Mink is a pet. American mink - “my mink Pixel”
It is possible to keep a mink as a pet, but not for everyone. We must not forget that this is a PREDATOR. Despite their cute face, minks have very sharp fangs and strong jaws that can gnaw bones. If I had no experience with ferrets, I would never have been able to handle a mink. lives with me American mink- a cross named Pixel.
I got the pixel when I was 40 days old.
But already with rather sharp teeth, which soon began to change and they became twice as many
As it turned out, he was playing with me like that. Minks, unlike ferrets, are monogamous and treat others differently. He loves me and can sleep in my arms, “flea” me and lick my hands. But it can still bite. Minks are very smart and attentive, they have good memory, you can teach commands. He knows how to beg for a tasty treat
He understands the commands “fu” and “no” well. When playing, it’s better to wear thick gloves, even if you don’t bite, you can cut yourself on the sharp ends of your teeth and claws.
He loves to dive and swim
Maybe he can just lie under water for a long time and blow bubbles. Over the course of a year, from a small fluffy creature, he imperceptibly grew into a fat and large handsome man weighing about 3 kg.
Most during the day he sleeps in a hammock in his large enclosure
He will happily dig up all the flowers (this is an instinctive thing). You can walk him on a leash. In winter he digs tunnels in the snow. Loves to ride a bike with me.
The smell is less than that of a ferret, but the funk is stronger. Funks at the peak of emotions. Diligently goes to the toilet in the cat's potty. Doesn't get along well with other animals, although you can train it
Those who cannot control the mink should prepare for the mink to control them. This is a big responsibility that not everyone can bear! It is especially not advisable for families with small children to have a mink. Do not think that I am only writing bad things about my pet; in this review I just want to warn you about what you can expect from them. Those who have the patience to overcome all this will receive a reward true love minks
Nowadays, few people can be surprised by such a pet as a ferret. He is cute, funny and playful. Gets along well with his owners and other pets living in the house. But is this the only one? furry animal, able to get along with people in the same territory? Not at all. Mink is an animal that can compete with ferrets. But do not forget that this animal, although cute, is still wild. What should you be prepared for when bringing a mink into your home? How will she behave with her owners, children and other animals? It is better to study all these questions before the animal appears in the house and in your family.
The American black mink is an animal with beautiful fur and a cool disposition.
Currently, it is most often found. Of course, most people still associate it with a fur hat or fur coat. But what do we know about this furry animal? The homeland of this type of mink is North America, this is already clear from its name. But with active help from humans, it has long since migrated first to Europe, and then spread throughout the territory North Asia. At first, she lived exclusively on fur farms. But the mink is a very cunning animal, so it is not surprising that it has long left their borders. Now she independently inhabits the shores of reservoirs. What does a mink look like? This animal is predatory. She is distinguished by agility, strength and agility. Few can compete with her. Its body is wedge-shaped, its head is flat, its ears are small, and its eyes are like sparkling black beads. Her fur is thick and smooth. The American mink can grow more than 50 cm in length. It weighs about 1.5 kg. In nature, this fur-bearing animal almost always settles along the banks of rivers and lakes. When choosing a place to live, she will most likely pay attention to areas with fallen trees and protruding roots. There she will certainly find a safe refuge for herself.
American mink - pet
If there is a mink in your house, then most likely it is American. It's not difficult to find out. This species has a white patch only on the lower lip. Its closest relative, the European mink, may have a light chest. White spot she has it on both lips. Also smaller in size. But in general we can say that all representatives of mustelids are very similar in appearance to each other. But the Americans have better fur. Therefore, in the early 30s of the 20th century, they began to be imported to large quantities and bred on fur farms. But to prevent these obstinate little animals from attacking people and dying from severe stress (and they have a very weak heart), breeders began to carry out careful selection work. As a result, these cute furry creatures became less nervous and aggressive. Their disposition softened, but they never became completely domestic. Due to this peculiarity, it is necessary to bring them into the house with caution and thoughtfulness. You shouldn’t do this hastily, relying on emotions alone.
Is it worth keeping a mink in an apartment?
Mink is not a simple animal. It is impossible to compare it with a cat or a dog. She will not walk humbly on a leash and come running at the first call. There is no fur-bearing animal behind us centuries-old history peaceful cohabitation with a person. We can say that the mink is just beginning to learn how to become a domestic animal and there is still a lot of wild stuff in it. It is for this reason that before you bring her into the house and make her part of the family, think very carefully and weigh everything. If you don't have much experience with animals, it's better to get a ferret first. This animal is much more sociable and gets along easier with humans. Ferrets are more tame and very affectionate, and besides, these sneaky creatures will not make their owners bored. Mink is not such a “hooligan” animal. It is larger, heavier and not as easy to lift. But you shouldn’t hope that the mink will lie on the pillows or sofa, like a fluffy, imposing cat. This will not happen. The wildly curious little mink tirelessly explores the world around him. Of course, this will be accompanied by destruction and
Features of the relationship between mink and humans
Mink is a rather aggressive animal, so you need to immediately understand that this is not a pet that you can cuddle in your hands. She should not be grabbed, pressed to her chest and stroked for hours. The mink cannot tolerate such treatment. Of course, each animal is individual. And you come across fluffy little animals that behave like a gentle cat, but they are very rare. Basically, they cannot stand human cuddles and hugs. Minks do not need affection. They are very happy without her. There is another problem that the owner of a furry pet may face. Mink is wary of strangers and does not tolerate manipulations that she does not understand. Therefore, when going to see a veterinarian, be prepared for the fact that your animal may bite you and “smell” you. Her anal glands are capable of emitting such aromas that even a skunk would be jealous. So there is no need to anger the mink.
Mink and small children
It is no secret that children are often the first to initiate the acquisition of a fur-bearing animal. But is mink safe for them? The description of the animal makes it quite clear that children should be kept at a distance from her. It is especially not recommended to bring a mink into a house where there are very young children. A few careless movements on their part can provoke aggression in the animal. So it's not worth the risk. But if the children are already adults and understand perfectly well that they cannot touch or hug a mink, then there will be no problems. In this case, the animal will not offend anyone.
Do minks love their owners?
Of course, it cannot be said that a mink does not love its owner. This is not entirely true. She loves, but not everyone. The mink is a capricious animal, so it chooses one person and shows him its affection. All other such privileges are resolved. Moreover, her love has nothing to do with self-interest. It is not at all necessary that she will become attached to the one who feeds and cares for her. In general, it is best to take this animal into the house when it is very young. Best age- one and a half months. Then there is every chance to accustom her to caresses and tenderness. You can pet her and even scratch her tummy. Perhaps she will love to sit on her owners’ laps, but she still won’t allow herself to be grabbed and hugged.
Temperament and learning ability of minks
So, how to behave if a mink has already appeared in your family? An animal at home will behave as if in wildlife. So accept that she will tear your curtains and tear up the soil in your pots. But the mink is a smart and smart animal. She is easy to train. Most of these fur-bearing animals quickly understand what the tray is for and where their bowl is. They readily respond to their name. In addition, the mink perfectly understands when it is scolded or praised. This pet will quickly learn the phrase “no” or “go away.” But you need to train a mink with early age. And do it softly and affectionately. She needs to be persuaded. She will remember any punishment for a long time. Mink has an excellent memory. If she is driven away with a broom, she will break it. They hit her with a rag, it will tear her apart. And if they hit you with your hand, then revenge will be long and painful. At the first opportunity she will sink her teeth into it and will do so constantly. So, when teaching a mink the norms of behavior, be patient.
How does a mink behave during a walk?
Minks love walks. You can take them to parks or outdoors outside the city. But there is one nuance that must be taken into account. These furry pets hate collars. But there is a solution to this problem. It is necessary to accustom a mink to a collar and leash from a young age. When the animal understands that a leash means a walk, it will behave more politely. Therefore, it is necessary for the animal to quickly develop such an association. If you do everything methodically and patiently, then after a week or two she will stop screaming and resisting when the collar is put on her. The mink will quickly realize that walking is a pleasure, after which walking on a leash will be a joy.
Relationship between mink and other domestic animals
The mink loves to walk, but it is better not to let it go far outside. This is a very cautious, but at the same time curious animal. At the sight of dogs, the mink, fluffing up its fur, will rush to its owners for help. She does not like and is wary of unfamiliar animals. But this does not apply to those pets with whom she lives in the same house. You probably won't find another animal that looks like a mink. This pet, fearing strangers, simply adores dogs living with him under the same roof. The mink willingly plays with them. True, these games are a little rough. They look like a fight. That's why cats prefer to stay away. But practically no conflicts arise with them. The cat will simply leave the intrusive mink. Therefore, worry about how he will behave new pet with other animals, not worth it. Minks love toys. Especially those that rustle or squeak. She will tinker with them for hours. It happens that she takes her toys with her everywhere, even to her crib.
Mink bathing
The mink is ready to swim in anything. It could be dog bowl or even a pot of cold soup. There have been such cases. Very mink. Interesting Facts their owners can tell. For example, an animal that loves to swim is terrified of the bath. Why, no one knows. A special basin with water is placed for the minks. They take all their favorite toys into it and frolic with them, swimming like children. At the same time they look very cute. But if there is an aquarium in the house, be prepared for the pet to start hunting. This is not a cat who, as if on TV, will watch fish swim. The mink bathes in it, eating all its inhabitants. The hunting instinct in her is very strong, this must always be remembered.
Mink is one of the most valuable fur-bearing animals that can be raised in captivity. These animals are almost the most important “suppliers” of fur for sewing various accessories and clothing. Almost every woman dreams of a mink coat, as it has long been an indicator of the status of its owner. Hats, scarves, collars, and mittens are made from mink fur. Therefore, the demand for the fur of these animals is very high. The peculiarity of these animals is that they take root very well in captivity. And if you are planning to organize your own business, then mink breeding is a very profitable and promising business plan option. Breeding and raising minks is a very profitable business. By properly building a plan for this business, you will have a stable income.
Where to start a mink breeding business? Firstly, you must strictly follow the business plan drawn up in advance. For help in drawing up such a business plan, you can turn to specialists, or you can outline ways to build a business yourself and implement your own business plan. Secondly, it is necessary to study the characteristics of these animals, their types.
Mink is a predatory animal from the mustelidae family. small size, 40-50 cm (without tail). The fur is smooth, short, sleek, rather shiny, and has a thick undercoat. There are more than 300 different shades of flowers in the world. The most popular are products made from brown, black, silver-blue and sapphire mink.
It is known that each characteristic of an animal or plant is determined by a corresponding gene. The color of a dark brown ordinary mink is determined by 20 genes, of which 14 are dominant (suppressing the effect of others) and 6 recessive (suppressed by dominant genes). As a rule, this is taken into account in fur farms and animal farms.
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Basic colors of minks
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Interesting fact: fur coats, hats, and collars made from female fur are valued much more expensive than those made from male fur, so the skins of females are used to make models from world brands.
The European mink is considered a rare animal. This species is listed in the Red Book. But its relatives - the American mink - are more common and are excellent for breeding in order to generate income from the sale of their fur.
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For successful development own business An important issue in mink breeding is the construction or acquisition of cages and premises for minks. Cages and premises for keeping and breeding minks can be very diverse. You can start a home business by placing cages in one of the rooms of your house or apartment. But, of course, you must understand that you will not be able to achieve a full-fledged one and you are unlikely to be able to get a big income. It will become more like caring for a pet: a cat, a dog or guinea pig. Just for fun. Raising and breeding these animals in small quantities is completely unprofitable. Therefore, based on the above, we will talk about a more or less large-scale organization of animal production.
The first thing you will need is a plot of land in order to build at least a small farm. You are very lucky if you live outside the city or own own home with a plot of land. In such conditions, it is possible to organize the entire process of raising minks right in your yard by building special cages for this. The size of the cage must be sufficient for this. so that the animals can move freely, because minks are quite active and mobile animals. They are often compared to cats. It is necessary to place a house in the cage where the minks can hide (since natural conditions they live in deep burrows). Therefore, it is imperative to place drinking bowls, a feeder and a small container of water, since minks love to swim and bathe. Please pay Special attention make sure that all the elements that you place in the cages are well secured, otherwise the animals will turn everything upside down.
The cells in cages intended to house a mink should have a diameter of 2-2.7 cm. But there is one caveat. Adult animals cannot slip into such small cells, but newborn animals can quite easily fall through the hole and fall out of the cage. Therefore, young individuals are placed in separate cages with small cells or boxes.
If you find it difficult to make the cells yourself, you can purchase ready-made cells at very reasonable prices. So, a nine-seat cage can cost about 10,000 rubles. But remember that minks are quite aggressive animals, so it is better to house them in separate cages.
It is best to place cages under canopies. In this way, the animals’ home will be protected from inclement weather, rain, wind, and it will be less polluted. Minks do not tolerate the hot season well. In winter, the premises do not require heating.
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Mink is a carnivore. In the wild, these are unsurpassed hunters. Their diet includes rodents, various small animals that they catch, as well as birds and fish. If you plan to breed minks at home, then you need to know that these animals need to be fed fresh meat, fish, cereals, and use special dry food and dairy products.
At proper feeding minks practically do not get sick. It is better not to feed minks with waste, as this has a bad effect on the fur, its color and quality. It is better to give them live food, for example, laboratory mice, which can also be bred independently. Mice can be fed the cheapest grain mixtures. This is a very good economic effect that will only bring profit for your business. A mink eats on average one or half a mouse per day. You can feed minks inexpensive fish. If a mink dies, it can also be fed to its other relatives.
In addition to all of the above, minks must be fed with vitamin supplements, as they are very susceptible to infection with all kinds of diseases. The most unpleasant thing about this is that the disease spreads like an epidemic. In a matter of days, the entire livestock can become infected and die. Then your business may fail. But if you have studied everything well and drawn up a clear action plan, then this can be avoided.
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Mink farming must be carefully organized and planned. In spring, usually in March, the minks begin their rut. By 10 months, minks reach sexual maturity. Mating of the animals occurs in March, and puppies are usually born in the second half of April or early May. Pregnancy by appearance in minks it is quite difficult to determine. Approximately 10-15 days before giving birth, the abdomen of females increases in size. You can use hay or soft shavings as bedding in the nest where the offspring will be placed. There is usually an average of 5-6 puppies in a litter. The animals are born helpless, deaf and blind. For the first one to two weeks, the puppies are in the nest and feed on their mother's milk. When the puppies reach the age of 17-20 days, the mother begins to carry food into the nest, by this time the puppies are already trying to eat on their own. When accustoming newborn cubs to feeding, food must be placed in the house. When the babies are 40 days old, they are separated from their mother.
From September to November, winter fur grows on the animals; it is this that has the greatest value, therefore, from November to December, animals are selected and slaughtered to obtain valuable fur, which will be the main way of income in your business. In the fall, to maintain the mink population, individuals are selected that are most suitable for reproduction. At this time, competent selection work is important, which will be aimed at improving and preserving the quality of fur, animal breeds, for their further breeding. The duration of keeping and raising minks does not exceed 5.5-6 years, because in the future the quality of the animals’ fur and the ability of the animals to reproduce significantly deteriorate.
For people who want to organize their own business in livestock farming, I recommend taking a closer look at the idea of breeding mink at home or.
Mink breeding as a business is a profitable activity that, when proper organization, will certainly bring you a stable and large income.
Mink is an animal that is very famous for its beautiful fur. Every woman dreams of a chic mink coat. Products made from the fur of this animal are quite expensive; only rich people wear such fur coats and vests. Mink coat Not only is it very warm and beautiful, but it can also be worn for many years without losing its presentation.
Mink fur is used to make not only fur coats, but also hats, mittens, collars and scarves. The demand for fur is quite high, so its cost is considerable.
Because of this, many entrepreneurs are thinking about organizing a mink farm.
Mink farming business plan
Breeding mink at home
Mink is a small predatory animal of the mustelidae family. The animal is small in size, up to 50 cm. Mink comes in a wide variety of colors from brown, black, to silver-blue. Interestingly, for the production of elite fur coats from world brands, only the skins of females are used; the quality of their fur is much higher than that of males.
To keep these furry animals you need to equip cages and premises. Cages can be made independently or made to order. It is important that the mink has enough free space, take care of the comfort of the animals. Raising these wild animals requires a free space, so this type earnings are suitable for people living in rural areas. If you are a city resident, we recommend doing it at home.
The cage should have a house where the animal can hide from prying eyes. Also provide a special feeder for food, a drinking bowl and a container of water; these predators love water treatments.
Minks are aggressive animals, so they must be kept in separate cages. The length of this structure should be at least 60 centimeters, or more, it all depends on your preferences. But even in such an area, predators will feel comfortable.
Feeding
Minks are predators by nature. When free, they feed mainly on small rodents, fish and birds. If you decide to start breeding mink at home, you must provide the animals with a complete, balanced diet. It should mainly consist of fresh meat, fish, plant food and dairy products.
You should not feed your mink low-quality animal waste. It is best to breed rodents for these purposes, providing these predatory animals with a complete, healthy diet.
You can also feed your minks inexpensive fish that you can buy in bulk. But don't forget that these furry animals are prone to... various diseases, and this is a risk for your business. Therefore, take care of constant monitoring of minks by a veterinarian, and also add vitamins to their food for prevention. This will significantly increase the chances of survival of the offspring.
Business registration
Before starting your business, you must register as a sole proprietor or LLC. To breed minks, you need to obtain a license, as well as documents confirming the origin and assessment of the breeding and productive qualities of the animals.
If you plan to carry out your work as an individual entrepreneur, you must have the appropriate education (animal technician or animal engineer). If there is no education, then you need to register as an LLC and hire a person with the appropriate education for the position of your deputy.
In addition, the maintenance of minks on your farm will be checked by the sanitary and epidemiological service, which must issue an opinion on whether you adhere to the rules and regulations.
After collecting and submitting documents within 60 days, the licensing authority makes a decision to issue or refuse a license, which is issued for 5 years.
Sales of products
This business does not require large initial investments. You can start small, purchase a small herd and leave young females for breeding. Naturally, in this case, the payback period for the business will be longer, but if there is a lack of funds, this good way out from the situation.
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Mink implementation options:
- Selling live minks as pets or for breeding. Additionally, you can earn money by selling minks for breeding. Also today, keeping these animals at home as pets has become fashionable. But here you should not forget that the mink is a predatory and quite aggressive animal that is difficult to tame. The only way to domesticate a mink is to care for the baby from the moment of birth. It is almost impossible to tame an adult animal.
- Selling skins. You will receive your main income, of course, by selling this valuable fur. Fur factories and stores can become your clients. Prices for mink skins are quite high, everything will depend on the quality and a well-established distribution channel. So take care of this again initial stage implementation of your idea;
- Sewing fur products. If you own your own mink farm, you can easily open a factory for sewing fur products. This way, you can successfully invest your money and significantly increase your profits.
conclusions
First of all, I would like to note that this business is profitable and quite promising, because fur prices are only growing every year.
An important condition for success in business is a wise investment of funds; it is also important to adhere to the technology of breeding, caring for and keeping furry animals. Without proper care, minks can get sick, and you will lose your entire livestock and doom your business to failure.
Very important point- competent sales market. It is important to find buyers in advance and, if possible, conclude a contract with them for the supply of products.