The L'Anse sentinel., 1922-11-03
Big Profit in
Silver Foxes

fear or nervousness. Pups are Que In
81 or 53 days after mating. When the
pups have arrived the female Is kept
confined In the breeding pen for three
days, at the end of which time she be-
comes attached to 1t and does not
want to carry her pups out.
IF for any reason the pups are not
thriving the female Is examined and
II her milk has dried up, which some
times happens, the pups are taken
away and reared by cats, who do not
in the slightest object to such strange
little Kittens At the end of the eighth
week the pups are taken from the
mother and placed In the pen by them
selves. to be fed sparingly of food, but
when six months old they will be tax.
ing more food than the old foxes.
THE feeding Of the foxes Is very
interesting and essential part of their
care. The fox does not rank high
In an epicurean sense. He Is not at
ali fastidious as to the quality Of his
food but II is regarded as essential
to the health Of the little animals
that they should have Tariety. In
some cases horse meat is fed but beef
Is preferred. The meat Of rabbits Is
regarded as delicacy and the ranch
ers buy up all that can be obtained"
The Colpitts ranch last winter paid
out more than $4,000 for rabbits shared
in this province. and also imported
several carloads from the West. A
part Of the fox ration Is coarse
bread made of cornmeal or -four and
bran. with a generous supply Of fat.
The refuse scraps from the biscuit
factories are rare delicacy and COW
milk is given In generous quantities.
The big Colpltts ranch takes the
milk of forty cows morning and night.
Loss by Disease 10 Per Cent.
All the foxes from the hest ranches
are registered with the department at
OTTAWA. OF course, registration Is no
certain guaranty of value, but no ami
nal can obtain advanced registration
unless II comes up to a certain stand
ard. which Includes pedigree, forma-
tiOn and everything else that goes for
breeding and excellence. Not all who
60 into the fox ranching business are
successful. The fox is subject TO
many diseases, and once these get a
f0othold II is difficult to eradicate
them. Worms are one of the princi-
pal causes Of mortality. and the loss
Of 10 per cent Of the pups Is consId-
cred a fair average. Instances are
known of ranches being entirely
wiped out by disease. As q precau-
tionary measure some Of the most
successful ranches dip their foxes
twice u year Into q cres0liK mixture.
1t Is rather painful to impart this
item of information, for II Is not
generally known that these little foxes
are not unlike some folk who go
through life clothed In purple and fine
linen. using their gorgeous attire to
cover many sins. Thus do these wee
potentates get by. blissfully uncon-
scious of their natural aromn-which
one cannot really compare to peach
garden.
silver Strain Developed.
The origin Of the silver black fox il
somewhat obscure. A Mr.. Oulton.
pioneer In fur farming In New Bruins
wick. says the original black foxes
came from Newfoundland but the sill.
yer strain has been development In
breeding. The native fox Of New
Brunswick IL red and the fur Of little
value.
The fox is a small animal of the
cat species and In size between a cat
and small dog When fully furred
out. rs In the winter season, II ap-
pears much larger. This little ami
NAL is seen at It's worst at this sea-
son, and Is rather lean and lanky
hooking. The silver streaks are Just
now beginning to appear. coming fivst
In the forehead and gradually spread
Ing over the body. By December the
fur will be thick and heavy. and Il 10
then Nhose animals which do not
prove satisfactory breeders are pct
ed" for MARKET. The fox Ia very
cute looking little animal, though mot
as shapely as the skunk. TimIdity
and suspicion are its chief character
istics. and It IL not at al vicious, be-
ING handled with ease. Few Of them