Key Technical Points for Building Mink Farming Sheds

I think many people are not particularly familiar with mink. In fact, mink has a very wide range of uses in our country's market, and its fur is especially precious. Mink fur can be made into all kinds of clothing and so on, but the cost of mink farming is relatively high, so it is not particularly widely farmed.

Mink Farming Sheds

Shed housing is the equipment used to protect mink from cold and heat, and it can be built according to local conditions using locally available materials.

The specifications are generally 25-50 m long, 3.5-4 m wide, and the shed eaves are 1.1-1.2 m high. Some increase the span of a single shed (about 8 m), keeping breeding mink on both sides and fur mink in the middle, which can improve the utilization rate of a single shed and, to a certain extent, improve fur quality.

Cages and housing are the places where mink move, feed, excrete and reproduce. The cage is woven from wire mesh, and the nest box is mostly made from 1.5-2 cm wooden boards, with various specifications.

Single-layer cage housing: the cage is 70×30×40 cubic cm (length×width&height). The nest box is 30×30×30 cubic cm or 45×35×45 cubic cm. Double-layer cage housing: the lower layer is for breeding mink, and the upper layer is for fur mink or young mink. The breeding mink cage is 65×60×45 cubic cm, and the nest box is 45×40×40 cubic cm. The fur mink cage housing is 50×45×40 cubic cm, and the nest box is 56×30×23 cubic cm, with one nest box connecting two compartments.

Is Mink Farming Profitable?  

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

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

2. The market prospect of mink fur is superior to 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 that of large-hair fur such as fox and raccoon dog fur, and especially the domestic market has great potential. Mink fur is famous for its even, short fur and its glossy, luxurious appearance. It is the main raw fur used to make clothes, collars, hats, cuffs and trims, is widely used, and is also in great demand.  

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

The mink fur market has good order, 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 bringing a high price, as reflected in the mink fur market, has made the price of colored mink fur rise sharply, and has also created an opportunity for mink fur farmers to accelerate breed improvement of their populations, produce high-quality fur that is well suited to the market, and improve economic returns.  

4. Mink production has great development potential.  

At present, the number of mink raised domestically is lower than that of foxes, which further shows the development potential of mink farming. The number of foxes raised domestically, 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 near future the focus of farming will certainly shift to 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 technology is mature, feed sources are wide, and mink do not have strict environmental requirements and have strong adaptability. Farmer friends can determine the scale of raising according to capital, site and other conditions. As long as they strengthen feeding management, they can all achieve relatively good economic returns. Compared with special farming projects such as scorpions, centipedes, wild boars and leeches, it has a stable market, low business risk and good economic returns.  

6. Seize the opportunity and accelerate the development of the mink farming industry.  

In order to grasp the opportunity and accelerate the development of the mink farming industry, changing ideas and improving product quality are key.

Mink Feeding and Breeding Techniques  

In order to scientifically carry out feed formulation and feeding management, the annual life cycle of mink is generally divided into several feeding periods, such as the pre-breeding period, breeding period, gestation period, farrowing and lactation period, and growing period. Each feeding period has its own characteristics and is also closely connected with the others.  

No matter which period it is, improper feeding management has a direct impact on the whole year's production. For example, improper feeding management during the pre-breeding period directly affects breeding. If breeding work is not done well, high yield is impossible. Neglecting feeding during the gestation period will inevitably affect farrowing and cause losses to the whole year's production. Therefore, feeding and management must be done carefully in every period and every link. Only by constantly creating conditions conducive to the growth, development and reproduction of mink, and by learning and mastering mink farming techniques, can large quantities of high-quality fur be obtained. 

Precautions for Raising Mink  

First, breeding mink must be raised well. Breeding mink are required to have glossy fur, consistent fur color on the belly, short guard hair, soft fur and good elasticity. The fur quality of such mink is relatively good.  

Second, when breeding mink enter the breeding period, the supply of high-quality concentrated feed for breeding male mink must be ensured, and inbreeding must be prevented to avoid breed degeneration in mink. In the late gestation period of breeding female mink, sufficient high-quality feed should be provided, and when slaughtering animals for feeding, the adrenal glands, pituitary gland and so on should be removed to prevent breeding female mink from miscarrying.  

Third, after young mink are born, attention should be paid to keeping young mink warm to increase their survival rate.  

Fourth, when mink enter the molting period, in addition to ensuring the supply of high-quality concentrated feed, vegetable oil and vitamin B2 should also be appropriately added to the feed.  

Finally, in July and August, the temperature is relatively high and the air humidity is relatively great, so feed is prone to spoilage and deterioration, and mink are very likely to suffer from digestive tract diseases. Therefore, Chinese herbal medicines such as purslane and plantain seed should be appropriately added to the feed. This can reduce feed costs and can also prevent diseases such as enteritis and diarrhea. In June and July, mink also need to be vaccinated to prevent the occurrence of infectious diseases.

From the above analysis, we can see that there are still many techniques and skills in the process of farming mink, and the investment cost of mink farming is relatively high. Therefore, farmers should reasonably choose a farming project that suits them according to their own economic situation.