FOX-FARMING IN CANADA 



flesh diet to scores of foxes, but not to hundreds. ^Several hundred 

 foxes, therefore, ui one neighbourhood, would necessitate the purchase 

 of costly meat. An ordinary farm has enough waste meat scrap, 

 dripping, bread, biscuits and game to support several animals. 



A wooded area, not subject to flooding, and where the 

 si 16^°°**^*°** snow does not pile up in deep drifts in winter, is best 



adapted for the site of the ranch. The subsoil should 

 be a hardpan to prevent deep burrowing and escape under the fences. 

 Areas which produce a growth of birch, spruce, fir and cedar, with 

 heath plants and blueberries in the open areas, have usually a good 

 turfy cover and a hardpan subsoil near the surface. In such a situa- 

 tion it is easy to erect pens as the fences have only to be extended 

 down to hardpan to prevent the foxes from burrowing under and 

 escaping. A sandy soil and subsoil, on the other hand, while provid- 

 ing good dramage, entails an additional expense, as foxes can burrow 

 to depths of six feet or more. A family of foxes working one behind 

 the other will relay earth out of a sandy hole in a veritable shower. 

 In ordinary loam, the fence is not considered safe unless it extends 

 down a depth of over three feet or is founded on a subsoil of considerable 

 hardness. 



Proximity to the dwelling of the keeper is also an important con- 

 sideration. This is usually accomplished by building the ranch in a 

 woodland lot a few hundred yards distant from the house, or, if the 

 ranch is a considerable distance from the owner's dwelling, by buildmg 

 a house for the keeper. It is not advisable to keep fox pens nearer 

 than ten rods to a dwelling as, particularly during muggy weather, 

 the peculiar and somewhat disagreeable 'foxy' smell is strong and 

 unpleasant. 



The advantages of a large woodland ranch may be summed up 

 as follows : 



1. The outer fence and bush cover protect the foxes from 

 curious sightseers, dogs, cattle and thieves, and give them a 

 sense of being hidden from enemies. 



2. The bush cover is especially valuable for nervous foxes 

 to hide in and to provide shade for the fur. They will also sleep 

 contentedly all day under a bush, where it is more healthful than 

 in a nest or a burrow. 



3. The outer fence is an additional insurance against escape 

 to the woods. If a fox escapes from the paddock, he can be 

 easily caught in the outer enclosure, or, if the door is left open, 

 he may, of his own accord, go back to his pen at feeding time. 



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