Seasonal changes in platform use by farmed blue foxes ( Alopex lagopus)

Seasonal changes in platform use were investigated in farm-raised blue foxes ( Alopex lagopus) by daytime scan sampling observations and 24-h video recordings. Seasonal comparisons were made in both sexes, but other experimental treatments were applied mainly to females. Platform use was minimal in Jan.–Mar. (Period I) and Nov.–Dec. (Period (IV). During the whelping season (Period II: Apr.–Jul.) the amount of use by males and non-breeding females was high, but lower in breeding and lactating females, which preferred either the roofs or interiors of nestboxes. Platform use by all experimental animals was high during Period III (Aug.–Oct.). The scan sampling and video data indicated parallel seasonal trends. Platforms were mainly used for sleeping but the amount of use for jumping and lying was slight in comparison. All of these activities showed seasonal variations. The pattern of a total 24 h of sleep was constant throughout the year, but during Periods I and IV the animals preferred to sleep on the cage floor instead of on the platforms. The platform model affected the level of use but not the seasonal variation pattern. Platforms made of net material were favored over wooden ones. The platform ceiling height did not essentially influence use. Melatonin treatment significantly increased animals' autumn body weight but did not decrease platform use. On the basis of the present data, platforms can be recommended for practical farming purposes particularly during the spring and summer.