. Bulletin of the Department of Agriculture. Agriculture; Agriculture. DEPARTMENT BULLETIN No. 1350. Washington, D. C. October, 1925 BLUE-FOX FARMING IN ALASKA By Frank G. Ashbrook, In Charge Division of Fur Resources; and Ernest P. WaixKee, Administrative Officer for Alaska; Bureau of Biological Survey^ CONTENTS Page Introduction 1 What is a blue fox? o Brief history of blue-fox farm- ing 4 Fox-growing- areas in Alaska 5 Selecting an island or ranch, site 7 Climate and shade 7 Location and soil 8 Harbor facilities 9 Food supply n Water 9 Island area 10 Ranch organization 10 StvTifturos 1
. Bulletin of the Department of Agriculture. Agriculture; Agriculture. DEPARTMENT BULLETIN No. 1350. Washington, D. C. October, 1925 BLUE-FOX FARMING IN ALASKA By Frank G. Ashbrook, In Charge Division of Fur Resources; and Ernest P. WaixKee, Administrative Officer for Alaska; Bureau of Biological Survey^ CONTENTS Page Introduction 1 What is a blue fox? o Brief history of blue-fox farm- ing 4 Fox-growing- areas in Alaska 5 Selecting an island or ranch, site 7 Climate and shade 7 Location and soil 8 Harbor facilities 9 Food supply n Water 9 Island area 10 Ranch organization 10 StvTifturos 10 Trap-feed houses 3 2 Brppding stock and equipment 15 Essentials of breeding 16 Pelts 17 Conformation 18 Breeding 18 Page Essentials of breeding—Continued. Time of breeding 19 Mating 19 Essentials of feeding 19 Kinds of feed 20 Methods of preparing and feeding 21 Quantity and frequency 23 Transportation 24 Pelting 25 Primeness 25 Killing 2G Skinning 20 Drying pelts 27 Characteristics of a good pelt 28 Losses from depredations 29 Sanitation and treatment of disease- 29 Failures and abandonments .SI Breeders' associations and ranches- 32 White - fox farming in northern Alaska 32 INTRODUCTION The production of blue foxes in Alaska is a comparatively new industry, at present confined chiefly to islands along the southern coast, including the Aleutian Chain (fig. 1). It is of particular im- portance to Alaska, since it utilizes outlying islands that are of little or no value for agriculture. In island blue-fox raising the foxes are allowed to roam over an entire island, w^here they choose their mates and make their dens. In the early days the foxes had to forage for their food, but now practically all ranchers feed them. This system has proved profit- able, and. together wdth the increased popularity of fur for apparel, has led many persons to lease certain islands from the United States 1 The writers de«fre to acknowlprlpe the help given in the preparation of thiw bulletin by t
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