42 
BULLETIN 1151, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
rodents frequently contain parasites, and for this reason should not 
be used. The pelts of these animals also should be removed. Opin- 
ions among breeders differ as to the relative merits of cooked and 
raw meat, but all agree that on the whole fox ranchers have been 
feeding too much meat. 
All feed should be given in dishes, preferably of aluminum or 
earthenware. Under no circumstances should it be thrown on the 
ground, as such practice renders it practically impossible to keep the 
pens and dens sanitary. Bones thrown in the pens for the foxes to 
gnaw should be removed frequently. (See Fig. 39.) 
Fresh clean water should be accessible to the foxes at all times, and 
even during freezing weather it should be supplied at frequent 
intervals. 
BRACE 
s 
C3> 
\ /"x/ 
"BRACE 
8"D/A. 
I fr\ 
fr\ 
^ 0=^ . 
• \=# ^ 
^ W l 
< 
4'6- •> 
*'e- 
CD 
4\-8hz\z^8&^4\-8&^\4\-8&-\4-~ 
Fig 39.- Satisfactory and convenient device for feeding pups after weaning. The vertical 
sliding board holds the dishes in place and also serves to separate the pups feeding 
from either side. 
AMOUNT AND FREQUENCY OF FEEDING. 
The amount of feed supplied depends entirely on the season of the 
year and the age. appetite, and condition of the fox. Adult foxes 
should be fed fairly heavily just before and during the breeding 
season, so that they will be in good vigorous condition. Some breed- 
ers believe that heavy feeding of vixens prior to this season will bring 
on the heat period quicker and increase the chance of conception. 
Forced feeding has a tendency to make the fur prime sooner than it 
would be naturally, but the advisability of practicing this is ques- 
tionable, because in many cases the fur thus becomes prime before 
the skin. 
Vixens suckling young, and pups that have been weaned, should be 
fed liberally. As a rule, during the summer mature foxes should 
be fed sparingly, but if a vixen is run down she should be given 
sufficient to bring her back to a good thrifty condition. In the 
majority of cases, however, foxes are being given too much feed at 
all seasons of the year. The appetite is a good index to feeding, 
and the amount of feed supplied should be regulated so that the fox 
