How to raise foxes artificially? A detailed explanation of practical techniques and methods
Foxes are valuable fur animals. According to their different colors, they can be divided into breeds such as silver-black fox, grass fox, red fox, Arctic fox, marbled fox, and pearl fox. The blue foxes and silver foxes raised in various places today belong to the Arctic fox and silver-black fox breeds. Their fox fur has bright colors, dense and thick underfur, straight and soft guard hairs, and thin yet strong hide, so the pelts are expensive and have long been known in the international market as "soft gold."
1. Reproductive characteristics of foxes. The effective breeding life of foxes can reach 6 to 8 years, with one litter per year. They generally come into estrus and mate in February to March. The gestation period is 50 to 60 days (Arctic fox 50 to 58 days, silver-black fox 50 to 61 days). They give birth in May to June. The silver fox gives birth to 4 to 9 cubs per litter, and the blue fox 7 to 14. Fox cubs open their eyes at 13 to 15 days, can eat food at 20 days, and can be weaned at 45 days. Young foxes grow rapidly, reach sexual maturity at 9 to 10 months of age, and their fur matures at 10 to 12 months of age, at which point they can be sold.
2. Setting up the site and cages. The site should be chosen on high, dry, well-ventilated ground, preferably far from residential areas. The cage specifications for breeding foxes and adult foxes are 1.5*1*1.5 m, and for foxes giving birth, a whelping box with specifications of 0.7*0.5*0.5 m should be installed separately. The size of young fox cages can be designed according to how many cubs are housed; generally each cage holds 3 to 5. The lower part of the fox cage should be built with bricks to a height of 40 cm, and the upper part covered with asbestos tiles to provide shade and rain protection. Feed troughs and water troughs are hung on the lower part of the inner side wall of the cage. Always maintain clean drinking water and feed at fixed times and in fixed amounts.
3. Feeding management. Foxes have a broad and omnivorous diet, including animal feed, plant feed, and supplementary feed. Animal feed is mainly livestock and poultry meat, offal, and freshwater fish; plant feed is mainly grain flour and vegetables; supplementary feed is bone meal, salt, yeast, and vitamins. The daily ration composition ratio can refer to the following: cornmeal 47%, sorghum 10%, wheat bran 20%, soybean cake meal 20%, salt 1%, bone meal 2%. The daily feed amount for adult foxes is 400 to 500 grams, of which meat is 150 grams, grain 80 grams, salt 2 grams, bone meal 3 grams, feed yeast 3 grams, and the rest is vegetables. Adult foxes are fed once a day, and young foxes twice a day. During the mating, gestation, and lactation stages, appropriately increase the amount of minerals and vitamins provided.
In management, keep the shed and cages clean and dry, clean regularly, disinfect periodically, and vaccinate the fox group in a timely manner against canine distemper, viral enteritis, and other vaccines.
4. Management during mating and whelping periods. First, maintain a quiet environment and strictly prohibit outsiders from entering. In a poor environment, the mother fox may bite and eat the cubs due to fright. Second, control the body condition of breeding foxes to prevent them from being too fat or too thin, which affects the number and quality of cubs. Pay attention to increasing and supplementing protein feed before and during mating. Third, separate the litters at the right time and supplement feed for the cubs in a timely manner. Usually, fox cubs begin supplemental feeding at around 20 days of age, and at 45 days of age they begin to be separated and raised individually.