Evaluation of the relationship between social status and reproductive performance in farmed blue foxes.

An experimental cage system was designed for evaluating the association of social status and reproductive performance in blue foxes under fur-farm conditions. The present test cage apparatus consisted of 6 small cages and 1 large cage that were connected. The small cages were utilized for males of different social status and the large cage for females coming on heat. The results showed that this type of testing apparatus can be used for evaluating a female's acceptance of males of different social rank. The locomotor activity of males significantly depended on their social status; thus the most active individuals in the test were the most dominant, and vice versa. Females most often accepted higher-ranking males. Juvenile males were the least dominant and also the least accepted by females. Urination activity was not necessarily related to dominance.