as the alley syst
em, that is, to have tin* alleys l'.'
wide also, and the ends ol the
alleys fenced in also, and over
hang: this is done so that; foxes
can use the yards for two or
three months, and then use the
alleys for yards aim when the
aaimals are in the alleys the
yards will act as alleys; the extra,
(expense of this system is about
$7.^0 for material; and the extra
I work, which is very small lor
.each yard.
The house can be either out
side or insi-V, as preferred, and
each house has two chutes one
joneuio«r into the yard, and one
jintoihc alley. Uf course, when
j-the yard is used for the animals
j the chute into the alley to be
'closed np.
The most practical shaped
yard is a seuii-circle, making the
yard about 12’ wide on a front
and about 16’ on a back. The look
out tower to be located so you
can look directly upon all yards
and not through wireuf one yard
to . see other, yards. . It is,;. my
opinion that these alternating
yards is a wonderful help as to
the diseyMie^t/;foxes, )is the sun
has a chance togft in its good
WQ(;k empty yards, and espec*
iallyin the spring when the pups
first come out they can go on
clean ground that hasn't been
used all winter.
These breeding yards to be
in the open with a guard fence a
round all, and outsideofthe.se
yards an ideal condition is four
large yards at least 200' long by
100‘ wide, built of 1” mesh wiuli a
guard fence, and built in the sh
ad*-* of tall trees with the under
brush cut, these yards to be
used from middle summer to
about November loth; all adult
males to be put into one yard
with their tushes cut off I have
cut oft tushes on males for the
j last four years without the least
| bit of bad effect, and it stops
j fighting, all adult females to go
! in one yard, all malepups in one,
| and all female pups in one; pups
j that are small should be kept by
. themselves. As the fox business
(advances, each rancher will see
1 that these large yards,or furring
! pens, will be necessary,
In the open yards today (de
pending some on weather eondit
ions the year) one will find on»
out of twelve foxes fit to pelt, or
Jo take to a show, account of off
color, and in most of the cases this
off color is due to the sun: a low
covered yard is as had as the open
yard, because the hot sultry wea
ther is hold under the low shade,
| and a, yard partly shaded is about
■ as'had, as a fox will go to sleep in
i the shade and when the sun moves
i the snade also moves, and the fox
l ,
1 \vua t. wake up until the sun is on
j him hot enough to make him wa rm
• then you will see him move to
another shady spot; if the fox is
.in the shade, this off color will
not be there only once in a while,
unless it is in the breeding, and
eleven out of twelve lox?s will be
fit to pelt instead of one out of
twelve. I have made these decis
ions after looking at a good many
foxes and their conditions, and
1 have seen some very good
examples of shadeu yards, mov
ing foxes to other yards in the
open. Aninnds of the very same
blood, lines and breeding, and
feeding, after a little while you
wouldn't recognize the animals
as coining from the same ranch,
on account of the offcolor.
Polygamous mating will be
earned on more extensively as t he
rancher gets accustomed to it, an j
the semi-circle yards will be a big
help in watching the animals, as
you are able to see every animal
at all times, providing they are not
in holes, which is inostof theeases
in Abaska. I think it is a very
good thing for foxes to dig holes,
for the exercise, but it is my op‘
inion they should be filled each
time before the animal gets out
pt sight, and o«e will lose a fox
once-in aw hile by the ground ca
ving in, and sometimes whole
litter. It has beeu my system th
at when the cause of losing a fox
to keep thinking or odserving un
til I rectify it, that is one of the
i reasons why I use a maternity ho
spital, cut tushes on males, use
the round bottom nest box, etc.
I find a few that are a little
discouraged with the fur farming
j business, but that will be so in
any busiuess. H\ir farming is here
! to stay, and the ones that observe
J1 and use a little judgment will have
a very interesting and profitable
1 business.The fm* market will vary
without a doubt, aii markets vary
but they are bound to increase in
time. Silver fox is on»*of the most,
beautiful furs that is known, srxl
beauty will win with our fair se>.
American National Fox Brce.
ders Association, \)\A McKnight
Bldg., Minneapolis, Minn., is run
by its members, and not a profit
organization,- and the $10.00 for
membership dues is well spent,
and has a lot to do about advanc
ing the business. The members
of the association, the registration
! is $2.00 less each fox. The literture
that is sent out to each member
per year, costs ipore for postage
than the $10.00 membership fee,
and this literture is worthwhile.
The Association registered
foxes in Alaska this year; and
will next year; the .herd -book
closes Febuary 1st, 192$,. and all
foxes that are not registered by
that time, will never be eligible
for registration, unless their sire
and dam are registered I advise
every one in Alaska, that has
foxes, to join the association and.
apply for registration by July 1st
1927, so as not to be left opt.
I f I can be of any assistance
to anyone, I will be only too glad
to do so.
Mr. E. P. Walker, of the
Biological Surrey, Juneau, Alas
ka, recognizes the advantages of
registration for the Alaskan Pox
Farming, and I am sure he will
be only too glad to help out in
any way possible. He has done »o
this year, and expressed himself
for next year.
KENNECOTT MOVIES
Sunday, January 23d, 1927.
Irene Rich Hur.tley Gordon
in
“The wite who wasn’t wanted”
Comedy
News
Music
Wednesday, January 26th, 1927.
Jackie Coogan
in
“Old Clothes"
2 Reel Wilkins Eepedition
News