ENCLOSURES.
This is indeed, one of the important things in connection with
"fur-farming." Some of the first experimenters in raising skunk and
other fur animals, dug a trench from 2 to 3 feet deep, putting in rocks
or boards edgewise to keep them from digging out, on top of which they
constructed an upright fence of boards from 4 to 7 feet. On top of this
fence was fastened a wide board to keep the animals from climbing out.
The enclosure should be an acre in extent and 2 to 5 would be better.
The "ranch" should be located where the water will drain off quickly, so
that the dens will be dry, making a good place to burrow. The ground
should not be level, or at any rate, should have good drainage. Skunk
and perhaps other animals are liable to disease, if kept in damp and
crowded quarters, such as sore throat or similar diseases, which may
cause death.
[Illustration: Corner of enclosure, showing sheet tin at top and stones
at bottom.]
Galvanized wire, No. 14 or 16, with about one-inch mesh, seems to be the
proper material for fencing. Posts should be of locust, cedar, or some
other long lasting wood. They should be fully 10 feet long and put in
the ground 3 feet or more, depending upon how firm the earth is; they
should be set about 8 feet or not more than ten apart, as your fence
should be about 7 feet above ground. A trench two feet deep is dug, into
which your wire is put. From this it will be seen that you need woven
wire 9 feet high to make your fence 7 feet above ground, as two feet are
under.
After your wire is in place, fill up the trench with dirt, or if there
are flat stones, it would be well to place a layer about a foot wide,
extending inward from the fence or bottom of wire. Should any of the
animals dig downward from the bottom of the wire, striking the stone
they would become discouraged and give up, as the stone would cause them
to dig in the wrong direction to escape. On top of the wire fence, a
sheet of tin roofing about 18 inches wide, should extend around the
enclosure, on the inside, to keep the animals from climbing out, for
skunk as well as coon can easily climb out of your enclosure.
Instead of placing the tin around the top some turn the fence in as
shown in the illustration. If this is done to make the fence 7 feet
high, a 10-1/2 foot meshed wire is required as two feet are under ground
and at least 18 inches should be used for turning in--2 feet would be
best.
[Illustration: Showing Fence with Wire Turned in at Top.]
The "turning in" method has some advantages over the tin; one being that
dogs cannot get in so easily, and another is that the fence will stand
up better; the wide strip of tin or sheet-iron catching wind or snow
which helps to sag the wire or cause the fence to lean. The tin or
sheet-iron, however, seems to be the best in preventing any animal's
escape.
The enclosure can be enlarged at any time, but do not make the mistake
of beginning with too small an enclosure, as some have. Also have your
fence about 7 feet high to keep dogs out, as well as to keep the
fur-bearers in. Just how much the enclosure will cost depends upon
several things: The cost of 9 foot, 1 inch mesh No. 16 galvanized wire
is about $1.50 per rod. This price, of course, will vary some, depending
upon where you are located. In some of the smaller cities you perhaps
cannot get the kind you want and will be compelled to send to some of
the larger cities or catalogue houses. Perhaps you can not get wider
than 5 feet. If such is the case buy in two widths--5 feet and 4 feet.
This will give you the desired height.
Posts as already mentioned should be of locust or some other long
lasting wood, as cedar, and should be thoroughly seasoned before putting
in the ground. The posts should be fully 6 inches in diameter. If from
larger locust and split, so much the better, as the older the tree the
longer it will last. The cutting and setting of the posts, putting up of
the fence, can be done by the "fur-farmer" in those sections where
locust and cedar grow, so that all the cash outlay necessary in building
the enclosure, will be for galvanized wire, some staples and sheet tin
for the top. Instead of placing the tin around the top, it may be
fastened on the inside of the wire (as shown), about four feet from the
ground.
The corner posts should be two or three times larger than the others;
they should be set more firmly in the ground, five feet being about
right. This will necessitate these posts being two feet longer than the
rest. They should be firmly braced in both ways.
[Illustration: Fence with Sheet Tin Four Feet from Ground.]
The cost of fencing an acre, varies, of course. An acre contains 160
square rods or about 12-1/2 rods each side--equal to 50 rods of fence.
If the wire costs $1.50 a rod, and posts 40 cents each, the cost of
material required to enclose an acre will be $95.00. We are figuring on
two posts to the rod. Add to this staples, gates, etc., and the cost
will perhaps be about $100.00. Of course a much cheaper wire could be
used, poorer posts, etc., so that the cost would be greatly reduced--but
it generally pays to do a thing well.
To enclose a certain amount of ground with the smallest number of rods
of fencing possible, the plat or ground to be enclosed should be in a
square. The additional cost to enclose an acre, say 20 rods long by 8
wide, would be material for 6 additional rods. To fully illustrate, an
acre fenced in a square would be 12-1/2 rods on each side, or 50 rods;
if 20 rods long, the two sides would be 40 rods, and the ends 8 each or
16 rods, making a total of 56 rods.
While the cost of enclosing an oblong piece of ground would be a few
dollars more than if square, this should not stand in the way if the
oblong piece of ground would make a better home for your fur-bearing
animals.
The persons who expect to make "fur-farming" a business, can begin in a
small way and same need not interfere with other work to a great extent.
Year after year, as they learn more of the business, they can enlarge,
etc. Trappers, hunters and others who from experience know much of the
animals, will no doubt be the most successful from the start. One party
writes to know if skunk, fox, opossum and mink can be successfully
raised in the same enclosure. If he means allowed to run together, they
can not. If he means the same outside enclosure, with separate
apartments for the various animals, there is no reason why such a place
should not be successful as there will be advantages in such a plan.
First, an enclosure of four acres can be built much cheaper than four
separate enclosures of one acre each. To enclose four one-acre
enclosures would require 200 rods of fencing--50 rods for each. The four
acres in one enclosure would be only about half or 100 rods. A square 25
rods on each side would be almost 4 acres. Should the fur-farmer wish to
subdivide this into four tracts, a fence thru the middle each way would
take 25 rods additional or 50 rods for both ways. This fencing need not
be so high or so secure as the outside one. Should animals manage to get
into another part of the four-acre enclosure, they would still not be at
liberty, altho they might kill or injure some of the other species
before being discovered by the owner.
If possible have a small stream of running water in the enclosure.
[Illustration: Plan for Combined Enclosures.]
Without labor the cost of material will vary from $2.00 to $3.00 per
rod. The greatest variation in expense will be for posts. Those living
where posts can be had, having considerable the advantage. This estimate
being for galvanized one-inch mesh wire No. 14, per rod, smaller wire of
course being cheaper. This is by far the best material in making
enclosures, yet found. Some of the first experimenters used boards, but
where there were cracks, or the sap or bark on edges rotted, affording
the animals a place to gnaw, they soon found a way out. This had to be
guarded against where the boards extended into the ground they often
rotted so that there was always danger of the animals escaping. Where
stones were set up edgewise or cement used, it was rather expensive and
as galvanized wire lasts well either in the ground, where not exposed to
the air, or being galvanized, it stands the elements well, it seems to
meet the requirements of the fur farmer for fencing or enclosure
purposes.
Where is the farmer who would expect to make a success at raising
horses, cattle or sheep, by keeping them in a small pen and feeding them
foods not to their liking or nature? Yet, such has been the case with
some of those who tried "fur animal raising." They made a failure of it
and no one who is at all familiar with fur-bearing animals is surprised.
Those who will be successful at "fur-farming" are trappers, hunters and
farmers who know something of the animal or animals they expect to
raise--those who love the animal and have a desire for the business.
The ox, horse and sheep were all wild at one time, but have become
domesticated. Why not the same with the fur-bearers? This is exactly
what should be done. Skunk, especially, are very easily domesticated,
and other fur-bearers, such as coon, mink and opossum, soon lose much of
their fear.
When the raiser learns this and furnishes a large enclosure with dens
and food similar to their wild state, they will be on the road to
success. As one raiser says: "They do well in a semi-wild state." If the
enclosure is too small, fleas, seed ticks, and other parasites are a
great enemy to the animals. In a large enclosure the animals are more
"at home" although at first they are restless and will walk around
seeking a way to escape; that is they try to escape at night. They are
seldom, if ever, seen during the day when first let loose in the
enclosure; they generally go in the first den that has been prepared for
them.
Water is important. If you are raising skunk, fox or opossum, water for
drinking is all that they require; the same is the case with the coon,
although they will do best where they have water to wade, play and
search for food. Muskrat, otter, beaver and mink must have water to swim
and play in, as well as to drink or they cannot be raised. The enclosure
for mink and muskrat should include a stream of running water if
possible, or a pond of pure water. The same conditions apply to otter
and beaver, but of course the wire should be of larger size than for
mink and muskrat. Several different species of fur-bearers can be
successfully raised in the same enclosure. Coon, opossum, and skunk will
all do well together. Beaver and otter, apparently, live peaceably for
weeks in the same beaver lodge or house.
The thousands of small lakes, ponds, etc., offer a splendid opportunity
for the successful raising of muskrat. While many owners of such, today,
in their natural condition, or without any fence, are reaping a
profitable and furry harvest; yet there are additional hundreds that by
building a fence around, would soon have a muskrat lake or pond worth a
great deal. Muskrat are fond of their homes and often remain at the same
location for years. If a wire fence three feet high were built around
this lake or pond, (with one foot underground), it would keep the rats
at home, as some would leave, especially as soon as the increase became
large. Such a fence would also keep out mink, which kill muskrat, often.
Muskrat, in their wild or natural homes, seldom leave the water more
than a rod or two, so that a pond a considerable distance from any
stream, would be a comparatively safe place to raise them, without any
enclosure. The danger would be, mainly, that after the animals became
quite plentiful, some would perhaps leave, for instinct seems to teach
them that some should seek homes not so crowded. This has happened in
their natural breeding places where they became very plentiful.
How large and where to build enclosures for fur farming, must be decided
by each individual. One party may have a creek, pond or lake, perhaps a
swamp, already inhabited by muskrat, and all that is necessary is to
keep other hunters and trappers off. On navigable rivers or lakes having
an inlet and outlet, we believe in most states any one can trap so long
as he is upon the water. In other words, the water does not belong to
the land owner and he cannot keep others off; but any small lake or pond
may be enclosed. On this point it would be well to see some lawyer in
your county, as different states may have different laws.
A wooded bluff containing some den trees for coon, and hollow logs,
stumps, etc., for opossum and skunk, would be an ideal place for a
fur-farm. The location of the farm should be within sight of the home of
the raiser, in case a dog should get within or a thief should visit the
farm. To guard against stealing at night your dog would give the alarm,
or you could have an electric appliance connect the farm with the
house.
Islands in large lakes offer a splendid place to begin raising
fur-bearing animals, and especially those that do not like to get their
"fur wet" or that naturally are not swimmers. In this class are the
various kinds of foxes, skunk and opossum; marten, it is true, are not
included in the swimming class, but the successful marten raiser perhaps
will be found, if at all, in the higher altitudes where the snow gets
several feet deep during the winter months, and the ground is covered
with snow eight or nine months each year--such is the ideal and natural
home of the marten.
Skunk and opossum are two animals that do not travel much in extreme
cold weather, so that an island in a lake or large river, could be used
with no fencing. It perhaps would be best to put up a wire fence but it
need not be so substantial as if it were not surrounded by water. Of
course islands in rivers that overflow, would not be suitable. There
are, however, islands in the Great Lakes and elsewhere, that can be used
for raising both skunk and opossum with little or no cash outlay at the
start.
If islands are used for foxes (except in salt water where the water does
not freeze), the same precaution in fencing must be taken as elsewhere.
Foxes travel during all kinds of weather and the first night the ice
formed sufficient to bear their weight, they would be very apt to
leave.
Coon could not be successfully raised on an island. They do not travel
much during severe weather, but unless the island happened to be some
distance from the mainland, they would likely swim to shore. Mink would
be at home on an island where there was fish, frogs, etc., with drift
and log piles to wander through, but as they are good swimmers, there
would be nothing gained by starting with this animal on an island.
Skunk and opossum seem to be the only animals that can be safely raised
on an island without the same precaution taken in fencing and enclosing,
as upon the mainland. These two animals, while not the highest priced
furred ones, for various reasons will prove to be as profitable, or more
so, where conditions favor, than many other fur-bearers.