Key Points of Winter Feeding and Management Techniques for Reserve Breeding Mink

Mink are seasonally polyestrous animals, and their reproductive systems begin to develop from the autumn equinox in September. Therefore, after the mink pelt harvest is completed in November (Minor Snow), the number of animals raised on farms drops sharply, and only reserve breeding mink are kept for continued rearing. December is a period when the reproductive system activity of breeding mink gradually increases. Although the reproductive organs develop relatively slowly, management still requires serious attention; even a small oversight can affect the quality of breeding mink, and the results will fail to match the effort, so one must not be negligent. Stimulated by short daylight, the animals enter the winter reserve breeding mink management stage, which also means beginning to adjust the winter management procedures for reserve breeding mink. The following management tasks need to be done well.

1. Select and retain new breeding mink. In summer, kits with sufficient nutrition grow quickly, so new mink that meet the standards for body length and weight can be selected as breeding females. The quality of breeding mink is the key to improving conception rate, whelping rate, and survival rate. Therefore, males should be selected and retained from other farms or obtained through exchange; to prevent inbreeding, the farther the kinship distance, the better.

2. The mink raised in winter are all reserve breeding mink. Rearing must follow technical measures, and males and females must be managed separately and individually. After the autumn equinox, daylight hours gradually shorten, summer fur is replaced by winter fur, and downy hair grows. At this time, bedding straw can be added to the mink boxes to help with grooming. Because of the short-day season, the testes of male mink are stimulated to begin changing. To control development normally and prevent mutual interference, separate individual dens should be set up and the animals raised separately.

3. Control the amount of feed supplied. Provide feed once a day, cultivate a habit of being well fed all day, follow the short-day cycle, sleep through the long nights, conserve energy, and nourish and preserve reproductive cells.

4. Adjust feed quality. Feed formulations must be complete. In addition to protein, trace elements must also be added, especially zinc sulfate additives. Zinc is an important trace element affecting animal fur; zinc participates in maintaining the normal morphology of epithelial cells and the healthy growth of hair, and ensures the normal structure and function of biological membranes. Zinc deficiency causes keratinization of epithelial cells and hair loss. For vitamins, mainly add β-carotene; cooked carrots can be added to the feed, 10 grams per breeding mink per day.

5. Feeding methods for old male mink that have already been used for breeding. For male mink with strong mating ability, high sperm count, and skill in mating, feed quality should be adjusted to promote a reasonable recovery of body structure to normal levels, and then maintenance feeding should begin. By December, exercise should be increased, exercise training management should be carried out, and the mink should be guided every day to move in circles and turns in the cage to resist wind and cold, train physical strength, and reduce fat deposition. The key management point is that when breeding mink enter winter rearing, there are changes in three endocrine aspects related to growth, reproduction, and molting. Sufficient nutrients must be provided, and excellent exercise management conditions must be fully provided to promote the normal development of the reproductive system of breeding mink.