The Mankato free press., 1923-10-19
FOX FARM COMPANY
New lndusry Has Been Put Under
Way At Rochester.

What will be eventually fox
farm second to none in the United
States and that will be used as a
model for other similar business
ventures in future years are includ-
ed in some of the plans Of the
Queen City Silver Fox Farm, Inc.
The farm, formerly known as the
Mary Fitzpatrick place, consists OF
eighty acres three miles from Ro-
chester, on the Chatfield road. Fiji
ty-five acres are located on the
north side of the road and twenty
FIVE acres on the south side. When
the farm was purchased in August,
1T consisted only of wooded land not
adapted to agriculture. Today it
has modern home, garage, chicken
house, slaughter house, watch tower
and thirty two fox pens thirty five
feet long, fifteen feet wide and six
feet high, entirely incloseS by a spe-
cial wire, not only on the top, ends
and sides but also running, along
the ground and covered by earth
and sod.
At present there are sixty one
black silver foxes on the ranch" as
a fox farm is termed by those in
the business. The sixty one ami
mails consist of five pair from the
Prince Edward island ranch in Can
ada and fifty-one animals from the
A. T, Gaffney fox farm at Petoskey,
Mich. Mr.. Gaffney is also a stock
holder in the Rochester company.
These fifty one animals consist of
twenty three male and twenty eight
female foxes.
They are distributed in some
cases three to pen, one male and
two females. Each pen contains a
kennel with two compartments used
mainly as breeding places. They
animals from the cold and afford
them ample seclusion from the ele-
ments although the pen itself is
open to the weather at all times.
Foxes bear one litter each year
with the average being from two to
three to a litter The Queen City
Farm however, has pair that has
had thirty puppies In six years, a
remarkably high average. The foxes
cost from $1,000 per pair UP and
single pelt that scores ninety eight
according to the official rating is
worth $4,000 on the market to-day.
The foxes are fed bread, milk, beef
hearts, horse meat and fish when
az ailable. The main, diet however,
is horse meat and the farm has
slaughter house erected for the pur-
pose of killing horses (old animals
that have outlived their usefulness)
and preserving the meat.
The animals are fed twice day,
morning and night. K
The local company has an author
lied capital of $4,000 with paid UP
capital of $4,000. all Of which has
ben expended in the preliminary
work and the, purchase of the land
and foxes. DR.. A. T. 'Adson is the
president of the company; z. T.
Gaffney of Petoskey, is first vice
PRESIDENT Oscar. Hanson, second
vice president; and Lester Fiegel,
secretary treasurer. The directors
includes the officers, Bennett Why
naught, the farm manager; Dan
Macken and Matt Fitzpatrick.
Mr.. Whynaught stated that the
average weight of fox is from
fifteen to twenty-five pounds and
that breeding is conducted in such a
way so that the pup will be born
along in March, April to May, which
gives them the summer in which to
for December. Mr.. Gaffney has been
in the business for fifteen years,
starting with s100 cash and $500
borrowed capital at 10 per cent,
with which $500 he purchased fe-
male fox and joining partners with
a man who owned male fox. made
$4,000 the first year. Mr.. Gaffney
predicted that there would be very
few pelts sold from the slocal farm
for at least ten years because of the
heavy demand for foxes for breeding
purposes.
The farm will be formally opened
to the public next Sunday and on
any day thereafter.