April, 1921. SCIENTIFIC AGRICULTURE 



Some Problems of Fox-Farming' 



By J. A. ALLEX, Animal Pathologist, Fox Research 

 Statiou, Health of Animals Urauch. 



159 



Introduction: For some years a very interesting bio- 

 logical experiment has been in progress in Prince 

 Edward Island. The valuable black or silver fox, wliieh 

 is a sport of the common red fox, has become a fixed 

 type; and the raising of this animal in captivity is now 

 an established industry, which has spread to other pro- 

 vinces of Canada, United States, Japan, and some 

 European countries. 



Although a few foxes have been kept in confinement 

 in Prince Edward Island for a great number of years, 

 the expansion of fox-farming did not begin until 1909, 

 or thereabouts. Before this time, fox-raising was a 

 secret pursuit in which only a few were allowed to part- 

 icipate. The knowledge that the men already engaged 

 in the enterprise were making handsome profits from 

 the sale of the pelts of foxes which they were raising, 

 gradually leaked out, and a scramble to get possession 

 of foundation stock became a veritable craze. 



The practice of pelting ceased about 1911, and all 

 available foxes were sold alive. So great was the de- 



have probably lasted longer only for the European War, 

 which brought a timely end to speculative fox-trading. 

 The war had a stabilizing influence and changed a higli- 

 1}- speculative venture, from wliich the stock promoter 

 got most of tlie fruits, into a legitimate industry. So 

 far as the fox industry on this continent is concerned, 

 the day of speculation is apparently over, and live 

 foxes are sold for what their pelts would bring, or a 

 little more, because breeders recognise that every pair 

 of foxes sold means a competitor. The market value of 

 a pair of live foxes at present varies from .$500 to $2,500, 

 according to quality and performance. 



Because of the newness of the industry one would ex- 

 pect that fox-farmers would experience some biologic 

 and patliological difficulties in attempting to keep in 

 confinement a wild animal that was accustomed to roam 

 over a wide territtn-y. However these problems are not 

 so great as one would anticipate, and are probably no 

 greater than those experienced in tlie domestication of 

 other servants of man. 



The finished pn.ducl. sIimwih,; uradation fi um diil^ i. 

 liglit silver pelt.s. 



niand that the cost of a pair of foxes steadily rofee from 

 $3,000 a pair in 1909 to $20,000 a pair in 1914. During 

 the hey day of the craze as high as $35,000 were paid 

 for exceptional specimens. "When the supply of foxes 

 for foundation stock became exhausted, foxes were 

 brouglit from other parts of the country to help to sup- 

 ply the demand; and optimistic investors began spe- 

 culating in future, and options were taken on unborn 

 pups for future deliver}^ 



Although there were large sum.s made in these early 

 speculations, needless to say some individuals lost money 

 in tlie same pursuit; for history rejjeats itself and the 

 fox craze came to the inevitable toboggan. It would 



• Published by permission of Dr. F. Torrance, Veter- 

 inary Director-General, and Dr. A. E. Watson, Chief 

 Animal Patliologist. 



The Problem of Sanitation: It may be stated as an 

 axiom that in nature the fox has not nearly the same 

 chance of fouling the ground, and his associates liave 

 not the same chance of coming in contact with his ex- 

 cretions, as when sucli an animal is penned up with 

 several of Ids fellows in a small enclosure. This, to- 

 gether with the fact that tlie fox in captivity is guilty 

 of filthy habits, makes an alarming and difficult prob- 

 lem. There is also a tradition among practical fox 

 ranchers that interference during the period from mat- 

 ing to several weeks after wliclping is likely to cause 

 the parents either to miscarry or desti'oy their young, 

 so that fox kennels are in most cases not cleansed from 

 the begnming of January until nearly the end of April. 

 This means in many cases that the newborn fox is 

 brought forth in a filthy environment, and is exposed 

 to [larasitic and otlicr disea.ses. Needless to say. pui'c 



