How to raise blue foxes? Master these four breeding techniques

This year, in Pulandian City, Liaoning Province, 10 specialized blue fox farming households averaged more than 8 cubs per litter, more than 40% higher than the local female foxes' litter size. In the survey, it was learned that skilled fox farmer Cai Yu achieved high results in mating rate, pregnancy rate, whelping rate, survival rate and economic benefit, with a cumulative average of 10.4 cubs per litter over 3 years. Because the blue foxes he raised were pure in breed and excellent in quality, his breeding foxes and fur sold well. His main experience consists of 4 techniques:

Introducing fine breeds

The breeding male and female foxes raised by Cai Yu were all American blue foxes purchased from the fur animal experimental breeding base of the Special Products Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences in Zuojia, Jilin, with large body size, long fur, good adaptability, high litter size, fast growth and strong disease resistance. He is willing to invest in selecting and breeding fine breeds. At the end of each year, he carefully selects the breeding male and female foxes once, culls inferior breeds, keeps fine breeds, and does not keep closely related breeding stock, ensuring good purity and high quality of the fine breeds.

Mating at the right time

The fox mating season occurs only once a year, is highly time-sensitive and has relatively high technical requirements; if the timing is missed, the female will be barren. In response to these characteristics, make good use of the main estrus and mating period of blue foxes each year from early March to late April, strictly grasp the estrus and ovulation period of female foxes, and mate the female foxes promptly and accurately. Adopt a combination of natural mating and forced mating, and use single mating, double mating and multiple mating measures to increase the number of repeat matings, mating 4-5 times until the female fox refuses to mate. Control mating time between 6-8 o'clock and 17-20 o'clock. Pay attention to strengthening the feeding of breeding male foxes; during the mating period, add nutrient-rich animal feed, adding 1 cooked egg and 3-4 cooked fur chickens per day, and ensure the breeding male foxes exercise well and rest well. At the same time, do all preparatory work before mating, establish mating records, and strictly prevent close-relative mating.

Doing good conditioning and management

According to the different growth periods of female foxes, such as estrus, mating, pregnancy and whelping, feed fresh small miscellaneous fish and fresh pork and chicken offal, fur chickens, eggs and other animal feed at 50%-60%, and feed cornmeal, wheat bran, peanut cake or soybean cake and other plant feed at 40%-50% (cornmeal 75%, wheat bran 10%, cakes 15%). Add 5%-10% vitamins and feed 5%-10% fresh fruits and vegetables. To make the female fox's milk sufficient, during the female fox's whelping and nursing period, add 1 egg, 2 fur chickens, 80 grams of fresh goat milk and 100 grams of fresh chicken liver per day, process, crush, cook and stir evenly together with the feed, and mix into a porridge to feed. During the female fox's whelping and nursing period, keep feeding 3-4 times a day. Cubs are weaned at 50 days and start feeding, mainly with easily digestible, nutrient-rich and fresh meat and egg feed, appropriately feeding some fresh chicken liver, fresh fish and fresh vegetables, while ensuring they drink enough clean water.

Focusing on disease prevention

In line with the policy of prioritizing prevention over treatment, combining prevention and treatment with prevention first, for infectious diseases such as canine distemper, viral enteritis and viral encephalitis, which spread quickly and have a high mortality rate, give breeding male and female foxes one vaccination each in January and July every year according to epidemic prevention requirements. For common diseases of breeding male and female foxes and cubs such as bloating, enteritis and pneumonia, achieve timely observation, timely detection and timely treatment. After cubs are separated into pens, give one preventive vaccine injection and one deworming treatment. At the same time, pay attention to keeping the fox sheds clean and sanitary, promptly clean up feces on the fox cages and sweep the ground, and focus on doing good work in heat prevention and cooling for breeding foxes and cubs.