The Daily Alaska empire. [volume] (Juneau, Alaska) 1926-1964, 1937-11-27
Fish for Fur Farming
Pacific Fisherman


Much discussion, based on the striking results of
scientific experiments has been devoted of recent
years the peculiar nuritve and health values of
fishery products food for More than any
other common foods they have been found to
tain, in readily available form, many mineral ele-
ments vitamns etc, which essential to human
welfare in addition to very high content of the most
desirable types of protein.
For similar reasons fish meal has gained recog-
milton having exceptional value in the feeding of
domestic animals; and use of various fish and fish
liver oils to supply such animals with vitamins and
has become standard practice. Moreover, various
fishery products where available find considerable
demand as food for menageries, being found accep-
table wholesome and desirable for many kinds of
wild beasts in captivity.
One of the earliest ntmations of the value of
salmon in preventing goitre noted in British
Columbia, where white mems hogs suffered from
goiterous maady from which the Indians hogs,
allowed to eat salmon, exempt
Now field of usefulness for fish and fish
products is observedas food for furbearing animals
the many farms devoted to their production in the
United States and Canada 1t would obvious,
the surface that the demonstrated values of fish
food for and domestic animals, would exist
also in connection with fur animals; but until
Gently many fur breeders have been unfamiliar with
the use of fish, and some were uncertain to the
ACCESSIBILITY of feeding it,
Strong endorsement of fish food for fur ami
mails comes from two prominent authorities
:
Eleveurs de Renards' of Quebec, organ of the Cana
dian Silver Fox Breeders Association and w A. Eli
Jr of the research department of the Atlantic
Coast Fisheries Corp DR. Reheault discussed the SUBJ
ject in an article, Wholesome Fish is Good Food"
in the July issue of the american Breeder" and
a paper by Mr. Ellison Superior Food Value of Fish
with Viscera, appeared in the July issue of the Ma
tional Fur Newsboth national magazines of the fur
industry
Fur breeding has naturally made great strides in
1acka u,ar Tho farm bau o1mav
mainstay of their food supply-firs salmon, but
scrap fish of many varieties of insufficient value
to warrant their shipment to market. 1t might be
supposed that economy and availability of supply
the main for feeding fish in Alaska; but the
statements of DR.. Rheault and Mr.. Ellison indicate
that it based the best of technical well
DR.. Rheaults discussion is primarily on the ques-
ton whether dried canned fresh fish of good quality
is satisfactory food for foxes during the Turing
period Fish of good quality he declares, is lone of
the most complete foods that give animals
during the Turing period His remarks prefaced
by the statement that canned fish may be included;
that When canned fish is prepared by the best pro-
cess its nuritive qualities should be conserved better
than the nuritive qualities of either frozen dried
fish,
in the muscular tissue alone and the ideal ration is
one having suitable portions of the different parts
of the carcass which is preferable to single piece
Iof meat muscle. Different elements found in
etc. difficulty of summer feeding is that some OF
these organs not easily preserved without special
preparation
Fish-particularly salt water fish-has the highest
proportional iodine content of all animals When
there is deficiency of iodine, this condition in
tevtably reflected in the fur There is no danger of
giving too much iodine by the feeding of fish. The
iodine in the fish is in organic form.
/ Fish is the richest known source of Vitamns A
and D. essential to the perfect health of the ami
lmas'-ther absence resulting in ricketts,, digestive
troubles and general illness. Experiments with rats
are cited in illustration of this fact and it is stated
that similar experiments have been conducted with
different species of animals with the results.
DR. Rheaut says aso The flesh of fish is richer
In digestible proteirs than all other meats because
it does not contain fbrous materials which make di-
gestion difficult 1t does not overload the stomach
:" He scouts the idea that white fish is not
as nourishing red meat saying 1T not the color
which carries the nutritive elements.
Mr.. Ellison, in his article says that Because of
the introduction of canned fish into the fox and mink
industry fish has been used during the past
or three years than before" with excellent
suts-no surprise to nutrtionists to fur farmers
who have fed fish consistently for many years Fish
he adds, lis sometimes fed for its economy but the
experienced husbandryman feeds it because of its
unique nuritive value, the results of which appear
later in increased production healthier animals and
higher pelt prices"
This is attributed partly to the excellent quality
OF the protens and the vamin content of fish, which
supplies all the essential amino acids in amounts
comparable to or in of those supplied by other
meats; and fish is practically the only source of
natural Vitamns A and D. and contains a liberal
supply Of Vitamin c." But beyond these universally
recognized features the conspicuous beneficial effects
OF fish are due to the "high and well balanced mineral
content Fish contain all the elements essential to