ArticlesValidation of the Feeding Test as an Index of Fear in Farmed Blue (Alopex lagopus) and Silver Foxes (Vulpes vulpes)
Section snippets
Animals
The experiments were carried out at the Fur Animal Research Station of the University of Kuopio and at two private farms. The subjects were juvenile blue (born in May-June) and silver foxes (born in April-May) of both sexes. The majority of the animals had been housed singly since weaning in standard cages (105 × 120 × 70 cm, L×W×H), and fed on fresh feed manufactured by the local feed company. All tests were done in November when the animals were full grown and mature [22].
Feeding Test
In the Feeding test,
Results and Discussion
The sex of the cubs influenced neither the results of behavioural tests nor the plasma cortisol levels in both species. The data of both sexes are pooled in all results shown.
The percentage of animals that ate in five successive Feeding tests were 12, 16, 23, 38, and 40% in blue foxes and 3, 9, 14, 23, and 22% in silver foxes, respectively. The increase in the percentage of animals that ate over successive Feeding tests indicates habituation to the test situation in both species. No further
Acknowledgements
We thank Matti Tengvall for taking care of the animals and Maija Miskala and Anu Rissanen for performing the behavioural tests. The excellent work by Liisa Jalkanen (DVM) made it possible to take blood samples properly. We thank Risto Savolainen and Helena Könönen for laboratory work. The study was financed by the Research Council for Agriculture and Forestry (Academy of Finland) and the Finnish Fur Breeders Association.
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