Key Points of Mink Rearing Technology in Northern Regions
Mink belongs to the Mustelidae family and is a carnivorous animal. Its fur has many advantages, including abundant underfur, straight and warm fibers, a soft and glossy appearance, and a noble look when worn. It can be processed into high-grade fine-hair fur, and its products sell very well in developed Western countries. At present, China's fur market is in a period of high prices and tight supply, making this the industry with the highest returns and the best market prospects in the breeding sector. The following is an introduction to mink rearing technology in Northeast China.
1. Mink Breeds
At present, the world's most famous breeds are the American mink and the European mink. The breeds raised at farms in Northeast China include the silver-blue mink, the cream mink, and the red-eyed white mink, among 4 breeds in total.
2. Suitable Growth Conditions
The northern regions have a long, cold winter and a relatively mild, humid summer, which is very suitable for mink rearing. The fur produced there enjoys a high reputation worldwide. Dongning County has already built 1 mink farm with 30,000 animals, and more than 95% of its products are sold to Russia, with expansion underway into Southeast Asian markets. Five years of production practice have proven that developing mink rearing in northern regions is another shortcut to helping farmers get rich faster.
3. Rearing Site and Equipment
The main purpose of mink rearing is breeding and fur production. The site should be chosen on higher ground, facing the sun, dry, and sheltered from the wind, far from noisy residential areas, major traffic roads, toilets, manure pits, and the like, so as to create a quiet, comfortable, and hygienic living environment for the mink. Cages should be made of iron, generally 50-60 cm long, with a height and width of 30 cm each. Feeding troughs and water troughs are fixed to the front of the cage. Other equipment also includes capture boxes, meat grinders, and so on.
4. Mink Rearing and Management Technology
4.1 Selection of Breeding Mink
The selection of breeding mink breeds is quite critical. Mink of superior breeds produce fur of good quality, with a large pelt area and favorable market prices. For this reason, one should select superior breeds that are large in body size and robust, shed hair early and quickly, have relatively abundant and soft fine underfur (old mink have coarse and relatively glossy fur), are alert but not aggressive, have very sharp and fine teeth and claws (old mink are the opposite), have a strong appetite, have a clear pedigree, and have no obvious stress responses or the vice of eating their own kits in their parental lines.
4.2 Feed
Fish should be the main feed, supplemented by meat, animal offal, grain, and fruits and vegetables. Excess fat should be removed from meat, and dried or salted fish should be soaked to remove salt. Feed should be processed, crushed, and steamed. Fruits and vegetables should have their roots removed, be freed of rot, and washed clean, while tuber feed should be fed cooked. Feed can be sourced locally to minimize rearing costs as much as possible.
4.3 Feed Formulation
Mink feed should be based mainly on animal feed (accounting for 60%-70%), supplemented by plant feed (accounting for 30%-40%), of which grain feed (corn, soybean cake, wheat bran, etc.) accounts for 15%-20%, and green feed (vegetables, fruits, etc.) accounts for 15%-20%. The daily feed amount per mink is 150 g-200 g of animal feed and 50-100 g of plant feed, along with an appropriate amount of additives such as salt, bone meal, vitamin E, and yeast tablets.
4.4 Key Points of Rearing and Management at Different Growth Stages
Pregnant female mink. The gestation period of a female mink is about 47 days. Because the gestation period of a female mink is relatively short, and she must both meet her own nutritional needs and maintain the normal development of the fetuses, special attention should be paid to strengthening rearing and management, ensuring comprehensive nutrition and excellent feed quality. In the late gestation period (after 20 days), eggs and fresh milk should be added to the feed, and a quiet, comfortable, and hygienic environment should be maintained to prevent miscarriage caused by fright.
Lactating female mink and kits. The lactation period of kits is 40-50 days. During this period, rearing and management should be strengthened for both the female and the kits. The female mink should be supplied with sufficient nutrition to meet her needs; where conditions permit, meat broth (preferably pig trotter soup or chicken soup), eggs, and fresh milk can be added, along with vitamin B, vitamin E, bone meal, and clean drinking water, to ensure sufficient milk for the kits. After 20 days, the female mink's milk production declines, and at this point the kits should be given supplemental feed. Fresh fish or meat should be minced and mixed with egg yolk, vitamin B, vitamin E, bone meal, etc., and fed once in the morning and once in the afternoon, allowing them to eat freely until weaning. After weaning, the female mink returns to the female mink pen. After separation, the kits should be monitored for temperature inside the shed to prevent them from catching cold after leaving the female mink.
Growing-period kits. After the kits are separated, they enter the growing period, which is also the stage of normal rearing and management. From birth to market, kits generally need about 130-150 days. In order to obtain better fur quality, rearing and management should be strengthened during this period. It can be divided into 3 rearing cycles, namely 50-60 days after separation, when the young mink grow relatively quickly and the feed amount should be sufficient for them to eat their fill; from 61-90 days, the supply of plant feed, fruits, and vegetables can be increased, but a certain proportion must be maintained to prevent diarrhea; from 91-130 days, they enter the second growth peak, which is also the stage of shedding and changing hair, and is the key period for obtaining relatively ideal fur quality. The amount of fish, meat, eggs, and milk given should be increased, and soybean milk and vegetable oil can also be added to improve fur quality, while plant feed must not exceed 20%. Prevent the fur from being cut or snagged, maintain cleanliness and hygiene, and ensure fur quality.