Feeding and Management Methods for Foxes Before and After Breeding
The fox is a canine animal of the order Carnivora. The fox does not have a very good reputation in our country's history, but its economic value is relatively high. Fox fur is a very precious textile raw material in our country, and since hunting wild foxes is not permitted, our country now has a certain area of artificial breeding. When raising foxes, feeding and management before and after breeding are very important, so how exactly should this be done? Let's take a look together below!
1. Before the Breeding Period
The main artificially bred varieties in our country today are the silver fox and the blue fox. The silver fox prepares for breeding at the end of each year, while the blue fox does so around January to February each year. Before the breeding period, the nutritional ratio of the feed should be adjusted well, the protein content should be increased, the body condition of the breeding foxes should be improved, and their breeding ability should be enhanced. Feed should be adjusted and given according to the growth condition of the breeding foxes. Ensure that before breeding the body weight is around 10 jin, then increase the duration of light exposure to promote the development of the breeding foxes' gonads.
2. Breeding Period
After the management before the breeding period has been done well, the foxes gradually enter the breeding period. At this time, it is necessary to ensure that the feed is rich and comprehensive in nutrition and highly palatable, and feed that is difficult to digest must not be given. Then add an appropriate amount of trace elements and vitamins to the feed to prevent nutritional deficiencies from affecting the growth of the foxes and to ensure the foxes have sufficient nutrition. This improves the success rate of mating and fertilization of the breeding foxes and improves the economic benefits of breeding.
3. Pregnancy Period
After successful mating, the female fox enters the pregnancy period. During pregnancy, the female fox's nutritional requirements rise sharply in a straight line, and the nutrition needed is very comprehensive. Therefore, at this time it is necessary to ensure the feed is sufficient and clean, and feed that is moldy or spoiled must not be given. If the feed is not given properly, it will affect the growth of the female fox and cause phenomena such as miscarriage and difficult birth, which is very unfavorable to breeding benefits. Then do a good job in managing the environment of the fox shed to prevent noise from causing stress reactions in the female fox.
4. Lactation Period
After successful birthing, we should strengthen management during the lactation period. The female fox's food intake in the early stage after giving birth is very low, and her appetite is poor. So the feeding method at this time should mainly be small amounts fed more often, and within 3 days after giving birth, ensure feeding about 3 times a day. Follow the principle of fixed times and fixed amounts, then when the young foxes grow to about one month old, carry out supplementary feeding to reduce the nursing pressure on the female fox and satisfy the nutrition needed for the growth of the young foxes.
5. Rearing Period
When the young foxes have grown to about 1-2 months old, wean them appropriately and raise them separately from the female fox. The specific time for separating them into pens should be determined according to the growth condition of the young foxes. For example, young foxes that are robust and growing well can be separated into pens appropriately earlier, while otherwise it should be delayed. After separation into pens, the young foxes enter the rearing period. In this period, because of the fast growth rate, the formation speed of fur and down is also relatively fast, and the demand for nutrition is very great. Therefore, during the rearing period, sufficient feed should be provided to let the young foxes eat freely, ensuring every young fox eats its fill and promoting growth and development.
When feeding feed during the rearing period, note that each time after the young foxes have eaten until they stop eating, the leftover feed should be cleaned up promptly to prevent the feed from spoiling and causing the young foxes to eat it by mistake, which would affect the growth of the young foxes. That is all for today's introduction. This article is for reference only. Friends who want to learn more related information, please continue to follow us!