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Families are being urged to leave eggs out in the garden this month to help feed a common garden visitor during its busy breeding season.

Foxes aren't everyone's cup of tea but they are some of the most commonly sighted wildlife in the UK, and will often be spotted in gardens both in winter and summer.

January represents one of the most important times of year for foxes; breeding season.

Foxes will often be heard yelping and shouting around neighbourhoods in the nights in January as they seek out mates.

TheFox Angels Foundation, which is a registered charity of volunteers who aim to help foxes in the UK, says that households can leave eggs out in the garden for foxes, either raw or cooked, at any time of year. Doing so could give them a handy boost during the cold winter nights - though feeding them is entirely up to you.

As well as eggs, raw chicken is a good option, as this gives them key nutrients (and is why so many farmers try to stop foxes attacking their coops!).

Fox Angels says: "In the wild [foxes] have one of the broadest diets of our wild animals, they catch rabbits, rodents, birds, frogs, earthworms and will eat carrion. They are also known to eat berries and fruit and urban foxes will hunt pigeons and rats as well as enjoying our scraps!

"Their ideal diet is high in taurine which can be found in chicken especially the legs or liver, if they don't have enough taurine in their diet, they are at risk of going blind or at risk of having seizures.

"If you do have visiting foxes that you would like to help a little, remember it's really important not to try and hand feed them. Leave food in a quiet area of your garden, many people set up Ring cameras or trail cameras so they can watch them without disturbing them."

It lists food that is OK to feed foxes:

• Eggs - cooked or raw, they can be put out in their shell

• Turkey and chicken, both high in taurine; raw or cooked (if cooked no bones as these can splinter and be harmful to the fox)

• Oily fish is excellent for their coats such as sardines or you can purchase salmon oil and this can be poured over their food (can be purchased from Amazon or pet stores)

• If giving milk, make sure it is goat's milk as they cannot digest cow's milk

• Dog food, although don't solely feed this as there isn't enough taurine in the ingredients

• Bread (with jam or peanut butter - although make sure it doesn't contain xylitol or birch sugar as this can be toxic) as a treat, ideal for giving homeopathic medications which need to be fed in something sweet

• Manuka honey is an excellent natural healer and has many health benefits

• An occasional bit of cheese won't hurt but don't make this a regular thing

• Amazon also sell a dry fox and badger food

Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust encourages households to feed foxes. It says; "If you want to, yes; lots of people feed foxes, either regularly or occasionally, and get a great deal of enjoyment from doing so, but please be aware they are wild animals - feed and watch them, but don't try and tame them.

"In particular, don't put out excessive amounts of food and clear away any uneaten food. This will help ensure you do attract unwanted visitors, such as rats or cause a nuisance to your neighbours."