A Detailed Guide to the Latest Mink Farming Techniques and Methods

When it comes to mink, I think everyone is very familiar with them. Although mink farming is not particularly common, mink are used very widely in industry. Take the clothes we normally wear, for example: much of the fur is made from mink fur.

Latest Mink Farming Techniques

Mink mating is highly seasonal and must be determined according to regional experience and climatic conditions; roughly early to mid-March is more suitable. The following steps should be handled well in detail:  

1. Preparation before mating: Starting in December, pay attention to the mink's body condition, using the lean meat of fresh sea fish as the main ingredient and supplementing vitamins A, D, E, B, and so on, so that the breeding mink reach the requirements of a flat abdomen, a well-proportioned body, full and sturdy muscle, agile movement, and strong libido.  

2. Strengthen stimulation by the opposite sex to increase male mink libido: Starting in late February, place male and female mink cages and boxes in alternating empty positions, or put female mink into transfer cages and place them above the male mink cages to tease them, thereby enhancing male mink libido.  

3. Carefully carry out estrus identification: Focus mainly on examining the external genitalia and make a comprehensive judgment in combination with activity performance. A male mink in estrus is restless and agitated, has a poor appetite, and often paces back and forth in the cage, making a "zhi gu" call. When a female mink is in estrus, she is mentally excited, tends toward the opposite sex, urinates more frequently, or lies prone on the cage bottom. Observation of the external genitalia shows that the fur around the external genitalia is slightly parted, the labia are congested, swollen, and slightly turned outward, the mucous membrane is moist and white or pink, and white or yellow mucus flows out; this is the suitable mating period. The special premix from Zhongte Farming can improve the reproductive performance of female animals and make breeding animals come into estrus more synchronously.  

4. Adopt a reasonable mating method: According to the characteristics of cyclic estrus in female mink, use a combination of cyclic repeat mating and synchronized repeat mating, that is, mate once a day on the first two days of one estrus cycle, then repeat mating after an interval of 7-8 days. For female mink that are difficult to mate, a thin rope about 80 cm long can be tied at the rear one-third of the female mink and fixed to the cage wall, so that the vulva is exposed to facilitate mating by the male mink; the effect is very good.

How much does it cost to raise a mink  

The selling price of a pet mink is at least 2000 yuan, and high-quality breeds can sell for as much as 20,000 yuan. Mink breeding is relatively difficult, so the price is very high. The price of a mink is determined by its fur color; for example, pet mink with panda coloring in stores cost more than 3000 yuan.  

As is well known, mink have a very strong odor. Not only is it unbearably smelly, but once it gets on your body it is also hard to remove. Therefore, before entering the pet market, they need surgery to remove the scent glands. In addition to scent gland removal surgery, pet mink also need microchip implantation surgery and sterilization surgery. Young mink are very picky eaters and cannot be fed just anything. To feed young mink, you must give them special mink food, and the average monthly cost of mink food for a young mink is about 100 yuan. Apart from this, there are no other expenses in keeping a mink. Pet mink are as clean-loving as cats and defecate at fixed spots. So when you decide to keep a pet mink, you also need to consider its feeding costs.

Is mink farming profitable  

1. Mink fur is one of the main products on the international precious fur market.  

Judging from the history of the international fur trade, mink fur has always been one of the pillar products. The raising of precious fur animals at home and abroad is bound to form a situation and pattern dominated by mink.  

2. The market prospects for mink fur are better than large-hair fur products such as fox and raccoon dog.  

Judging from the quality and value of mink fur, its utilization rate is also higher than large-hair fur such as fox and raccoon dog fur, and especially the domestic market potential is very large. Mink fur is famous for its even, short fur and its glossy, luxurious appearance. It is the main raw material fur for making clothes, collars, hats, cuffs, and decorative trims, and it is used widely with large demand.  

As for large-hair fur such as fox and raccoon dog fur, because the fur is coarser and longer than mink fur and less gorgeous than mink fur, it is not suitable for making coats in the domestic market and is only suitable for making accessories such as collars, cuffs, and shawls, so its utilization rate is lower than that of mink fur. It can thus be seen that the development prospects of small-hair fur animals dominated by mink are better than those of large-hair fur animals such as fox and raccoon dog.  

3. The mink fur market is stable, and prices are rising steadily.  

The market order for mink fur is good, and market conditions have always been more stable than those for fox and raccoon dog. In recent years, there has also been a trend of steady increase. The rule of high quality commanding a high price reflected in the mink fur market has pushed the price of colored mink fur up substantially and has also created an opportunity for mink fur farmers to accelerate breed improvement of their populations, produce high-quality fur that suits market demand, and improve economic returns.  

4. Mink production has great development potential.  

At present, the domestic number of mink raised is lower than that of foxes, which further illustrates the development potential of mink farming. The domestic number of foxes raised, especially Arctic foxes, is higher than the number of mink raised; this is the result of being driven by short-term benefits from current market conditions. As market conditions for fox and raccoon dog fur change, in the not-too-distant future the focus of farming will certainly shift toward mink, which will further enhance the development potential of mink farming.  

5. Mink farming is a good project for farmers to become wealthy.  

Mink farming techniques are mature, feed sources are extensive, and mink do not have strict environmental requirements and have strong adaptability. Farmer friends can determine the scale of raising according to funds, site, and other conditions. As long as feeding and management are strengthened, relatively good economic returns can be obtained. Compared with special farming projects such as raising scorpions, centipedes, wild boars, and leeches, the market is stable, business risk is small, and economic returns are good.

6. Seize the opportunity and speed up the development of the mink farming industry.  

To grasp the opportunity and speed up the development of the mink farming industry, changing concepts and improving product quality are key.

The current state of the mink farming industry  

China's mink farming industry has roughly gone through a state-supported development stage (1956—1978), a scale development stage (the 1980s), and a development adjustment stage (since the 1990s). Since 1956, the state has successively supported the establishment of mink farms in Northeast China, North China, Northwest China, East China, and other places. By the end of 1978, the number of breeding mink on hand reached 300,000, there were more than 2000 mink farms, and annual mink fur output was more than 750,000 pelts. Beginning in 1980, many individual mink farmers appeared, causing the scale of mink farming to expand rapidly.  

In 1988, China's mink farming scale reached its highest level in history. Mink farms nationwide grew to nearly 3000, breeding mink numbered more than 3 million, 6 million pelts were taken, 3.3 million mink pelts were exported, and about 200 million US dollars in foreign exchange was earned. China's mink pelt production accounted for more than 10% of world output. After 1989, China's foreign trade system underwent corresponding reform, and precious furs such as mink pelt changed from unified export to liberalized operation. Coupled with later blind development and various other reasons, China's fur animal farming industry experienced a low period lasting 5 consecutive years.

With the continuous development of China's farming industry at present, many types of farming in China are developing very well. Mink have fairly large market demand both domestically and abroad, but their farming costs are relatively high, so farmers can decide according to their own economic circumstances.