﻿22 



BULLETIN- 1350, TJ. S. DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTUEE 



for the purpose of determining the value of the oil as a preservative 

 and whether or not it is palatable to the foxes. 



Dried and smoked fish has the advantage over other feeds that it 

 can be fed without any further preparation and does not freeze in 

 winter. Some ranchers, however, cook it in mushes. It is essential 

 that all salt fish be soaked in running water for a period of five 

 days to a week before being used. (Fig. 23.) It can then be given 

 to the foxes without further preparation, or be cooked in mushes. 



All mushes fed to foxes are prepared along one general line. The 

 chief ingredient is generally fish in one form or another. This is 

 boiled for a time, and then there is added rice, finely ground wheat, 

 or rolled oats. All of these cereals may be used, but one is sufficient. 

 Chopped vegetables, such as potatoes, turnips, or mangels, may be 

 added and the whole boiled until the cereals and vegetables are 



B24GS8 



Fig. 22. — Fish being dried in the sun for storing for winter use 



thoroughly cooked. Whale, seal, or fish oil is sometimes added and 

 thoroughly mixed in. This forms a reasonably thick mush. The 

 relative proportions of the various ingredients are roughly as fol- 

 lows : Per cent 



Msh 40 



Cereals 25 



Vegetables : 25 



Oil 10 



Feed can be cooked in large kettles over an open fireplace or in 

 the double-boiler manner. Although it cooks more quickly in ket- 

 tles, there is danger of burning it. The use of a double boiler, 

 though slower, prevents this. To simplify the process some silver- 

 fox ranchers use a steam-pressure cooker. Where this is prac- 

 ticable, it would be entirely satisfactory for the blue-fox rancher 

 also. 



A number of kinds of fox biscuits can be purchased, but analyses 

 have shown that the majority are deficient in the needed mineral 



