Can minks be kept as pets at home, and what are the prospects for farming them?

The mink is a semi-aquatic animal that likes water and is mostly active in areas near water. Because its fur has relatively high economic value, it is widely farmed. In the past, minks were all wild, and now some people have begun farming them artificially, so can minks be kept as pets at home? What are the farming prospects?

1. Introduction to minks:

1. Where do minks generally live?

Wild minks generally live by rivers or streams, and their growing environment has certain limitations. They are relatively suitable for being raised in areas with higher latitudes, sufficient sunlight, and four distinct seasons. In China, they are mainly distributed in the Northeast and the Qinghai-Tibet region.

2. What do minks eat?

Minks are carnivorous animals and can eat crayfish, crabs, fish, birds, insects, worms, and small mammals, among others. In general artificial farming, they can be fed some animal feed, plant feed, and additive feed. Among these, animal feed mainly includes poultry and livestock meat, fish, bird eggs, and insects, among others; plant feed includes vegetables, grains, and so on; and additive feed generally refers to vitamins, bone meal, and so on.

2. Can minks be kept as pets at home?

It is best not to keep minks as pets at home. This is because minks are highly aggressive, and if kept as pets, a moment of carelessness can lead to being attacked by them, causing harm to people. When raising them, try to use a large pool, and surround it with protective fencing on top.

3. What are the prospects for mink farming?

1. The input costs of mink farming mainly lie in the construction of the farm, the construction of mink cages and sheds, the purchase of breeding minks, and labor expenses, among other aspects.

2. Based on mink prices in recent years, raising 50 minks requires about 60,000 yuan.

3. The average feeding cost for minks is about 0.6 yuan per mink per day. An ordinary small mink takes about 110 days from the beginning to pelt production, so the feed cost is 66 yuan.

4. There are also some other expenses such as staff wages and disease prevention, which farmers need to budget and plan in detail themselves.

5. From the fur market in recent years, the market demand for mink fur has consistently been higher than that for fox and raccoon dog. It is understood that mink fur is the main raw hide material for making clothes, collars, hats, cuffs, and trims, and its range of use is broader. However, to make money by farming minks in 2019, it is necessary to improve mink quality and the direction of fur processing, control costs, and expand the market, so as to ensure greater returns.

Overall, it is best not to keep minks as pets at home, so as to avoid being attacked. At the same time, based on the farming experience and analysis of farmers in recent years, the prospects for mink farming are still optimistic, though the specifics still depend on one's own local investigation before making a decision.