Sand Floor for Farmed Blue Foxes: Effects on Claws, Adrenal Cortex Function, Growth and Fur Properties

Table 1

Mean claw length (mm, mean ± SD) of front and back right paw at weaning, in September, October, November, and December in juvenile blue foxes in the Sand and Control groups. Main effects (GLM for repeated measures): Group 𝐹(1,14)=0.18, NS; Sex 𝐹(1,14)=7.60, 𝑃=.015; Month 𝐹(4,56)=206.05, 𝑃=.000; Paw 𝐹(1,14)=183.74, 𝑃=.000. Interactions: Sex*Group 𝐹(1,14)=3.50, 𝑃=.082; Month*Group 𝐹(4,56)=4.06, 𝑃=.006; Paw*Group 𝐹(1,14)=20.19, 𝑃=.001; Paw*Month 𝐹(4,56)=2.94, 𝑃=.028; Month*Paw*Group 𝐹(4,56)=7.50, 𝑃=.000; other interactions NS.

	Weaning	September	October	November	December
Male, front paw
Sand	12.0±1.3	20.6±3.4	19.7±3.3	23.1±4.0	25.4±2.4
Control	11.8±1.2	23.2±1.3	24.6±2.2	25.8±1.8	24.4±3.8
Male, back paw
Sand	10.6±1.1	19.4±2.1	19.4±1.9	22.1±2.0	22.2±2.0
Control	9.7±1.7	20.1±2.0	20.0±1.7	21.2±1.4	21.1±1.7
Female, front paw
Sand	11.3±1.1	21.0±1.4	20.4±3.1	23.8±2.1	25.1±2.6
Control	11.7±1.2	22.8±2.1	24.0±2.5	23.0±1.8	22.5±3.3
Female, back paw
Sand	10.1±0.9	19.4±2.4	18.3±1.9	21.3±2.0	21.4±1.8
Control	9.3±1.0	18.5±1.4	18.0±1.6	19.5±2.4	20.6±3.2