44 
BULLETIX 1151, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
Table 2. — Specimen rations for foxes. 
Ration. 
For 10- 
pound fox. 
For 12- 
pound fox. 
No. 1: 
Fat meat or offal 
Fox biscuits 
Milk 
No. 2: 
Lean meat or offal 
Smelts or herring 
Milk 
No. 3: 
Liver (lamb's) 
5£ ounces 
1£ ounces 
A pint 
8 ounces 
8 ounces 
■fV pint 
4^ ounces 
1 jounces — 
to pint 
8 ounces 
\ ounce 
fVpint 
4 ounces 
2\ ounces 1 ... 
to pint 
2\ ounces '... 
\ ounce 
to pint 
8 ounces 
2} ounces >... 
to pint 
6h ounces. 
1 J ounces. 
£pint. 
9 \ ounces. 
9£ oimces. 
\ pint. 
5f ounces. 
1. jounces. 
J pint. 
9J oimces. 
T % ounce. 
J pint. 
i'l ounces. 
2| oimces. 1 
§pint. 
2§ ounces. 1 
T % ounce. 
h pint . 
9i ounces. 
2| ounces. 1 
a pint. 
Milk 
No. 4: 
Lean meat or offal 
Milk 
No. 5: 
Lean meat or offal 
Milk 
No. 6: 
Cereals, cooked 
Cod liver oil 
Milk 
No. 7: 
Smelts or herring 
Milk 
' Dry weight. 
As the period of whelping approaches, the vixen should be fed 
principally mushy feeds in limited quantity and have access to fresh 
water at all times. It is advisable to eliminate meat a week before 
whelping, with the exception of liver and tripe, which may be fed 
two or three times during that week. After the pups are whelped 
great care must be taken to feed the mother properly if she is to 
raise them successfully. Mineral matter is particularly needed, and 
to furnish it the ration should be supplemented with bone meal, fish 
meal, or edible tankage. For the first three or four days the feeding 
should be light, and then it should be increased gradually until the 
vixen is on full feed, at about the end of a week or 10 days, depend- 
ing upon the size and thrift of the litter. To meet the require- 
ments of a vixen with four pups Mr. Smith suggested the rations 
shown in table 3 : 
Table 3. — Ration for vixen with four pups. 
Daily rations. *£* 
Second 
week. 
Third and 
fourth weeks. 
Milk 
! pint 
8 ounces 
f pint 
12 ounces — 
1 pint. 
12 ounces. 
Meal 
bounces. 1 ... Bounces. 1 
1 1 
Egg 
l 
1 Dry weight. 
When the pups are about 4 weeks old the vixen begins to carry 
meat to them, and it is therefore advisable to eliminate meat from 
the ration at this time, feeding only cereals, vegetables, and milk. 
