,breeding ,minks in ,louisiana ,,for ,,their ,,fur ,a ,profitable ,industry ,illustration ,,by ,,william ,,andr ,,elfer ,,for ,,sale ,,by ,,the ,,gessner ,,co41 #faa ,,canal ,,st41 ,,new ,,orleans1 ,,la4 ,,copyrighted ,,by ,w4 ,a4 ,,elfer #aiji ,press of ,j4 ,g4 ,hauser ,the ,legal ,printer #fbj-fbb ,poydras ,st4 ,new ,orleans ,,preface ,this little volume is issued in illustration of the feasibility of breeding minks in ,louisiana for their fur4 ,it is the result of experiments conducted by the author himself1 and he feels that it should be of interest to many and of value to the few who are looking for fields for profitable investment4 ,it is the author's aim to issue a more elaborate work on the same subject sometime during the early part of next year4 ,w4 ,a4 ,e4 ,illustration3 ,a ,louisiana ,mink4 ,notice the ,small ,eyes1 and the ,low1 ,rounded ,ears1 ,scarcely ,projecting ,beyond the ,adjacent ,fur4 ,for the following description of the ,american mink ,i am indebted to the ,encyclopdia ,britannica3 ,in size it much resembles the ,english polecat--the length of the head and body being usually from fifteen to eighteen inches2 that of the tail to the end of the hair about nine inches4 ,the female is considerably smaller than the male4 ,the tail is bushy1 but tapering at the end4 ,the ears are small1 low1 rounded1 and scarcely project beyond the adjacent fur4 ,the pelage consists of a dense1 soft1 matted under-fur1 mixed with long1 stiff1 lustrous hairs on all parts of the body and tail4 ,the gloss is greatest on the upper parts2 on the tail the bristly hairs predominate4 ,northern specimens have the finest and most glistening pelage2 in those from the southern regions there is less difference between the under- and over-fur1 and the whole pelage is coarser and harsher4 ,in color1 different specimens present a considerable range of variation1 but the animal is ordinarily of a rich1 dark brown1 scarcely or not paler below than on the general upper parts2 but the back is usually the darkest1 and the tail is nearly black4 ,the under jaw1 from the chin about as far back as the angle of the mouth1 is generally white4 ,in the ,european mink the upper lip is also white1 but1 as this occasionally occurs in ,american specimens1 it fails as an absolutely distinguishing character4 ,besides the white on the chin1 there are often other irregular white patches on the under parts of the body4 ,in very rare instances the tail is tipped with white4 ,the fur1 like that of most of the animals of the group to which it belongs1 is an important article of commerce4 ,the fur market has always been a good market4 ,it has grown firmer and stronger from year to year1 while the prices for furs have been advancing steadily and rapidly with the growing demand for furs in ,europe and ,america1 and with the general increasing scarcity of all fur-bearing animals4 ,mink fur advanced about fifty per cent4 during the last two seasons1 and there is every reason to believe that the mink fur in ,louisiana will advance to about six dollars within the coming three years4 ,the minks caught in ,louisiana last season were sold at an average price of three dollars4 ,illustration3 ,resting in a ,warm ,place4 ,notice the ,long ,body and ,its ,shape4 ,illustration3 ,in a ,position to ,jump4 ,notice the ,long ,tail4 ,fur-bearing animals are becoming scarce where they were once so plentiful1 and1 like the buffaloes that roamed this country in such great numbers1 they will soon1 many of them1 become extinct if the present rate of trapping continues to obtain in ,america4 ,already certain fur animals are almost trapped out and are rare4 ,even the alligator1 which was so plentiful a few years ago in the swamps of ,louisiana1 is hardly sought after any more for its hide because of its scarcity4 ,the laws enacted by the various ,state legislatures for the protection of fur-bearing animals1 in fact1 offer no protection2 for most furs caught out of season have no market value1 and for that reason are not caught4 ,in ,louisiana a trapper has to procure a hunting license if he wishes to carry a gun while trapping1 which license costs only one dollar and is good for one season only4 ,such a low license1 while it may bring a large revenue to the ,state1 clearly has no element of protection in it4 ,on the contrary1 it is a truth that it stimulates both hunting and trapping1 as there were more trappers in ,louisiana last season than before the law requiring this license came into effect4 ,every trapper procures a hunting license whether he carries a gun or not1 and most trappers believe the law requires them to have this license to trap4 ,whatever is being done for the protection of fur-bearing animals in ,louisiana1 the fact remains that they are fast disappearing4 ,old and experienced trappers will tell you that minks were very difficult to trap last season as compared with the seasons of a few years ago1 when they could be so easily trapped in dead-falls4 ,raccoons1 too1 which were so numerous in the rear of old cornfields during the trapping seasons1 have diminished at a surprising rate within the last three years4 ,illustration3 ,a ,female of ,two ,years4 ,while laws are being adopted by different ,states for the regulation of trapping to protect fur-bearing animals1 it is time for those who expect to make money with fur in the future to begin raising their own animals4 ,the time is almost here when trapping will be unprofitable4 ,fur animals will be too scarce to make anything at it4 ,then people will have to build farms in which to breed minks for their fur1 and mink farms will become common4 ,minks are the most valuable fur-bearing animals in ,louisiana1 being the most numerous1 and they are also the easiest and most profitable to breed for their fur4 ,breeding minks in ,louisiana for their fur can be made a very profitable industry4 ,there is more to be made at it than raising horses1 hogs or cattle4 ,after a farm is once completed and stocked1 all expense is about over if there is a large-enough pond in it to supply the minks with sufficient food4 ,under the present condition of the fur market1 each female will average a profit of forty dollars a year4 ,a farm stocked for the first time during the winter with five hundred female minks should bring its owner the following winter approximately twenty thousand dollars4 ,this is figured at three dollars a fur2 but within three years the mink fur in ,louisiana should be selling for what the mink fur in the ,north sold last season4 ,with this increase in the price of fur1 a farm stocked with the same number should bring forty thousand dollars4 ,illustration3 ,the ,fur ,during the ,summer ,is ,very ,poor1 and ,not ,so ,dark as ,it ,is ,during the ,winter4 ,illustration3 ,an ,excited ,mink ,trying to ,climb4 ,minks require little room1 and thousands can be raised each year on a farm of ten acres4 ,the larger the farm1 however1 the better chances they will have to procure food for themselves1 as birds will enter a large farm more freely than a small one4 ,for this reason1 in building a mink farm the first and most important requirement is a good location4 ,a small island consisting of low land covered with trees and grasses1 with the opposite shore at least three-quarters of a mile distant1 would make an excellent farm1 provided the surrounding water supplies an abundance of small fishes4 ,such an island would1 of course1 preclude the necessity of using material for holding the minks in captivity4 ,if a suitable island cannot be found1 a good farm can be made with five or more acres of low swampy land having a natural growth of trees1 grasses and underbrush1 such as can be found in ,southern ,louisiana4 ,but the piece of land selected for a farm must inclose a large pond1 or several small ponds1 containing a good quantity of small fishes1 especially crayfish4 ,the trees and grasses will attract birds1 which1 in addition to fish and rabbits1 form a large part of food for the minks4 ,feeding minks is pretty costly1 and is hardly to be considered by one entering the business of breeding them for their fur4 ,the walls surrounding a mink farm can be made either with bricks or with sheets of corrugated1 galvanized iron4 ,the latter material makes an excellent wall1 and costs less than a brick wall4 ,it should be used in sheets measuring twelve feet in length by about twenty-six inches in width4 ,these sheets should be used in an upright position1 and at least five feet should be underground and seven feet aboveground4 ,they should be allowed to lap two inches1 and the dirt should be firmly packed against them4 ,two rows of wooden strips nailed on the outside of the wall1 one about two feet above the ground1 and the other along the top edge of the sheets1 will greatly strengthen the wall and also prevent the wind from shaking it4 ,illustration3 ,a ,young ,female ,mink ,walking ,along the ,walls of a ,small ,farm4 ,the following photograph shows a small pentagonal farm1 the walls of which are made with sheets of corrugated1 galvanized iron4 ,each side measures sixteen feet in length1 extending four feet underground and four feet aboveground4 ,wire netting is used to cover the farm1 not to prevent the minks from jumping over1 although the walls are too low1 but to prevent chickens1 cats and buzzards from entering and eating the food put in for the minks4 ,a wooden shed also covers a part of the small farm and serves to keep out some of the rain and heat1 there being no shrubs or trees therein4 ,there are two small troughs in the ground for holding water1 and in the center of the farm there is a place for the minks to live during the day1 which consists of boards laid five inches above the surface of the ground with about fourteen inches of dirt on top4 ,under these boards it is dark during the day and always damp and cool4 ,there are also several barrels in this farm filled with corn shucks and hay for the minks to enter during cold weather4 ,the minks in this little farm are fed with the spleen of cattle1 different meats1 crayfish and other small fishes4 ,the cost of this farm1 or pen1 which has been used for experimental purposes only1 amounts to approximately forty-two dollars4 ,it is large enough to raise two hundred minks if they are properly fed and cared for4 ,illustration3 ,a ,small ,mink ,farm4 ,illustration3 ,part of ,interior of ,small ,farm1 ,showing ,boards ,with ,dirt on ,top for the ,minks to ,live ,under ,during the ,day4 ,sometimes an island can be used for a farm even when it has opposite shores or islands within two hundred feet or less1 provided the water surrounding it has an average depth of from four to six feet4 ,in such a case1 the walls inclosing the island should be built in the water at a distance of fifty or one hundred feet from its shores4 ,sheets of metal should be used1 as previously described1 by placing them upright in the water and nailing them together with strips running along the outside4 ,it is not essential that the lower wall should be in the ground or even touching it2 posts can be driven in the ground to strengthen the wall1 or to support it entirely4 ,illustration3 ,a ,mink ,farm ,made ,out of an ,island4 ,the ,water ,surrounding ,has a ,uniform ,depth of ,five ,feet4 ,in a small farm where minks are in close captivity and have to be fed1 the old ones used for the purpose of stocking it will at first do considerable digging near the walls4 ,they will dig into loose earth to a depth ranging from a few inches to three feet in their attempts to liberate themselves4 ,but they will cease to dig after they have been in captivity for about four months4 ,those born in a farm will not dig or try to get out4 ,they will climb1 however1 to a height of fifteen feet on reclining trees or on bushes1 and for this reason all trees1 bushes and pieces of lumber should be removed from the inside of the walls before any minks are turned loose in a farm4 ,they will ordinarily jump to a height of four feet4 ,they can climb wooden walls as swiftly as a cat1 or any wall made of soft material4 ,illustration3 ,disturbed in ,her ,sleep4 ,notice the ,bushy ,tail4 ,the following sketch shows the very best mink farm that can be made4 ,it requires a rectangular piece of land of five or ten acres1 running along and separated by a large bayou in the swamps of ,louisiana4 ,covering this land there should be the necessary trees1 shrubbery and grasses4 ,the walls are built along the bayou about one hundred feet from the middle1 and extend underground to a depth of six feet4 ,the walls at the ends of the farm where they cross the bayou should be very carefully constructed4 ,at these places where the walls cross the bayou should have a depth of at least twelve feet or more1 so that the walls can be made to extend nine feet below the water surface for one-third the width of the stream and still have sufficient openings below the walls to permit the water to flow through freely4 ,for example1 if the bayou is fifty feet wide1 fifteen feet of the wall crossing it can be elevated so that there will be a large-enough opening below for the water to flow4 ,the remaining portion of the wall 7that lying near the shore7 should be driven in the ground for about one foot1 as minks will not dig under water4 ,a farm of five acres1 similar to the one just described1 would cost1 completed1 approximately eight hundred dollars4 ,the minks in such a farm1 owing to the continuous change of water in the bayou1 would always have an abundance of food4 ,the banks of the bayou would afford a natural breeding-place1 as minks usually burrow in the banks of small streams or along canals and have their young near the water4 ,if the water in the bayou falls1 wire netting could be used over the opening at the ends below the walls4 ,illustration3 ,a ,mink ,farm ,inclosing ,portion of a ,bayou1 ,allowing the ,water to ,flow ,through4 ,illustration3 ,an ,angry ,mink4 ,minks eat birds1 small mammals and eggs4 ,the principal food of minks comes from water1 fish1 frogs1 crayfish4--,international ,encyclopdia4 ,the minks ,i have been experimenting with have persistently refused to eat frogs4 ,i penned one up separately and attempted to feed her on frogs only1 and ,i believe she would have starved rather than eat frogs4 ,minks can be raised in any kind of pen or cage1 and water is not essential to their happiness4 ,they are easily tamed and like to be petted4 ,habits of the ,mink in ,louisiana ,minks in ,louisiana have two litters a season1 the number of young in each brood varying from four to eight4 ,sometimes1 however1 but very rarely1 there will be only two in a brood1 and almost as infrequently1 on the other hand1 there will be three litters a season instead of two4 ,captive animals breed more profusely than the wild1 and will occasionally have three litters where they are in close captivity4 ,they begin to breed when they are about one year old1 and in captivity will raise an average of fourteen a year4 ,normally1 they live to be about nine years old1 but they will live longer in captivity where they are well treated and given all the water and the different foods required by them4 ,like all other industries1 the business of breeding minks for their fur necessitates an outlay of capital4 ,a farm cannot be built without money1 and the cost of one sufficiently large to breed minks profitably ranges from five hundred to a thousand dollars4 ,of course1 a farm can be made any size and costing any amount of money2 but large farms are not necessary1 and it is much better to have several small farms of six or ten acres than one very large one4 ,illustration3 ,a ,female ,mink ,resting ,with ,eyes ,open4 ,after a farm is completed it has to be stocked1 and the task is no easy or inexpensive one4 ,trappers will have to be employed to trap minks with ,no4 #a steel traps1 as these small traps do not injure them very much unless they are permitted to remain caught too long4 ,those that have badly-broken bones should not be bought1 as suffering will cause them to eat their leg off1 in which case they will always die4 ,the author intends to organize a company styled the ,louisiana ,mink ,company1 the objects and purposes of which shall be to build mink farms and to breed minks in this ,state for their fur4 ,no matter what capital is involved1 or expense incurred1 in entering into the business of breeding minks for their fur1 the returns will be so big that this will appear small in comparison4 ,and those who are so fortunate as to start in the industry now will1 when minks will have become so rare that trapping will be unprofitable1 and the demand so great that the prices for mink fur will soar higher and higher--those persons1 ,i say1 of foresight1 who had the good fortune to start in the business early1 will reap each year the steady advances in the price of mink fur1 and be able1 in a word1 to command the fur market of both ,europe and ,america4 ,transcriber's ,notes ,all obvious typographical corrections were made4 ,all original spelling and gramatic constructs were retained4 ,some images were moved to rejoin split paragraphs4 ,where the first letter in a paragraph was displayed in ,old ,english font1 it was assumed that represented a new section4