MINK RAISING.
There is only one species of mink found in North America, altho there
are a number of varieties differing in size, color and quality of fur.
Thus we find in Northern Maine and New Brunswick a very small variety
having a fine silky fur of a very dark shade; farther west and south a
somewhat larger variety, paler in color, and thruout the Mississippi
valley and parts of the south, also parts of Western Canada, a very
large mink is found, but running quite pale, and the fur somewhat
coarser than the northeastern varieties.
Again, on parts of the Pacific Coast, a very small and poorer quality
are found, and the mink from the lower Yukon River of Alaska are said to
be of very poor quality. One or more varieties are found in almost every
part of the United States, Canada and Alaska. Wherever there is running
water their tracks may be seen; but they seem to prefer the smaller
streams, as a rule, and they will be found as plentiful in the thickly
settled parts as in the wilderness.
Mink are great travelers, but each individual animal has his regular
route and seldom ventures far out of his course. While they travel
streams and lake shores as much as possible, they do not hesitate to
leave the stream and cut across country in order to reach some other
water-course. During the mating season they also wander away from the
streams more than at other times. While they are always found in the
neighborhood of fresh water, they are not a water animal, and in
following a stream, always run on the bank, but usually as near to the
water as possible.
In the thickly settled districts where the most valuable fur-bearing
animals, such as the silver foxes, otters, etc., are not to be found,
the mink is the most valuable and is eagerly sought by the trappers. The
fur is at its best during the first two months after it becomes prime,
which in the north will be about November 1st, and in the south perhaps
a month later. After the first two months, the fur commences to fade,
especially where the country is open and the animal is exposed to the
bright light, for the mink is not, strictly, a nocturnal animal. The
darkest skins come, as a rule, from the timbered parts of the country.
While the female is smaller than the male, she is also darker, and the
skins have about an equal value.
The food of the mink consists mostly of rabbits, partridges, quail,
squirrels, muskrats, mice, fish, frogs, birds' eggs, etc. While they
will eat stale meat, if hungry, they prefer strictly fresh food.
Occasionally they will pay a visit to the poultry house, for like most
animals of the weasel family, they have a decided liking for the
domesticated birds. They are very fond of fish, and when same may be
secured easily, they will kill large numbers, merely for the sake of
killing.
They are active and hardy little animals, apparently almost tireless, as
they will travel long distances in a night. They are perhaps most active
during the fall months, and in the north they travel very little during
the cold part of winter.
The burrow or den of the mink is usually located in the high bank of
some stream, but they frequently inhabit deserted dens of other animals,
but always near the water. It is in these dens that the female and her
offspring spend the summer months, never straying far from home.
The first two weeks of March is the minks' season for mating, and the
young--from four to six--are born about six weeks later. When confined
in enclosures where the diet, water and temperature are similar with
each animal, there is so little difference in the time of mating and
bearing their young, that five or six litters may make their appearance
within twelve hours of each other.
The young are blind from four to five weeks, but are very active and as
playful as kittens. The mother weans them when they are eight or ten
weeks old. At about four weeks the mother begins to feed them meat, and
they learn to suck at it before they have teeth to eat it. The young are
fed by the mother on frogs, fish, mice, etc., until they are three or
four months old, when she leaves them to shift for themselves. The young
soon separate and do their hunting alone. They do not pair and the male
is a rover and "free lover."
Mink are extremely cleanly and as soon as the den becomes foul, the
mother moves the family to some other nest.
MINK BREEDING.--There are a great many readers of the H-T-T who live in
the city, that long for some way to profitably spend their idle time. I
will give a successful way of breeding mink, according to Mr. Boughton's
Guide:
"Wild adult mink are almost untamable, but young ones readily submit to
handling and are easily domesticated. The time to secure young mink is
in May or June when they begin to run with their dams. The streams must
be quietly watched for mink trails, and these, if possible, tracked to
the nest. When they leave the hole, the young ones may be secured, or
they may be dug out. Those who own a breeding stock of mink ask very
high prices for them, but if the aforesaid plan is carried out, it is an
easy matter to get the young wild ones.
"MANAGEMENT OF MINK.--Mink being by nature solitary, wandering animals,
being seldom seen in company except in mating season, it is impossible
to rear them successfully if large numbers are kept together constantly;
therefore, their enclosure should be a large one. The male and the
female should be permitted to be together frequently from the middle of
February until the middle of March. At all other times keep them
entirely separate.
"About this season the mink should be allowed plenty of fine grass,
which they will carry into their boxes to make their nests out of. A box
3 or 4 feet long and 18 inches wide is the shape they prefer. It should
be placed as far as possible from the water to prevent the mink from
carrying mud and water into it. The young mink, when first born, are
small and delicate, destitute of any kind of fur and much resemble young
rats. If the old mink is tame, the young ones may be taken out of the
nest and handled when they are three weeks old. They will soon learn to
drink milk, and may be fed every day. At three weeks of age they may be
taken from their mother and put into a pen by themselves, and then they
will soon become very playful, are pretty, and make much better mothers
than they would if allowed to run with the old one."
The shelter should be in the shape of a long box, 5 or 6 feet wide and 3
or 4 feet high, set upon legs, with a good floor and roof. Divide into
separate apartments 6 feet long (longer would be better), the front of
each apartment to be furnished with a swinging door of strong screen
wire, with hinges at the top, and a latch on the bottom. A trough 6
inches square, should run the entire length of pen at rear side; one end
of the trough should be made several inches lower than the other, so
that the water could be drawn off. With this arrangement the water can
be turned in at one end of trough, and be drawn off and changed as often
as desired. The lower end of the trough should be a little deeper than
the other end to prevent the water from running over. Each apartment is
furnished with a box 3 feet long and 13 inches wide. On one side of the
box, and near one end is made a round hole about 4 inches in diameter,
and provided with a sliding cover, so by means of a stick it can be
opened or closed from the outside. This is so the mink can be closed up
while the pen is being cleaned.
[Illustration: Mink Enclosure in Detail.]
On the top of the box and at the other end should be a door large enough
to put in grass, straw, etc., for the nest, and take out young. It is
necessary that they have an abundance of pure soft water, fresh air,
desirable shade and plenty of exercise. These conditions secure for the
mink a good quality of dark fur and good health. Brush, weeds, etc., are
allowed to grow up in the yard, but not near enough to the fence to
admit of their climbing up and out.
The fence for the enclosure should be of poultry netting of one-inch
mesh. If of larger mesh the young animals will escape. The general plan
for the fence should be the same as described under the heading,
"Enclosures." There should be separate apartments for the males and
females, and also some smaller breeding pens. As it is not advisable to
attempt handling the animals, each compartment should be provided with a
small gate so that the animals may be driven from one pen to the other.
During the breeding season, and afterwards, while the young animals are
under the care of the mother, the same general methods of handling as is
recommended in skunk raising, should be adopted.
At all times, plenty of fresh water must be provided, and the enclosures
should be so arranged that the water will be distributed to all parts.
While the mink is always found near the water, it is not a water animal,
as is the muskrat, and a large body of same is not needed. A spring or a
small stream is all that is needed; and a pond may be dug in each of the
large enclosures.
Careful and regular feeding is advised. The mink is strictly a
carnivorous animal, and always prefers fresh food. The matter of
supplying sufficient food will be more difficult than in the case of
the skunk and muskrat. As they are fond of fish, if one is near a place
where they may be obtained, the feeding will be comparatively easy. They
should not, however, be fed on fish alone. An occasional fowl will be
acceptable, also rabbit, muskrat, etc.
The natural home and breeding place of the mink is near the water. Their
den is often under an old stump, tree or in some drift pile. The nest
where the young are born generally being in the ground. When the animals
become tame enough, the raiser should provide dens similar to those used
in their wild state. These can be made by burying tile in the ground and
in other ways making artificial burrows. A few hollow logs placed in the
enclosure would be enjoyed by the animals.
Many report that the males kill the young. This should be guarded
against by keeping the males separate. Some hesitate about starting a
"minkery" for fear that the animals will not fur properly. There is no
danger on that point if properly fed, watered and given homes in keeping
with those they lived in when roving at their own free will. This only
brings out more forcibly the fact that those who are going to be the
most successful mink raisers should have a natural aptitude for the
business--trappers, hunters, animal lovers, etc. Who has made the
greatest success at raising stock in your neighborhood--the man who
loves stock or someone who thought they saw a fortune in the business
but neither loved animals or knew anything about them? We venture the
answer, without fear of contradiction, that it has been the party who
loves and delights in stock. Remember, this applies to fur animals as
well as horses, sheep and cattle.