What are the methods for killing foxes and removing their pelts?

For foxes raised for commercial use, when their fur is mature they should all be killed and skinned, and the raw pelts given preliminary processing. Foxes are relatively large in body size, so the method of killing mink by breaking the neck vertebrae cannot be used. Fox farms in various places have worked out several practical methods for killing foxes, mainly the drug method, the heart air injection method and the electric shock method. Whichever method is used, the principles are that the operation must be simple and practical, the killing must be quick, the pelt must not be damaged, and the fur must not be soiled.

1. Drug method: the drug used is succinylcholine chloride, whose trade name is Scoline. The dosage is 0.5 ml - 0.75 ml per animal, and subcutaneous or intramuscular injection at any site is effective. After the injection, the fox dies quietly within 3-5 minutes; before death it does not scream or struggle, does not soil the fur, and does not damage the pelt. Because succinylcholine chloride is a muscle relaxant, no residue remains in the fox's body, so the fox carcass can be used.

2. Heart air injection method: this method requires two people to perform. One person holds the fox and restrains it with its chest facing outward; the other person holds the syringe in the right hand, and with the left hand grips the site where the heartbeat is most obvious, inserts the needle into the heart, and as soon as blood is seen flowing into the syringe barrel, immediately pushes the plunger to inject 10-20 ml of air from the syringe into the fox's heart, then places it in the cage. The fox dies quickly because its heart valves are damaged, without damaging the pelt or soiling the fur. However, the operator is required to have skilled technique, so that after the fox is restrained, the needle can be quickly and accurately inserted into the heart.

3. Electric shock method: the fox electric shock killer is fairly simple and can be made at home. When in use, the power plug of the killer is inserted into a civilian 220-volt power socket. Choose the moment when the fox's two front paws touch the ground, insert the metal wire at the front end of the killer (No. 8 copper wire or iron wire can be used) into the fox's anus, and quickly switch on the power; the current passes through the heart, the fox goes into a state of rigidity, and dies after 5-10 seconds. The operation is simple, the speed is quite fast, and it also does not damage the pelt or soil the fur. At present, larger fox farms mostly use the electric shock method to kill foxes for commercial pelts, with very good results.