ALASKA FUR FARMING—HOW
I RAISE MINK SUCCESSFULLY
(. Lert O.son, of Caswell Lake Fur
. >.r. .s, Caswell Lake, Alaska, in
the Anchorage Times.
1 'i this article, explain how
mint -tv .;aised on Caswell Lake Fur
Farm, m it will be of benefit to
the begii”in Ahe mink ranching
business, a . also, to those who intend
to start.
First, I will describe, the pens and
nest boxes whirr have given very
satisfactory results.
The female pens, each 4x8 feet, are
built in long rows. Another pen, C
feet wide, is connected to these on the
beck side. This pen is divided into
smaller ones. The first pen is 4x6
feet. This, is the permananet pen for
the male.
Next comes a pen 6x8 feet. These
two pens take in the width , of 3 fe
male pens. When the offspring from
these three females are weaned all
the males are put together, in the 6x8
pen and the young females are moved
to new breeding places. In the fall,
when .the young males have either
been pelted or sold for breeders, the
male .has the run of their pen until
weaning time the next year Chutes
connect these pens with the. female
pens. From this can be seen that one
male is used for three females. How
ever, this is not always the case, and
I will explain why later.
The .pens are 6 feet high, covered,
and have double wire netting between
them., A mat of netting is sunk in
the ground, about one foot, and earth
and sod put back on top.
The nest boxes are 12x18 inches,
and a chute 12 inches long and 3x4
inches inside measurement, is fast
ened in one corner. Only single
boards are used. When I first started
raising mink I made double compart
ments. But soon I found out this
was not necessary, and it.saves work
and money. Besides, a single box is
much easier to keep clean. Many, no
doubt, will ask: “But won’t the mink
freeze to death in the winter?” My
answer is “No” to that question. If
the mmk is given lots of hay he will
make., a nest in which he will be
warm and eomfortahle.
Females.
In the fall I feed about 5Q per cent
meat and fish and 50 per cent cereals.
I use corn meal, rolled oats, rolled
wheat and bran cooked with fish as
one cereal diet., Some-fat is also add
ed to this.
The other is bread made of corn
meal, whole wheat and sonte corn
meal, feed cod liver oil with this
bread.
I feed all they will eat in the fall
and first par tof the winter. The
amount fed to each .mink varies, be
cause some require more than others.
About the latter part of January I
| McGrath
Pool Hall
Fresh Fruits
Candiesl
Tobaccos
Pipes
Cigarettes
Soft Drinks
Cigarette Holders
—
T. A. McClure
Dan McGinty
Proprietors
cut dow non their feed, and from now
on I feed less cereals and more meat
and flsh. I take great pains regulat
ing their feed now, so they will be
in proper condition for the breeding
j season.
Fat mink are sluggish, from lack of
exercise, and do not breed well.
Breeding Season.
The breeding season on Caswell
Lake Fur Farm starts the latter part
of March and lasts till about the
middle of April. 1 can, as a rule, tell
when a female comes in heat; not
always, however. When a male and
femaie start to quarrel I take the
male away at once and try him with
another female. If the female wants
the male to serve her, mating will
take place at once. The mating
should last one hour or longer, in
order to insure conception. Even so,
I leave them together overnight, be
cause most females will take more
than one service during the heat
■ period.
i When I see two mate for a short
time only, I take no chances on that
male serving her again. I take him
av,uy and give her another. The ones
I 'use for this purpose are old, large
males that are proven breeder., 1
keep them in pens by themselves, and,
when needed. I pack them in boxes to
the female>, which they are to serve.
Some males are very aggressive
and will force their attention on the
female, and tne result is a “forced
mating.” And .here, let me say that
-a beginner, most likely, will make a
| mistake by not letting her get chance
to mate later, and' will naturally
fhink she is a non-breeder.
eeding of Pregnant Females.
Now I feed them more. The cereals1
I feed them consist of the bread al
ready mentioned, which 1 crumble up’
and soak in milk. L also feed eggs
now, and when feeding rabbits I give
them all except -skin and entrails.
Period of Gestation.
The period of gestation varies. It
runs, I have found, from 42 to 63
; days. Thi sis hard to understand
when all are fed the same food, and
it is still harder to understand that,
the same female will carry her young,
say, 45 days one year and .perhaps 52
the next, this, however, makes no
difference as long as they have them,
and I will leave this to. the scientist
to find out.
Prior to the time the young are ex
pected, about 35 or 40 days, after
i mating has taken place, I clean and
disinfect the nest boxes, and put in
soft hay. I know from the prying in
I the nest box, when the young have
arrived. . Right here is where curi
osity gets the best of many beginners. j
They think, because the young cry,!
there must be something wrong, when!
exactly the opposite is the case, so i
they look into the nestbox. The re-i
suit is, as a rule, disastrous. She i
either kills her young or. packs them
them around until they die from lack;
of nourishment.
i However, I look into the nestboxes
| a few days after the young are born
and, as I believe I am the only mink
rancher doing it this way, I am sure
it will interest others to know how I
go about it.
As already stated, a few days after
a litter is born, I take a trap box and
a piece of meat or fish and. go to the
pen when I want to look at.the young.
The mother always comes out of the
nestbox (mine are tame), and after
letting her smell the bait I throw it
in the box. She goes right inside to
get it and I shut her off. Then I open
the nestbox and, with, a stick, I rake
the hay, covering the young, to one
side and count them. When satisfied J
I cover tmem again and let the
mother out of the box, and she never
knows.
1 find there is a great advantage
in doing this. I know better what
amount to feed each female. It
stands to reason that one with six
young requires more food than one
with, say, four.
There is also another advantage by
doing this. If one with six young
only brings out, say, five, I know one
must have died. This, however, has
not happened for me yet, but it may
From this time on, every thre<
days or so, I throw a handful of haj
into each pen, and the mothers wil
replenish their nests.
When the young are about three
weeks old I cut the meat and fish ir
small pieces, because I have found oul
that they will suck the meat or fish
before they have teeth to chew it. By
doing this they lessen the strain or
the mother, and from now on they
grow fast.
The yong get .thei" eyes open when
about four weeks ca. and now l look
into the nestboxe socasionally. If I
find a nestbox not as clean as it
should be, I put in another with clean
hay in it, and after investigating and
smelling around for a short time she
moves her young to the new quar
[ ters.
This gives me a chance to clean and
disinfect the old box.
When about six weeks old the
young start to come out. They are
unsteady on their legs atfirst, bot
auuu ucvuiuc ur> m;uvt? its LUtliC
mother.
No wis the time they will eat, and
I see to it that they are well fed with
the right kind of food. feed cereals
with milk and cod liver oil in the
morning and meat or fish in the even
ing.
Wean them when eight to ten
weeks old, depending on the size of
the litter. I continue feeding them
twice a day till four months old, then
once a day.
I also feed the mothers twice a day
for some time, and feed eggs with
the othe rfood to those that are thin
from nursing large litters. It takes
only a short time till they are in fine
condition.
Because mink, like other fur-bear
ing animals, are raised for their pelt,
they should be killed in a painless
way and not be made to suffer. Mine
are killed that way. I catch the mink
I intend to kill, -withmy left hand
around the neck. Then, with a flat
stick in my right-hand, I tap the mink
on the end of the nose. This makes
.' him unconscious. Then I find the
i heart and squeeze it between my
thumb and forefinger Death follows
. in a short time.
In conclusion I want to say that for
: the man, and woman too, who love
; the great outdoors, I know of no bet
ter occupation than the mink business
for pleasure and profit.
SENATOR BORAH WANTS
U. -S .TO CHUCK CHINA
WASHINGTON.—Senator Borah,
of Idaho, chairman of the Senate
committee o nforeign affairs, in an
! address yesterday before the national
good housekeeping conference, voiced
a plea to let China work out its own
i eestiny unmolested by the United
! States and urging America to pursue
a hands-off policy in Chinese affairs.
Borah declared he. believed that out
of the chaos of the Oriect would
come “permanent and real democracy
which will take its place among the
nations of the world. I thank God
tne nationalists marched mlo the Chi
nese capital yesterday.”
The spirit which prompts the Chi
i nese of today is the same that im
| pelled the American colonists in their
1 efforts for freedom, be asserted.
!- -
FORFEITURE NOTICE.
: To John H. Anderson, his heirs, ex- j
i ecutors, assigns and successors in
j interest:
I You, and each of you, are hereby
notified that the undersigned, through
i power of attorney from Frank E. I
' Johnson, has expended for annuel'
labor and improvements the sum of
One Hundred Dollars ff100.00) per
year for the years 1919, 1920, 1921,
1922, 1923, 1924. 192b and 1926, a
total of years years, upon the follow
ing described placer mining claims, all
located n the Ruby Recording District,1
Territory of Alaska:
I No. 3 Above Long Creek, one-half
j interest;
No. 3 Right Lim^ Bench, Long
Creek ,one-fourth interest;
Lone Pine Claim, Lang Creek, one
half interest;
Keystone Association, Long Creek,
one-fourth interest.
That all of said work and improve
ments were required by law and
were put upon said claim in compli
ance therewith in order to hold the
same for each said year and there
after, all of said work having been
performed by Jensen & Wiklund.
And if within ninety (90) days after
the publication of this notice you and
each of you do not contribute to the
undersigned your proportion of said
expenditure for each said claim for
each said year, your interest in said
claims will become the property of
I the undersigned, according to the pro
| visions of Section 2324 Revised Stat
utes of the United States.
H. JENSEN,
Attorney in Fact for
Frank E. Johnson.
First publcation, January 1, 1927.
Last publication, April. 9, 1927.
NOTICE OF FORFEITURE.
To Max Altman) his heirs, executors
assigns and successors in in
terest:
You, and each of you, are herdby
notifitd that the undersigned has ex
pended for annual labor One Hun
dred Dollars (1100.00) per year for
the years 1915, 1916, 1917, 1920,1921,
1922, 1923, 1924 and 1926, upon the
fOiluw.iik- described minine- claim in
Ruby Recording District, Territory of
Alaska:
The SANDBAG ASSOCIATION
CLAIM, on J.oenstone Creek, a trib
utary of r nr Creek, in order to hok*
said claim .nder the provisions of
law protecting annual labor on min
ing claims.
And if within ninety (90) days after
the publication of this notice you, or
any of you, fail to pay your portion
of the amount expended on the above
claim, your interest in said claim will
become forfeited to the undersigned
co-owner, according to the provisions
of Section 2324 Revised Statutes o'
the United States.
DAN SUTHERLAND.
First publication, January 1, 1923
Last publication, April. 9, 1927.
| Du Rand’s
Cafe and
j Hotel I
f Flat City 1