342 Department of Conservation of Louisiana 



our breeding stock but proved a great nuisance and unnec- 

 essary care to those intrusted with the well-being cf these 

 animals. However, this is not the only disadvantage we 

 northern breeders found with wire-covered cages — in win- 

 ter the snow would pile high over the dens, within the pens, 

 covering the food and otherwise proving fatal to our musk- 

 rats. 



"We tried wire cloth also, but even this fine-meshed 

 wire did not give us what we wanted, consequently Mr. 

 Campbell discarded the wire pens altogether and con- 

 structed galvanized iron pens, open at the top save when 

 they are covered during inclement weather, and we found 

 we had solved our problem. Although I realize that you 

 have very long and hot summers in Louisiana, I am quite 

 confident that the galvanized pens will prove the efficacious 

 — provided they are shaded during the middle of the day. 



Iron Breeding Pens 



"These galvanized iron pens measure exactly eight feet 

 long, four feet high, and three feet wide. The flooring is 

 also of galvanized iron, a commercial sheet of No. 20 gauge 

 4x8 feet being utilized for this purpose. Therefore, each 

 pen will need one 4x8 and four sheets of 3 x 8 iron sheets, 

 the bottom utilizing the large sheet, while the sides use two 

 of the remaining three sheets, the third being cut in half 

 to make the two end pieces. 



"Sue 1 ! pens are smooth and free of all obstacles. 

 The sides are too high for them to jump out and we do not 

 place dens, boxes, or other structure on the inside. Such 

 a pen described is suitable for ten families, for we never 

 allow our bucks to remain with the females any longer than 

 is necessary to insure breeding. During the heat of the 

 summer days or during rain and snow in winter we cover 

 our pens with wooden tops with a small opening left at 

 one end for air. 



"When we constructed our first pens of galvanized iron 

 we placed huts on the inside and covered them with sod ; 

 later we changed to another type of box, and still another 

 type of den architecture was designed, but later discarded. 



