What kinds of plant-based feed are included in the fox diet?
Plant-based feed is also an important component of the fox diet. It includes various grains, processing by-products of oil crops, and various vegetables. This type of feed is rich in carbohydrates and supplements the energy foxes need.
1. Grains
Grains generally fed to foxes include cornmeal, whole wheat flour, etc. Grain processing by-products can also be fed to foxes in small amounts. Grain feed must be crushed and cooked before being fed to foxes. The cooking methods commonly used at production sites usually include: boiling into porridge, steaming into steamed corn bread, roasting, baking, extrusion, etc. The purpose of crushing and cooking the feed is to break down cell walls so that nutrients can be directly acted on by digestive enzymes, which is beneficial for digestion and absorption. For grain feed after extrusion cooking, the digestibility can generally be increased by about 15%.
Wheat bran has a relatively high cellulose content, and foxes have a very low digestibility of it. However, wheat bran has effects such as loosening the food and stimulating gastrointestinal peristalsis, so it can be added in an appropriate amount. Its amount generally cannot exceed 20% of the total grain feed, otherwise it will cause indigestion and diarrhea. In the fox diet, the proportion of grain feed is usually 15%-25%.
2. Oilseed meals and cakes. Oilseed meal and cake feed are products left after oil is extracted from oilseed kernels. The main ones used in fox feed include soybean cake, soybean meal, dehulled sunflower seed cake, and dehulled peanut cake, etc. This type of feed contains 35%-48% crude protein and also contains a certain amount of cystine, methionine, and some essential unsaturated fatty acids, which are beneficial to fur growth. It can generally account for 20%-30% of the diet, and can also be flexibly adjusted according to the different grain requirements in different feeding periods.
In the winter fox diet, oilseed meal and cake feed can be used to replace 30% of fish and meat feed. In summer and autumn, oilseed meal and cake feed may be allowed to replace 40%-50% of meat and fish feed (as a proportion of animal protein). When the diet contains a certain proportion of oilseed meal and cake feed, the amounts of fat-soluble vitamins, free fats, and yeast should be increased. When oilseed meal and cake feed are fed to foxes, they must be cooked before feeding, and generally should not exceed 1/3 of the amount of grain feed, otherwise it easily causes soft stool or diarrhea. Peanut cake and sunflower cake that have not been dehulled are not suitable for feeding to foxes.
3. Root tubers, tubers, and fruits and vegetables. The root tuber, tuber, and fruit and vegetable feeds used in fox drinks mainly include carrots, sweet potatoes, fodder beets, potatoes, pumpkins, Chinese cabbage, kohlrabi, rapeseed, spinach, and tomatoes, etc.
The biggest characteristic of root and tuber feed is its very high moisture content and very low dry matter content. In terms of dry matter, their crude fiber content is relatively low, and their nitrogen-free extract content is very high. When grain feed is insufficient, sweet potatoes and potatoes can be used as substitutes, but they need to be washed clean and cooked before feeding. Fruit and vegetable feed is an important source of vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin C, and minerals. Vegetables can also aid digestion and enhance feed palatability. Fruit and vegetable feed contains a large amount of water and is also an alkaline feed, so it has the function of regulating feed volume and balancing acidity and alkalinity, and has a good effect on female foxes during pregnancy, birthing, and lactation. Fruit and vegetable feed generally contains relatively low energy, so its proportion in the fox diet should not be too large; it can generally account for 3%-10% of the total feed.
4. Supplemental feed. Supplemental drinks refer to feed that can supplement insufficient or missing nutrients in conventional feed, such as feed rich in vitamins, minerals, etc.
1. Vitamin feed. Currently, the more commonly used vitamin feeds include cod liver oil, yeast, malt, cottonseed oil, etc.
Cod liver oil: It is the main source of vitamins A and D. Each fox can be fed 800-1000 international units per day. When feeding, it is best to drip it into the food bowl after eating. When liver and fresh sea fish are fed year-round, cod liver oil does not need to be supplemented. During storage, attention should be paid to sealing, placing it in a cool, dry, and dark place, and metal containers should not be used for storage. When using cod liver oil, pay attention to the production date to prevent it from becoming ineffective after long storage. Feeding spoiled cod liver oil is prohibited.
@#@245@#@ malt: It is rich in vitamin E and contains the minerals phosphorus, calcium, manganese, and a small amount of iron. It is an indispensable feed during the fox breeding period. Method for growing wheat malt: Soak cleaned wheat malt in clean water with a little table salt for 10-15 hours, take it out and spread it flat in a water tray, 1-2 cm thick, cover with burlap, place it in a dark place at 15-20°C, sprinkle water twice a day, keep it clean and keep the wheat grains moist, and it can be fed after 3-4 days. Generally, 1 kg of wheat can produce 2 kg of malt. Malt with moldy and rotten roots or with a net-like white mold growth is prohibited from feeding.
Cottonseed oil: It is also a source of vitamin E. Every 100 grams of cottonseed oil contains 200 milligrams of vitamin E. Refined cottonseed oil should be used when feeding foxes; crude cottonseed oil contains toxins and is not suitable for feeding foxes.
Yeast: It is the main source of B vitamins. Yeast is a refined supplemental feed commonly used in fox farming year-round. Commonly used yeasts include baker's yeast, petroleum yeast, nucleic acid yeast, pulp yeast, and active yeast, etc. When feeding foxes, except for medicinal yeast and feed yeast, all need to be heated to kill all live yeast cells in the yeast; otherwise, after the yeast is eaten by foxes, it easily causes gastrointestinal bloating or death. In addition, unheated live yeast also has low vitamin utilization.
2. Mineral feed. The mineral feeds used for foxes mainly include bone meal and table salt, etc.
Bone meal: It is powder made from bones after steaming, boiling, and drying, and is the main source of calcium and phosphorus. Bone meal contains 40% calcium and 20% phosphorus. Bone meal needs to be supplied year-round, especially during the breeding season. It is even more important for female foxes or growing foxes, and the supply should be appropriately increased. Each fox should receive 10-15 grams per day. If the diet can supply fresh crushed bones or fish as the main feed, bone meal may not be added.
Table salt: It is necessary for maintaining the normal physiological osmotic pressure of the body. The general supply is 2-3 grams per fox per day. If the diet uses mixed sea fish as the main feed, table salt can be reduced or not given.
3. Other additives. Special feed is not a nutrient necessary for the fox's life activities, nor is it a nutritional component in the feed, but it has good effects on the fox's body and the feed, such as antibiotics and antioxidants, etc.
Antibiotics: They are substances that inhibit the growth of various microorganisms. Providing a small amount of antibiotics in the fox diet can promote growth, increase the survival rate of young animals, prevent disease occurrence, and also delay feed spoilage. The antibiotics currently used include livestock oxytetracycline and livestock tetracycline, etc.
Antioxidants (anti-acidification agents): They are substances that inhibit fatty acid rancidity in feed. Providing a small amount of antioxidants in the fox diet can increase the survival rate of the animal group and prevent inflammation of adipose tissue.
5. Complete dry compound feed. According to the nutritional needs of male and female foxes in different biological periods, the daily requirement for one fox is scientifically determined, thereby formulating a feed formula with comprehensive nutritional value, and then, according to the formula, uniformly mixing various dry feed raw materials in a certain proportion. This feed product is called complete dry compound feed. It is composed of dry animal feed, cooked plant feed, mineral feed, and various additive feeds.
Dry compound feed is divided into two types: powder feed and pellet feed. Dry feed is very convenient to store and transport, and is suitable for farms that lack sources of fresh fish and meat feed and do not have conditions for storing fresh feed. Each fox should be fed 200-250 grams per day, or fed according to the instructions. When feeding dry feed, sufficient drinking water must be ensured.