Key Feeding and Management Techniques for Young Mink in the Early Rearing Period

The period from 40-45 days of age when mink kits are weaned and separated into pens until the end of September is the early rearing period. During this stage, the nutrients and energy ingested by young mink accumulate in the body in a dynamically balanced manner, causing a rapid increase in the number of body tissue cells, and the young mink grow and develop quickly. Therefore, doing a good job of feeding and management during the rearing period helps improve their survival rate, ensure fur quality, and achieve larger pelt sizes.

1. Feeding in the Early Rearing Period

During this period, young mink have an extremely vigorous metabolism and urgent requirements for various nutrients, and the nutrients needed by the kits are obtained entirely through feed intake. Therefore, sufficient nutrients must be provided during this period to meet their growth and development needs. The diet must be high in energy; high-energy feed can promote larger body size. Protein should be maintained at the lactation-period level, and vitamin supplementation should be adequate. Mink grow fastest in the 60 days after weaning; during this period, the body size of the mink must be maximized, otherwise the mink will have a short and stocky body after maturity, affecting the commercial value of the fur. The feeding standard during this period is 1000-1400 kilojoules of metabolizable energy, 27-36 grams of protein, 8-12 grams of fat, and 14-20 grams of carbohydrates. The feed weight ratio is: fish 40%, livestock and poultry by-products 38%, cornmeal 22%, with an appropriate amount of water. Other feeds: add per animal per day 5 grams of yeast, 0.3 grams of salt, 800 international units of cod liver oil, 8 milligrams of vitamin E, 5 milligrams of vitamin B1, 2.5 milligrams of vitamin B2, and 10 milligrams of vitamin C.

2. Management in the Early Rearing Period

(1) Weaning and grouping. After birth, mink kits should be weaned and grouped at 40-45 days. Weaning early or late is not beneficial to either the mother mink or the kits. Before weaning, all preparatory work should be done well, such as construction and repair of cages and sheds, cleaning, and disinfection. The weaning method is to wean the entire litter at once, placing 2 or 3 kits of the same sex in one cage, and after 7-10 days separating them into individual cages for rearing. At the same time, preliminary selection of the kits is carried out.

(2) Do a good job of hygiene and disease prevention. The rearing period coincides with the hot midsummer, so it is essential to strictly prevent various diseases in mink caused by eating spoiled and deteriorated feed. Feed quality must be strictly controlled, and a reasonable feeding system must be established. At this time, generally feed 3 times a day, and the feed given each time should be eaten within 1 hour; if not finished, the feeding utensils should be removed promptly. Feeding and watering utensils must be washed every day and disinfected regularly. Ants, flies, and rats should be eliminated as much as possible to prevent diseases such as gastroenteritis, diarrhea, steatitis, and poisoning. Provide sufficient drinking water in a timely manner to prevent heatstroke. From 15-20 days after weaning, carry out vaccination against infectious diseases such as canine distemper and viral enteritis.

Wang Lize, Gao Ming, College of Animal Science and Technology, Hebei Agricultural University