ited to producing animals to sell for 

 breeding or restocking. At present, 

 little is known of the possibilities of 

 selective breeding of muskrats. 

 Certain of the color mutations, par- 

 ticularly the black-and-tan phase, 

 might possibly change the present 

 picture and make pen raising of 

 muskrats worth while if a strain of 

 selective, persistent breeders under 

 confinement develops. 



Raising Muskrats on Natural and 

 Fenced Areas 



The landowner with a marsh, 

 pond, stream, or swamp should con- 

 sider the possibilities of raising 

 muskrats as an added source of in- 

 come. They require no special feed- 

 ing — the plant life of such areas 

 generally supplies an abundance of 

 food — and they increase rapidly 

 when given a minimum of attention 

 and protection. 



A marsh in which there is a pond 

 with running water and a lush 

 growth of bulrushes, cattails, water- 

 lilies, and other aquatic plants, is 

 ideal for muskrats. While a heav- 

 ily wooded swamp has the necessary 

 water, usually it does not produce 

 sufficient food for a large muskrat 

 population. There is scarcely a 

 farm, however, that does not have 

 drainage ditches, or a small amount 

 of low, submarginal land, or a creek 

 w^hich yields muskrats. 



Unless forced to leave because of 

 floods, droughts, or hunger, musk- 

 rats as a rule remain fairly close to 

 their feeding grounds and homes. 

 Large muskrat-producing areas, 

 therefore, do not usually need to be 

 fenced. Natural boundaries, tres- 



pass laws, and continuous surveil- 

 lance tend to control poaching. 



Fencing may be advisable in some 

 instances but is costly on large 

 areas. It reduces poaching, pre- 

 vents the escape of the animals, and, 

 when correctly done, reduces pre- 

 dation. Galvanized, 1-inch mesh, 

 16-gage wire is suitable and lasts 

 for years except under salt-water 

 conditions. Sinking the fence from 

 10 to 12 inches below the surf ace. is 

 usually sufficient on dry ground ; in 

 marshes and swamps it must go 

 much deeper. Steel posts are satis- 

 factory on high, dry land, but 

 wooden or concrete posts are more 

 serviceable in muck or on wet 

 ground. 



Supplemental feeding may be 

 necessary in fenced areas, where 

 food is limited. Muskrats are fond 

 of corn, either dried or green, car- 

 rots, cull apples, crimson or scarlet 

 clover, raw peanuts, alfalfa, Swiss 

 chard, Jerusalem artichokes, cab- 

 bage, lettuce, curly kale, vetch, 

 kudzu vine, and sunflower. Tur- 

 nips, sweet potatoes, parsnips, beets, 

 squash, pumpkins, and red clover 

 are accepted at times but are not 

 greatly relished. 



Farm Ponds in Relation lo 

 Muskrats 



In a properly constructed and 

 well-managed farm pond, muskrats 

 will usually provide an additional 

 source of income without interfer- 

 ing with other uses of the pond. 

 Muskrats dig in the banks or dam 

 primarily to make dens and they 

 select the steepest slopes and the 

 heaviest vegetation. The banks of 

 the pond should always he cut to a 



35 



