Fitches imported for fur ventures

Press, 15 January 1982, Page 4

Fitches imported for fur ventures

What began as a hobby 12 years ago with a pet ferret has become a part-time business for a fitch (ferret bred for its fur) breeder. Mr Paul Broadway, of Huntsbury. Mr Broadway, in partnership with his wife, Glenys, has imported 10 fitches from Scotland to add to his stock of 125 New Zealand fitches. The Scottish animals were part of a cosignment of 250 that arrived in New Zealand yesterday. Seventy of the fitches come to the South Island. The fitches, which were bred by the West Highland Furs Company, are the first to be imported into New Zealand for 100 years. The Broadways imported the Scottish-bred animals because their size and colour are superior to that of the New Zealand fitch. They hope to sell the dried pelts of the offspring of the Highlands fitches to a London fur company, with the pelts of the New Zealand fitches, next year. The eight Scottish female fitches are expected to kit before the winter. The average number of kits in a litter is 10, and so Mr Broadway expects the number of his stock to grow quickly. Fitches are about the size

of a small mouse when born and are fully grown in about five months. <

Mr Broadway said that fitches were easily handled once they had become used to it. “They are friendly animals, although they will bite, especially if they have young,” he said. Mr Broadway has never been bitten, but Mrs Broadway bears a scar from a bite by a female with kits.

Mr Broadway said that the market for fitch pelts was very good.

“The director of West Highlands Furs, Newman Burberry, was in New Zealand in October to promote interest in the animals and arrange the sale. He has 33,000 animals, including mink and foxes." There are five fitch breeders in Christchurch, all part-time. A New Zealand Fitch Fur Breeders’ Association was formed a month ago. The only full-time New Zealand breeder is Mr Richard Scaletti, of Katikati, who has about 2500 animals. Mr Broadway said that he would like to breed fitches full-time. The venture looked promising. A Highland fitch pelt would sell for $4O and a New Zealand one for $lO. A first-

quality Scottish Artic-white pelt had sold for about $l3O at auction.

A fitch jacket sold for $6OOO to $7OOO in New York and a full-length Artic-white coat for $25,000.

The Broadways intend to carry out the entire process from rearing the fitches to exporting the pelts. They have been rearing New Zealand fitches for a year, “so we should not make mistakes with the imported one," said Mrs Broadway. The fitches are fed minced chicken, fish offal, and rabbit meat. Adults are fed once a day and kits in the morning and in the evening.

Mr Broadway said that a fitch would bave consumed about 50kg of food by the time it reached full size.

Two - pet ferrets help to provide the rabbit meat for food. The Broadways take them rabbiting on a farm near Christchurch. The Broadways intend to shift their stock "of 135 fitches to a property north of Christchurch at the end of February. Mr Broadway said. "There is very little smell if they are housed cleanly. They should be caged in wire and we need more room to expand."