WHAT FOOD IS BEST FOR FOXES?

Foxes are omnivores. They hunt small prey animals such as mice, voles, rabbits, moths, earthworms as well as scavenge. They also eat fruit such as berries, as well as seeds. To feed, raw, unprocessed food is best: meat scraps, raw whole eggs in their shell, peanuts, bird seeds, some fruit like ripe apple and pear slices etc. If you feed cooked meat, make sure it is off the bone as the bones are a choking hazard for the foxes. You can also feed good quality tinned dog food and also the odd treat a chunk of cheese or a sweet treat like a slice of apple pie. But these treats should only be given on the rare occasion, a handful of times per months maximum. A varied diet is best. We recommend supplementary feeding which means you do not supply all the food a fox needs so that they do not become too dependent on you.

Winter is a time where supplementary feeding is much appreciated by foxes as there is less prey about and the fox expedites more energy due to the long cold nights.  Spring into early summer is also a crucial time for foxes as they have young to feed and many fox parents and their helpers can get very run down feeding the cubs. Lack of good nutrition means the immune system of the adults gets weak which makes them more vulnerable to parasites and potentially the dreaded mange (which is caused by parasitic mites burrowing under the skin). If you have multiple foxes visiting at the same time, it is advisable to scatter food so that each fox gets a bite and quarrels over food are minimised.