Four key points to note in fox farming

Foxes have very high economic value. Their main product, fox fur, belongs to the large-hair fur category and has the advantages of being tough and wear-resistant, soft and lightweight, warm and attractive. It is a high-quality raw material for making fur products such as fur collars, hats and fur mattresses. To raise them reasonably and let them create higher value, the following 4 points should be grasped well.

Focus on selecting and breeding excellent varieties. In fox variety selection and breeding, the following two points should be used as “references” for high-quality selection and breeding as much as possible: choose blue foxes or colored foxes with a small body size, fast growth, good fur quality and strong disease resistance, to meet the market's need for a complete range of fox fur colors. Choose foxes with a large body size, high reproductive rate, easy raising, bright coat color and excellent down varieties, to adapt to the market's changes. The breeding foxes kept for use must undergo a selection every year, keeping good breeds, not keeping closely related breeds, and eliminating inferior breeds, to ensure the purity and quality of the breeding foxes. Focus on timely mating. The mating period for foxes occurs only once a year, and timing is quite important; if the time is missed, they will be empty. Usually we must observe carefully, grasp the characteristics of the sexual cycle changes of male and female foxes, strictly master the estrus period of female foxes, promptly and accurately mate the female foxes well, and reasonably draw up a pairing schedule according to the individual mating ability and characteristics of the male foxes. During pairing times, the fox farm environment should be quiet, and the male foxes should be additionally fed animal feed rich in nutrients, to ensure that the breeding male foxes have healthy body condition and good semen quality. Focus on reasonable feeding. According to the biological characteristics of foxes such as seasonal reproduction and molting, the whole year can be divided into 8 different feeding periods, including the mating period and gestation period, and feeding management differs in different periods. For example, during the pregnancy period of female foxes, the daily ration supply should achieve complete nutrition, fresh food, good palatability and an appropriate feeding amount. In the early gestation period of silver foxes, the feed energy is 550 kcal to 600 kcal, and animal feed accounts for 65% to 70%; in the late gestation period, the feed energy is 700 kcal to 750 kcal, and animal feed accounts for 70% to 75%, with a daily ration of 600 g to 700 g per animal per day. For arctic foxes it is 700 kcal to 850 kcal, animal feed accounts for 70% to 75%, and the daily ration is 700 g to 800 g per animal. If feeding is improper, it will cause fetal absorption, stillbirth, rotten fetuses, miscarriage and other pregnancy accidents. Focus on epidemic prevention and sterilization. The three major infectious diseases of canine distemper, viral enteritis and viral encephalitis can be called the “nemesis” affecting the normal growth of foxes. In addition, there are common diseases such as gastroenteritis, colds and pneumonia. In response to these, the policy of prevention being more important than treatment, combining prevention and treatment, and giving priority to prevention should be adopted. Strengthen veterinary hygiene and epidemic prevention systems, and cut off the routes by which external pathogens are introduced; strictly inspect feed quality, and guard the gate of disease entering through the mouth; pay close attention to the health status of the animal herd, promptly discover sick animals, promptly diagnose them, and carry out regular preventive vaccination. At the same time, attention should also be paid to keeping fox houses clean and hygienic, and disinfecting them regularly.