How to Raise Mink? A Detailed Guide to Mink Farming Methods and Techniques
I. Basic Knowledge of the Mink's Ecological Habits
A. Site preparation:
The mink farm should be located in a wind-sheltered, sunny, dry place far from rabbit hutches and pig pens. The facilities include mink sheds, mink cages, nest boxes, food bowls, water cups, catching nets and mink boxes. The purpose of the mink shed is to shelter from wind and rain and prevent direct sunlight, so that the mink colony can live normally. Depending on the specific circumstances, the mink shed can be built either as a simple structure or as a tightly constructed shed.
B. Facility preparation:
Mink cages and housing should be sturdy and durable, mostly made of welded wire mesh or woven iron wire. Generally 70 cm long, 50 cm wide and 40 cm high, with a small chamber similar in size to the mink cage, mostly made as a water tank, or it can be built with bricks. The small chamber has an opening leading into the cage; if a round opening is made, the diameter is 10 cm, and if a rectangular opening is made, it is 14 cm high and 12 cm wide. The small chamber is tightly connected to the mink cage. Food bowls and water cups should be enamelware or enamel cups of moderate size; to prevent minks from knocking them over during activity, a fixing clip is often made from No. 8 iron wire and placed at the cage door, and when feeding, the food bowl containing feed is placed in the fixing clip.
C. Technical preparation:
Mink farming has relatively high technical requirements. You need to study on your own in advance through books, newspapers and magazines, and you can also study in the columns of this website's online school such as "Fox, Mink and Raccoon Dog Knowledge Lecture" and the electronic publication "Fox, Mink and Raccoon Dog Technical Collection" to continuously improve and enrich your breeding techniques.
D. Feed preparation:
Mink feed includes animal feed, plant feed, vitamins and minerals. Animal feed includes livestock and poultry meat, fish, dairy products, eggs, silkworm pupae and other small animals. Plant feed includes grains, beans, and fruits and vegetables. Vitamin feed usually refers to cod liver oil, VE, VB, VC, etc. Mineral feed mostly refers to bone meal, salt, etc. During the mink breeding period, animal feed is required to be no less than 60%. During the growing period of commercial minks and the non-breeding period of breeding minks, animal feed can be appropriately reduced and plant feed can be appropriately increased.
E. Disease prevention preparation:
Foxes are prone to parasitic diseases, canine distemper, Aleutian disease, yellow fat disease, etc. During rearing, cleaning and hygiene must be done carefully, and attention must be paid to the invasion of infectious diseases.
F. Preparation for introducing breeding stock
Before introducing breeding stock, you should comprehensively and from multiple sources understand the supply of breeding stock and master the relevant knowledge. You should adhere to the principle of purchasing from units qualified to deal in breeding stock, adhere to the principle of comparing quality, price and service, and adhere to the principle of purchasing from nearby sources, so as to ensure good quality, price and structure of the breeding minks.
II. Preliminary Preparation for Investing in a Mink Project
A. Site preparation:
The mink farm should be located in a wind-sheltered, sunny, dry place far from rabbit hutches and pig pens. The facilities include mink sheds, mink cages, nest boxes, food bowls, water cups, catching nets and mink boxes. The purpose of the mink shed is to shelter from wind and rain and prevent direct sunlight, so that the mink colony can live normally. Depending on the specific circumstances, the mink shed can be built either as a simple structure or as a tightly constructed shed.
B. Facility preparation:
Mink cages and housing should be sturdy and durable, mostly made of welded wire mesh or woven iron wire. Generally 70 cm long, 50 cm wide and 40 cm high, with a small chamber similar in size to the mink cage, mostly made as a water tank, or it can be built with bricks. The small chamber has an opening leading into the cage; if a round opening is made, the diameter is 10 cm, and if a rectangular opening is made, it is 14 cm high and 12 cm wide. The small chamber is tightly connected to the mink cage. Food bowls and water cups should be enamelware or enamel cups of moderate size; to prevent minks from knocking them over during activity, a fixing clip is often made from No. 8 iron wire and placed at the cage door, and when feeding, the food bowl containing feed is placed in the fixing clip.
C. Technical preparation:
Mink farming has relatively high technical requirements. You need to study on your own in advance through books, newspapers and magazines, and you can also study in the columns of this website's online school such as "Fox, Mink and Raccoon Dog Knowledge Lecture" and the electronic publication "Fox, Mink and Raccoon Dog Technical Collection" to continuously improve and enrich your breeding techniques.
D. Feed preparation:
Mink feed includes animal feed, plant feed, vitamins and minerals. Animal feed includes livestock and poultry meat, fish, dairy products, eggs, silkworm pupae and other small animals. Plant feed includes grains, beans, and fruits and vegetables. Vitamin feed usually refers to cod liver oil, VE, VB, VC, etc. Mineral feed mostly refers to bone meal, salt, etc. During the mink breeding period, animal feed is required to be no less than 60%. During the growing period of commercial minks and the non-breeding period of breeding minks, animal feed can be appropriately reduced and plant feed can be appropriately increased.
E. Disease prevention preparation:
Foxes are prone to parasitic diseases, canine distemper, Aleutian disease, yellow fat disease, etc. During rearing, cleaning and hygiene must be done carefully, and attention must be paid to the invasion of infectious diseases.