22 
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 
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 
Fish 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. 
.V number of kinds of fox biscuits can be purchased, but analyses 
have shown that the majority are deficient in the needed mineral 
